World Mental Health Day is this weekend and as parents with children who have a mental health illness will know, finding adequate treatment is virtually impossible.
What’s your favourite Farmers Market haul?
Featuring many local artisans who create unique items like candles, jewelry, woodwork, signs, bath bombs, skincare, flowers, paintings and so much more, Callingwood Farmers Market in Edmonton is just full of goodness.
Fresh and fun, there are so many amazing and healthy options at the market.
Growing up in a small town outside of Edmonton there was always one field trip we looked forward to the most – Fort Edmonton Park.
It was always in June close to the end of the school year when we packed into school buses with our pockets full of change to spend at the candy store. I still can’t walk into the park without thinking about those raspberry and lemon hard candies that came in the little brown paper bag. Even though the candy store was definitely the highlight when I was 10, I still credit Fort Edmonton Park and the way their incredible interpreters brought Canadian history to life for my love of the past.
In the small hamlet of Torrington, situated on 1st Street is the world-famous Gopher Hole Museum.
What is the Gopher Hole Museum?
Started in 1996, when they set up permanent residence, the Gopher Hole Museum has been delighting visitors with their anthropomorphic, mostly Albertan, dioramas.
If you’ve ever driven on the Yellowhead Highway around Wildwood and Entwistle, you’ve no doubt noticed a massive lake along the highway. During a recent road trip we actually saw a sailboat on this lake and I was intrigued so, decided to take the kiddies on a road trip to Chip Lake.
There are smaller tenting sites, larger open sites and then also group sites for camping, though there is no power. At $25/night it’s super affordable!
Open Farm Days is an annual favourite for many connecting Albertans to their food sources: farmers. For some (myself included) we are generations removed from the family farm, and I have absolutely zero clue about farms, animals, electric fences (they’re a thing), and how they get cows to move to a new pasture. It’s completely mind-boggling to me.
Last week we were invited to Metis Crossing which is Alberta’s first major Metis Cultural Interpretive destination. Located about 1.5 hours North East of Edmonton by the Town of Smoky Lake, it is an easy day trip through some beautiful country.
With Covid cases rising we are on the lookout for more things to do with the kids that create a sense of “normal” for them without risking being exposed. We were reassured by the Metis Crossing staff that protocols have been put into place to still get the experience you want with the safety you need. Plus, with all of this online learning from home, the trip is kind of like a field trip!
UPick season is here!
We are all feeling it – the need to “get out” but the worry of too many people, not enough distance…it can make anyone want to stay at home. After being cooped up for too long, we decided to get out of the city for the day and go pick some Haskaps at Rosy Farm’s UPick for a fun treat, some fresh country air, and a whole lotta Blue Skies.
For those that are wondering “what the heck is a Haskap?” prepare to have your mind (and tastebuds) blown.
We left our bubble for the first time since March 14th, when COVID-19 shut Alberta down, to Banff last weekend. While we were anxious about filling the streets of the Bow Valley and hopefully, not adding to a problem of overcrowded streets, we really (really) needed to leave town and have a change of scenery. What better scenery than Banff?
Updated July 2020
There is almost nothing better than a road trip, with the exception of going on a road trip and making a pit stop to see that world’s largest honeybee or a real-life UFO landing pad.
In honour of all things weird, here’s our ultimate list of all things roadside in Alberta.
Planing a trip to see the “Worlds Largest” in N.E. Alberta, see our tip and our trip here.