First things
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3 Relax at the beach
Alberta may be landlocked, but it
has plenty of places to play, relax
and cool off near water. Some of
the most popular are in central
Alberta: Jarvis Bay Provincial Park
at Sylvan Lake, Ma-Me-O Beach at
Pigeon Lake, Leisure Campground
at Pine Lake, Aspen Beach
Provincial Park at Gull Lake and
Red Lodge Provincial Park at the
Dickson Dam west of Innisfail.
4 Experience mountain glaciers
Walk along glaciers that once
covered most of the province and
still feed many of our rivers and
lakes on a Columbia Icefield tour.
The icefield, located on Highway
93 between Lake Louise and
Jasper, has more than 100 glaciers
and straddles two national parks
(Banff and Jasper), which offer
endless outdoor activities such as
hiking, mountain biking, golfing,
swimming, canoeing, camping
and more.
5 Get a bird’s eye view of the
prairies
Climb to 3,800 metres ( 12,500
feet) over the prairie landscape
and then—jump! The Edmonton
Skydiving Centre, which has
Alberta’s longest safety record
in skydiving, offers safe, tandem
skydiving experiences, or jump
at one of six other drop-zones
in Alberta. The exhilaration of a
60-second free fall is described as
floating through air.
6 Gaze at the stars
Love to marvel at the night sky?
You can take a closer look at the
University of Alberta, University
of Calgary, Twin Valley or
Medicine Hat observatories. Learn
even more about space and science
by visiting or joining a local
astronomy or stargazing club.
7 Ride the Old West
Saddle up a horse and wend your
way along one of Alberta’s many
trails with outfitters such as Sierra
West Cabins and Ranch, which
also offers cattle drives and hands-on ranch work. Ride into the
backcountry and camp overnight
with outfitters such as Boundary
Ranch, Double Diamond
Wilderness Trails or Skyline
Trail Rides for a true cowboy
experience. Visit albertaoutfitters.
com for horseback riding close to
you.
8 Breathe in summer air
Get outside in one of Alberta’s
countless provincial parks, and
enjoy fresh summer air. Unwind,
and picnic at a day-use campsite,
fly kites with the kids, or stay
the night and enjoy the stars.
Spot wildlife as you walk, hike
or mountain bike along an easy,
moderate or advanced trail system.
Visit albertacampgroundguide.
ca for campsite information;
for reservations, visit reserve.
albertaparks.ca.
9 Go downstream with a paddle
Canoe or kayak one of Alberta’s
exciting rivers such as the Brazeau,
Athabasca, Red Deer, Milk, Bow
or Kananaskis, or paddle across
one of Alberta’s many lakes. Find
easy, intermediate or difficult
paddle trips at Paddle Alberta,
Canadian Canoe Routes, or join
local paddling clubs on the water.
Visit canoekayak.ca for local clubs
close to you.
10 Discover more of Alberta
Alberta’s summers are full of
great cultural events and festivals.
Enjoy time with friends and
family at festivals such as the
Edmonton International Fringe
Theatre Festival, the Calgary
Stampede, Big Valley Jamboree,
Lethbridge Whoop-up Days or
Sylvan Lake’s Centennial Jubilee.
Visit travelalberta.ca for a listing
of local events, festivals and
attractions this summer.
— Amy Sawchenko
For more information on these
vacations, visit applemag.ca