The drive from Calgary to Banff was beautiful. The mountains are always on the horizon, and the excitement of seeing unexpected wildlife was lurking around every corner. We stayed at Tunnel Mountain Campground. We called ahead for reservations but they were so booked that we were not able to get sites together. We were just happy to have sites. (Click on the picture to see more.)
We went to the Calgary Stampede for two days to see the Chuck wagon races and evening show, and the next day, the rodeo finales. It was very exciting, and there was every kind of fair "junk food" that you could imagine. I became familiar with poutine for the first time. I had it again the second day. I'm glad it's not available closer to home or I would probably want it all the time.
Crossing the Border into Canada
Today we crossed the border into Alberta Canada. We stayed at Lewis and Clark RV Park which is located just south of Lethbridge. There was a nature trail next to the campground that provided an opportunity to see birds, ducks, and quite a few deer.
We spent a wonderful two days at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, in Medora, North Dakota. Along with getting much of the history about Theodore Roosevelt and his time here, including touring a cabin where he lived, this park has a lot to offer in the way of scenery. It is a badlands area with many beautiful rock formations but also lush green pastures and rolling hills. And let's not forget the bison. Lots of bison.
Yesterday we took a drive around the Scenic Loop in the south park, and it was beautiful. We saw a herd of about 300 buffalo or bison, and many prairie dogs. We also saw a herd of wild horses and checked out the horse ranch where we were going to go riding the next day where we saw a bull snake climbing a tree.
The second day at the park we went on a horseback trail ride and saw some beautiful country. We were not allowed to bring cameras with us so I wasn't able to get any photos during the ride, but that was probably a good thing since I needed to pay attention to the horse, as I didn't want to dismount unexpectedly. I enjoyed it immensely even though I haven't been on a horse in close to 20 years. We'll see how much I enjoy it tomorrow when I can't walk.
Then we drove through the north part of the park , and saw some very interesting rock formations, and of course, more wildlife.
I am listening to fireworks going off all around me as I sit in my RV at a county park in Valley City, ND.
