Alberta’s best staycation ideas!

It’s the time of year when families are thinking about what to do over spring break. But with more and more people watching their wallets, I wanted to come up with a list of family friendly day trips that are both a ton of fun and easy on the wallet.

I got a chance to share my list with Breakfast Television’s Ted Henley. You can watch the video or check out some of my suggestions below!

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary

http://yamnuskawolfdogsanctuary.com/

Of all the options, this is the priciest at $39/person. But the 45 minute visit to the sanctuary is like nothing else and the money helps keep these amazing animals safe. At the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, which is located just outside of Cochrane, you’ll meet wolfdogs, some that are 90% wolf and learn all about wolves and wolfdogs. This unique experience gives visitors a chance to go inside the enclosure, take photographs of their wolfdogs, and feed them some treats! I’ve done it a few times and it’s really amazing!

Here’s a story I wrote about the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary.

Canmore Winter Festival

http://www.tourismcanmore.com/event-calendar/canmore-winter-carnival

Made some new friends at Snowy Owl Dog Sled Tour. Such an amazing day. #ExploreAlberta

A post shared by Mike Morrison (@mikesbloggity) on Nov 18, 2013 at 2:03pm PST

Sure there’s not a ton of snow in the mountains right now, but that hasn’t stopped Canmore from putting together an amazing free festival that features ice carving, snow sculpting, dog sled racing, the Bonhomme Carnival, and more!

This Saturday, you can meet the puppies from Snowy Owl dog sled tours. There is also a puppet making workshop.

Vulcan 

Vulcan is Alberta’s campiest town and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Located 90 minutes from, a drive to the town that’s truly embraced all things Star Trek makes for the perfect day trip!

Almost every corner of the town features a mural or monument dedicated to Star Trek and there’s even a new Trekcetera museum which features costumes and props from all the Star Trek shows, and other movies like Brokeback Mountain and Superman 3.

The price of the museum is $12 and $9 for youth.

Here’s a story I wrote about Vulcan.

Marv’s Classic Diner 

http://www.marvsclassics.ca/

Featuring ice cream sodas, milkshakes, fountain pops and something called carbonated ice cream, Marv's Classic Ice Cream Shop in Black Diamond, is like an amazing trip back in time.

A post shared by Mike Morrison (@mikesbloggity) on Sep 14, 2014 at 4:20pm PDT

This fantastic diner is located in Black Diamond, which is about an hour from downtown Calgary.  Sorry to sound like Stefon from SNL, but this classic diner has everything: amazing burgers, ice cream sodas, malts, 100+ kinds of pop and nostalgic candy. Not mention, when you walk in the front door, you’ll immediately feel like you’ve been transported to a different era!  This is one of Alberta’s best hidden gems!

Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/158

Of all the day trips, this one takes the longest. It’s about two hours from Calgary. But trust me, it’s well worth the drive. Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump is one of the world’s oldest, largest, and best preserved buffalo jumps, and it also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It’s origins of use date back 6,000 years. The Interpretive centre is absolutely incredible. It’s five stories tall and carved right into the sandstone. The cost is only $5 to $11, so it’s affordable.