The Hairy giraffe… IN ALBERTA
We headed to Alberta for our trip to Canada. Our plan was to take part in paleontological digs at Dinosaur Provincial Park and explore the Canadian Rockies in Banff and Jasper. However, the trip didn’t go as planned at all… Massive forest fires in British Columbia (on the west coast of the country) disrupted our schedule. Despite the hundreds of kilometers that separated us from the fires, we had to change our itinerary last minute due to the smoke that blanketed the skies of the neighboring provinces…
So, don’t expect to see beautiful blue skies in our photos: the sky turned from gray to dark orange, creating an almost apocalyptic atmosphere at times. Fortunately, the wind direction allowed us to keep the first part of the trip (Dinosaur Provincial Park), but we had to forgo the Rockies… Instead, we decided to head towards Edmonton and up to Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories.
We’ll tell you all about this 2-week road trip in Alberta!
How long? We went for 2 weeks to Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
When? In August. It was expected to be very hot, but the forest fires significantly affected not only our itinerary but also the temperatures. If you want to experience rodeos and other shows, July is the month to go: the Calgary Stampede boasts being “the greatest outdoor show on earth”! But be aware, more than a million people attend, so you won’t be alone there.
Ease of Independent Travel: 5 giraffes 
During our two-week road trip, getting around on Alberta’s roads was extremely easy. Everything is geared towards cars. Canadians have a non-aggressive and fairly respectful driving style.
Costs: 3 giraffes 
It’s not the most expensive part of Canada, but naturally, it’s still a relatively pricey country overall.
Ease of Communication: 5 giraffes Alberta is an English-speaking province, so there’s no issue with speaking English.
Security: 5 giraffes No particular concerns.
Health: 5 giraffes We’re in Canada, a country with very high hygiene standards and a highly modern healthcare system. Be sure to get insurance before you go to avoid potentially high hospitalization costs in case of any issues.
Gay friendly: 5 giraffes Canadian legislation is quite protective of LGBTQ+ individuals, and society, in general, is very open. The Calgary and Edmonton Pride events take place in August and September.
Travel ease: 5 giraffes Not only is traveling in Canada generally very easy, but even the major cities in Alberta are human-scale. Our trip was a bit less straightforward than expected due to the massive forest fires (unfortunately happening every summer now…), but we could easily change our itinerary at the last moment.
Highlights: Dinosaur Provincial Park: spending three days on actual paleontological digs was a childhood dream come true! Wood Buffalo National Park, in the Northwest Territories, and encountering the hundred bisons crossing the roads. The feeling of being at the edge of the world when we traveled towards the Northwest Territories while still experiencing the modernity level of the rest of Canada.
Letdowns: 
Not being able to visit Banff and Jasper is, obviously, the biggest disappointment of this trip.
Check out our individual Travel reflections articles on Alberta:
OUR 2-Week Itinerary in ALBERTA
Here’s the detailed itinerary of our two weeks in Alberta:
Day 0: After a 13-hour flight with a layover in Halifax, we arrive in Calgary, the heart of Canada’s oil industry.
Day 1: Waking up to a disturbing orange-yellow sky, we learn that hundreds of forest fires have generated thick smoke across the entire province…
We take a stroll through downtown Calgary, under a truly unsettling sky…
In the afternoon, the road trip begins amidst the smoke… We wonder if we’ll be able to head into the Rockies in a few days, considering that outdoor activities are highly discouraged. For now, we’re heading east, away from the fires.
We arrive at Dinosaur Provincial Park, and despite the hundreds of kilometers between us and the fires, the smoke persists.
But we keep our spirits high: it’s a childhood dream about to come true! Since watching Jurassic Park, Benjamin dreamed of becoming a paleontologist. And Dinosaur Provincial Park is where the most dinosaurs in the world have been found. It’s one of the very few places where tourists can participate in digs. The spots are limited and require booking several months in advance for a relatively modest fee.
The park offers more traditional tours ranging from a few hours to a full day, either by bus or on foot. Participation in excavations is only available in the summer and for a few days. You can find all the information on their website (the excavations are referred to as Guided Excavation).
We stay within the park, sharing this adventure with a Canadian and his teenage son who dreams of becoming a paleontologist.
We take our first steps in these lunar landscapes. The overcast and sometimes orange-tinged sky adds an unreal touch to our experience.
Day 2: The three-day program begins! We set off with David, the paleontologist who will guide us through the park and teach us how to find dinosaur bones!
While many bones are already unearthed in the park, we’re working in an area reserved for paleontologists, uncovering bones dating back 77 million years, never before seen by human eyes!
The program isn’t a touristy workshop where fake bones are hidden to demonstrate techniques. We’re participating in a real excavation site. It’s an incredible privilege!
In the evening, we join a 2-hour tour to learn more about the park.
Day 3: The morning is reserved for prospecting. The park is teeming with bones, each more impressive than the last!
In the afternoon, we get back to work! François discovers a dinosaur tooth, which will end up in the reserves of the Royal Tyrrell Museum! And yes, we brought out our Jurassic Park t-shirts…
In the evening, a small show featuring birds native to the region.
Day 4: The day’s program is the same as yesterday. We start the day with prospecting in the park.
Last afternoon spent playing paleontologists.
During these last three days, we uncovered ribs and a jawbone of centrosaurs, cousins of the triceratops that lived here 77 million years ago.
Day 5: It’s time to leave Dinosaur Provincial Park. But our journey into the world of dinosaurs continues: we hit the road towards the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
The museum is simply incredible. Certainly the most comprehensive dinosaur museum in the world. We spend a few hours there.
Next, we visit Drumheller, the town that houses the Royal Tyrrell Museum, the world’s largest (fake) dinosaur, and dozens of other specimens scattered throughout its streets.
In the evening, we return to Calgary for the night since the initial plan involved heading to the Rockies the next day…
Day 6: The smoke discourages us from heading to the Rockies. After much deliberation, we decide to continue our journey northward, all the way to Edmonton and its famous mall, the largest in North America.
Since we’re in the vast Canadian landscapes, we decide to have our first experience with shooting.
We continue our journey, further north, until we reach Athabasca, where we take a short hike and spend the night. The atmosphere is radically different: we’re in a typical small town of Western Canada, a former fur trading post towards Europe.
Day 7: We’re in the midst of a road trip through the Canadian Prairies.
We drive to Lesser Slave Lake before spending the night in High Level.
Day 8: As we continue driving further north, the smoke from the forest fires unfortunately catches up with us, giving the morning light a post-apocalyptic appearance.
We cross the 60th parallel north, the border between Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
We make a stop at Hay River and the Great Slave Lake.
Due to the forest fires, temperatures are nearing 0°C, while we packed clothes for scorching weather… We bought warmer clothing the day before in High Level.
We pass through Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the world’s largest bison population. The park is Canada’s largest. We don’t come across any bison today, but we’re fortunate to spot a lynx, a fox, and a coyote.
We reach Fort Smith, where the road ends. It’s impossible to proceed further; we’ll have to turn back tomorrow.
Day 9: The smoke is dissipating, and the bisons are out and about! We encounter around a hundred, many of whom block our path. A fantastic experience.
We discover the magnificent salt plains of the park. This part of Canada sees very few tourists, so we nearly have these splendid landscapes all to ourselves.
At the park’s exit, we stop at the beautiful Alexandra Falls before heading back to High Level.
Day 10: We head back south, towards the Rockies.
On the way, we immerse ourselves in culture with a visit to Dunvegan Provincial Park, the site of a former 19th-century trading post.
We spend the night in Grande Cache, near Jasper National Park.
Day 11: We spend the day in Jasper National Park, where we see more smoke than mountains or lakes… We made the right choice not to insist and to change our itinerary to head north.
We’re far from the beautiful colors we hoped to see!
The Athabasca Falls.
Day 12: After a night in Hinton, we step back in time and spend the day at Fort Edmonton Park, the largest living history museum in Canada. The park showcases original buildings and reconstructions, divided into four sections: the fort from 1846, the streets of 1885, 1905, and 1920. We spend most of the day there and spend the night within the park, at the park’s hotel. It’s a fantastic discovery, especially interesting for history enthusiasts or those who grew up watching period films.
We spend the evening in downtown Edmonton.
Day 13: We head back to Calgary and visit the impressive Glenbow Museum, showcasing the customs of First Nations peoples. The museum is comprehensive, accessible to all (no need to know much about First Nations before visiting), and covers key aspects of daily life and the impacts of European colonization.
Day 14: It’s time to leave, and the smoke has cleared… The sky is blue!
On wonders what this trip would have been like without those forest fires… But we return to France happy about this road trip in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, where we were able to appreciate beautiful natural sites and learn much more about the region’s culture. And how can one not be amazed by participating in paleontological digs?
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