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“Mom! Mom! Come here I found gold!” I wasn’t convinced. My three-year-old son had staked his claim earlier in the morning and started “panning” for gold, with a frisbee. When I took a closer look there were some shiny specks no bigger than the head of a pin. So, if it was gold, safe to say that it wasn’t going to be paying for his college tuition any time soon.
We ended up on the banks of the mighty Pembina River, on the suggestion of my friend. A conversation about fossils with a work colleague led her to dig a bit deeper where she found an article stating that Entwistle, Alberta is the “Diamond Capital of Canada.” A claim that may be overstated but lured us out there anyways.
A few hours later, we did find something that resembled fossils, in the large stone slabs. “Take a picture, so we can prove that we found one,” suggested one of the kids.
With a click of the camera we were out of there and planning what to do next. The timepiece was edging on noon so we headed up the road to Evansburg.
Evansburg is a small town self branded as the “Home of the Grouch”, with #thegrouch murals painted all over town. It is also home to a bakery and ice cream shop and a lovely Saturday market from 10-2.
“What do you want: bakery or ice cream?” I asked. “Ice cream!”
As we weren’t the only ones out for ice cream on a hot Saturday we were trying to keep a lid on the orangutans when a gentleman reading his morning newspaper looked up.
“You are experiencing a very special moment here. Try to hold on to it,” he said.
Later he told us that seeing the kids out of ice cream was bringing back memories of 50 years ago with his own family. It was the reminder I needed to just let the moment happen.
On eating our ice cream we discovered that Evanburg has a lovely little market 10-2 on Saturdays. With permanent kiosks, there were honey vendors, knick knack vendors, home made quilts, and your home based network marketing products. A point of caution, do not go without cash. I did and missed out on buying anything.
So, what started out as just an early morning outing turned into a full morning in Evansburg and I got a new idea on a backyard bucket list bike ride route.
Hiking | Brazeau and BeyondSaturday morning itinerary:
9:00 a.m. Arrive at Pembina River Provincial Park park in the day use area. To look for fossils, head up stream under the Hwy 16 A bridge to sandstone and rock slab. This is a shallow area if the river is shallow, with a sand bar, and a lot of interest for kids.
11:30 a.m. Evansburg bakery and ice cream stop (playground across the street at the Tipple Park Museum)
12:00 Evansburg Mainstreet Market (10 am – 2 pm). A mini farmers market downtown. You will find honey, quilts and locally crafted goods.
Points of interest:
- Pembina River Provincial Park, hiking trails, Entwistle
- Tipple Park Museum, Evansbur
- Tipple Park pump track and playground, Evansburg
- Salt of the Earth Gallery, Entwistle
- Entwistle outdoor pool, Entwistle
- Pembina River tubing
- #grouchwalk, and downtown Evansburg.
Winter time at Buck Lake
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Try these DV100 training routes
Just beyond the western borders of Drayton Valley is a series of township roads and secondary highways that creates an amazing training ground for anyone looking to tackle the DV100, DV60 or the DV40, this September.
To market, to market: Shopping downtown Drayton Valley
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Tips for beginner mountain bikers
Rocks, berms, extreme pitches, however you slice it, mountain biking is not for the faint of heart. But with a little can-do attitude and grit it can become a fun pastime during any age or stage of life. This summer Rae and Bell decided that they wanted to try something new. Although they were no strangers to road cycling, the purchase of a e-mountain bike got them off the asphalt onto the trail.
Three trips for your winter wonder list
Snowshoeing is a fun way to get outside, stretch your legs and add a little interest to your snowy winter walks. With the Eagle Point Provincial Park and Provincial Recreation area right on our doorstep there are endless places to explore by snowshoe. But for those of you who are just getting started here are three of my favourite places to get you going.
The rugged and refined in Alder Flats
So I have been telling you to explore your backyard and check out places like Evansburg, Breton and Eagle Point Provincial Park. But what about Alder Flats? What the heck is there to do in Alder Flats? To answer this question I have visited Alder Flats five times since July to have a new experience, discover a new place and give you guys some actionable ideas.
