Another early morning jaunt, this time to Drumheller. We listened to morning mass on the drive, and I was told we’d be heading out into the Plains. My memories of the Kansas plains came rushing back, so I figured I’d be in for a long, flat stretch and maybe even sneak in a nap. Back in Kansas, I saw endless oil pumps, windmills, and farmland.
But this time, I was in for a big surprise, lots of farmland, one lonely oil pump, and not a single windmill. As we drove, the landscape kept changing, from flat stretches to rolling hills, tree-lined windbreaks shielding homes from wind and storms, and finally the rugged terrain of the Badlands. It was one of the most unique landscapes I’ve ever seen, carved out by centuries of water and erosion.
Our first stop was the Royal Tyrrell Museum, an incredible collection of dinosaurs and fossils, one of the biggest in the world. I’ve seen some great fossil displays before, but this place easily topped them all. The Dinosaur Monument and Quarry I’d seen earlier in the June trip suddenly seemed tiny in comparison.
Next, we picked up our picnic lunch, expertly planned by Pam. We split a turkey sandwich with cheese, cranberry sauce, and lettuce, along with carrots, tomatoes, and celery with red beet hummus (amazing, except the celery 🤢). There were also pickles, grapes, provolone, brie, and prosciutto, plus a fantastic lentil bean salad. It was one of the best picnic lunches I’ve ever had, I was really impressed and grateful for all Pam had done.
Then it was time to grab our e-bikes and explore. I quickly learned that the “e” part doesn’t mean “effortless,” the motor only kicks in if you’re pedaling! 😂 I got a serious workout, covering 17.42 miles in 110 minutes, with a max heart rate of 155 and an average of 142. Over 600 calories were burned, but I am sure it didn't negate the lunch.I had to pedal hard to keep up with Pam! She seemed to make it seem effortless, but at times, I was sucking air. Between that and nearly 10,000 steps, I definitely earned dinner. (For context, yesterday was over 11,000 steps, and Thursday was just shy of 20,000 steps.)
We capped the day with a fantastic meal of steak, baked potatoes, and salad, a perfect reward after all that biking.
Tomorrow will be a slower pace, mass in the morning, brunch with some Calgary friends (a few I met on my last trip), and a bonfire in the evening. A fun and relaxing day ahead, and hopefully fewer steps. 😎
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