Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/944769
marketplace Your One-Stop Guide to Traveling & Leisure TO ADVERTISE IN MARKETPLACE, PLEASE CONTACT ANNA LEE 604-473-0318 advertise Hawaii eye35.pix/Alamy SPRING 2018 BCA A .COM 17 MEMBERS SAVE If your car breaks down, BCAA Road Assist is there to help. What's more, with BCAA Plus and Premier Memberships, you can sign up children aged •• and under for Kids Go Free – providing free roadside assistance in any vehicle. bcaa.com/roadassist The Banff Sightseeing Gondola runs up Sulphur Mountain for a spectacular view of the Rockies. of weathered material jutting from the ground, and a closer look reveals a fossilized bone larger than Avery's hand. We note its location and return to the museum to report our exciting discovery. The next morning, after a quick stop at Horseshoe Canyon to see a postcard view of the Badlands, we hop on the QE2 bound for Cowtown. Calgary to Banff There are so many family attractions to see in the city, from the Calgary Zoo, for a dose of penguins and peacocks, to Calaway Park, for thrill rides. But our favourite stop is Heritage Park, a historic village northwest of downtown, where workers dress in pioneer duds and re-enact life from a century ago – and where we climb aboard a steam engine and try out old-timey midway rides. This sets the stage for our last stops in Banff townsite, a quick drive west on the Trans-Canada. We explore the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, where the town's original hot springs discovery prompted the development of a national park. The site has morphed from a popular bathing spot to an ecosystem that protects the endangered Banff Springs snail. After spotting a few of the tiny gastropods in the dim light, we drive to the Banff Gondola and ride a car to the top of Sulphur Mountain to take in the jagged teeth of the Canadian Rockies. It's hard to believe that in the span of a few days – and around 800 km – we've journeyed through Alberta's diverse geography, from prairie to peak, and taken in so much of its weird and wonderful past: Dinosaurs! Coal mines! Spaceships! It seems science and history can have a place on a family road trip – so long as the lessons are interspersed with candy, comfort camping, giant reptile remains and random roadside attractions.