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Today we explore southern Alberta. This part of Canada is one of those places where you can drive an hour and get to a completely different landscape. Here you will see the Rocky Mountains and gentle foothills that transition into open prairies. Additionally, this region is home to small farming communities, indigenous cultural sites, historical museums, and some pretty dramatic reminders of how powerful nature can be. So in this video, we'll explore Waterton Lakes National Park, learn the incredible story of the Frank Slide, visit a museum dedicated to the era of horse-drawn carriages, attend a real-life town rodeo at Pincher Creek, and learn about the art of bison hunting at Head- Smash-in-Buffalo Jump. These are five very different experiences, but
they give a good idea of how much there is to see and do in southern Alberta. One of the things that makes Waterton Lakes National Park so visually spectacular is how suddenly the landscape changes. This is a place where the open prairie abuts right against the Rocky Mountains. This area was first protected by the federal government in 1895, making Waterton Canada's fourth national park. And with an area of about 505 km², it is actually the smallest national park in the Canadian Rockies. And if there is one building that has become almost inseparable from the image of Waterton, it is the Prince of Wales Hotel. It was built in 1926, opened in the summer of 1927, and towers over Upper Waterton Lake. We made a short stop at the bison pen, and
today they are roaming freely. We can see them very well, so we are effectively on our own safari, admiring the bison, also known as American buffalo. So, yes, it's.it's a circular route. This is a closed road, we'll keep going and see if we can get a little closer. There's a little traffic here today, but that's nothing. We move at a steady pace, and everyone gives each other plenty of time to take photos, shoot videos, and just enjoy the wildlife. Hello, my precious girl. Are you having fun in Waterton too? We devote a lot of time to the child. We brought a small picnic blanket so she could crawl on the grass. Movement, activity.
It seems we have a little explorer growing up. We're right next to a big attraction, a waterfall, but just, you know, across the street. We have this quiet little place all to ourselves. It feels like our own little picnic area. Yes, that's great. I like it. Frank Slide is one of those places where you have to know the history to truly understand what you're seeing. At 4:10 a.m. on April 29, 1903, a massive section of Turtle Mountain collapsed onto the mining town of Frank at its base. In about 90 seconds, about 82 million tons of limestone roared down from the mountain. The landslide buried part of the city, railway tracks and mining infrastructure under a huge field of debris.
More than 90 people are believed to have died, although the exact number has never been established as most of the bodies have not been recovered. It's no wonder that the safest place at that moment was the mountain itself. The miners, who were working underground on the night shift, survived and managed to get out. So what caused this? Today, scientists believe that the main problem was Turtle Mountain's instability due to faults, erosion, and constant freeze- thaw cycles that weakened the mountain to the point of collapse. It is definitely worth visiting the Frank Slide Interpretive Center. And then you can walk along the path that leads through the rockfall site. Let's start, attention, attention, She's like, "No, I'm camera shy."
I taught "start, attention, go" with Ms. Rachel. So we train here, in nature. We were here a few years ago and just went hiking. But by visiting the museum, you learn so much about what happened, and it is certainly a very tragic event. And yes, it's worth watching the film to hear the stories and see how it all happened. Yes, the film is shown every half hour, and it lasts, I think, 28 minutes. Aha. And it is really very well made. You know, there's a lot of really great information inside the interpretive center. There are stories of survivors. There are some artifacts. There are interesting facts about geology. Everything is very well equipped.
Admission is $18 for adults and $14 for seniors. And if you're coming as a family, especially if you have a lot of children, it seems you can get a family ticket for $45. This is for two adults and up to six children. An interesting fact we learned at the center while watching the film is that the indigenous people knew this mountain was dangerous. Blackfoot, uh, Blackfoot tribe. Blackfoot. Yes. They knew it. And they, uh, called this mountain "the moving mountain." Yes. And every time they passed through these areas, they refused to camp there. Yes. anywhere near the mountain, because there was a fear that uh
something would happen, and they warned the settlers about it, but no one believed them. So they built a city right under it, and this is what happened. And also, uh, they were doing research on this mountain, and it seems to still be moving. So, this is not the end. They don't know when, but uh, this thing isn't uh, stable. It hasn't stopped rumbling yet. Yes. So let's go on a little journey. Yes, we are going on a hike. We're heading out on the trails. Are you ready? Certainly. And this Little One is also ready in the backpack.
A little hiking companion. So, let's choose a path. Come on. Here. So, the rockfall occurred at a speed of 120 km per hour. It's simply impossible to survive after something like this. I'm picking berries. Great little place to feed the black bears that roam here. I just wanted to say that they clearly weren't here. They visited our area and ate us a bit, but not on this particular trail. And we found some nice shade here for little Aurelia. Little Aurelia, I must say. She's a little Oh, no. She looks a little sleepy, but she, yes, she might be. This is the time when she's usually asleep, but, uh, yeah, this, this is the part that's just crazy. I also just want to show you the size of some of
these stones. For example, some of them are bigger than cars. Half the size of a house. Massive. Another place worth visiting in southern Alberta is the Remington Crew Museum Carston. It is the largest museum of its kind in the world with a collection of over 330 horse-drawn vehicles. We saw everything from elegant carriages and sleighs to carts and delivery vehicles. It all started with a local collector named Don Remington. He spent years collecting and restoring horse-drawn carriages and later donated 48 carriages that became the foundation of the museum. Since then, the collection has continued to grow to what you see today. I think what makes this museum even more interesting is that you can see how completely transportation
once depended on horses. Before cars came along, there were different vehicles for different jobs, roads, seasons, and even levels of affluence. The museum has a restoration workshop where you can see how these vehicles are restored Alternatively, you can also sign up for a carriage ride, which we of course did. Do you need help, Audrey? Are you sure? How is everyone doing today? Good. Good workout now. Uh, so he used to check traps along this creek here. It's actually called Main Mountain. It's hidden in the market. The one of the most important cultural and archaeological sites of the indigenous peoples of Canada. And it
became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. What you see here is much more than just a rock. This is where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. And for nearly 6,000 years, the indigenous peoples of the North American plains used a fairly deep understanding of bison behavior and the surrounding landscape to conduct cooperative hunts. Hunters wore coyote and wolf skins and used the natural terrain along with runs and stone markers to guide the herds to the cliff. After a successful hunt, the bison were processed in camps below, providing not only food but also materials for clothing, tools, and shelter. And the heat.
OK. So I want to show you a museum or an interpretive center, because there's a really cool replica here, what would you call it? We have this rock with three bison on top so you can better imagine how they were hunted. So, you can take a good look. Yes. It's worth remembering: if you visit this place during the summer months, in July or August, every Wednesday at 11:00 and 13:30 they organize a small pow-wow, so you can hear the music and see the dancing of the Blackfoot people. We were just there. A good big crowd gathered there. Our girl liked it. She clapped her hands, laughed, and sang the whole time. So it would be great if you could come on Wednesday to see it and enjoy that aspect as well. So, something interesting for
people with children, come take a look at this. You can color your " Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump." Good. This is fun. This is really cool. My little one is still too young for this. Yeah, maybe in a year or two, but uh yeah, I think it's interesting. This is very convenient for family vacations a little warning sign. On the way here, we wondered: do bears venture this far out onto the plains? It turns out, yes, from time to time they see cougars and bears. It says: "Go hiking only in groups, make noise, supervise children." So, it's good to know.
Okay, friends. So, we showed you a short hike on the upper level. And there is also an educational trail at ground level. So, basically, I'm going on a 1.2km hike right now. It's as simple as possible. And Aurelia, Daniel, and Audrey are cooling off under the air conditioning in the educational center. But I think I'll see some nice views of the cliffs along the way, and I'll also be able to see the wigwams up close. I think it will be an interesting walk. If you are going to visit Pincher Creek, I recommend doing so during the third week of August during the Pincher Creek Professional Rodeo. The traditions of cattle ranching and rodeo in Pincher Creek go back much deeper than
modern professional competition. According to the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, some of the first local competitions took place back in 1891, when neighbors gathered with their horses and livestock on the estate of John Heron, a former officer of the North-West Mounted Police. These gatherings became a public tradition and over time grew into what we see today. So while a rodeo in a place like Pincher Creek is entertainment, it is also directly tied to the cattle and agricultural history of the surrounding region. This makes this urban rodeo quite different from large-scale events like the Calgary Stampede. What about Australians? finish. Get ready for the Perry rodeo. John, my chief rider's old horse.
Let's go. He has already come out and is walking nearby. Come on. Come on, friend. Get away quickly. Oh, she's trying to come back. Let's go. Oh, that was fantastic. We are on break. We rested a little. Oh my god, we are digesting the food, the burgers at the kiosk were just phenomenal. Big, fat Albert beef, double patties, real beef. You can feel the difference. Cattle on free grazing. But, ultimately, about the rodeo-it was just fantastic. I mean, there are so many different things going on.
We have children participating. It's great to see so many different generations involved. Children, little boys and girls, are also allowed to participate. So some children have shown the best results so far. They were the most impressive. Yes, they are probably 9-10 years old. They are not as constrained or tense at this age. They are flexible and light. This is a good experience. This is a good event. Here are five places worth visiting in southern Alberta. One of the things we love about this part of the province is the great diversity. There are landscapes, history, indigenous culture, towns,
unique museums, and truly unusual attractions. So let us know in the comments which of these five places you would most like to visit. And if there's another place in southern Alberta that you think we should definitely see, let us know. If you enjoyed traveling through southern Alberta with us, please like this video, subscribe, and see you soon on new adventures.
