Drumheller

74 Comments
Royal Tyrrell Museum

From Lake Louise, we left the Rockies and drove east: destination Drumheller. The road was flat – very flat – and I was puzzled when we came to the 3km sign for Drumheller: where was it? Surely we should see it by now? Then the road suddenly plunged down into the Red Deer River Valley, and there it was at the bottom. We were in the Badlands! (Badlands are a type of dry terrain where soft sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water.) The next surprise was how small Drumheller is. We were here to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, a world leading institution, which we expected to have rather more sophisticated surroundings (sorry Drumheller).

The third surprise was unpleasant. Our hotel claimed to have no knowledge of us and was “fully booked”. Now, I spent my entire career in public service and I know that the answer to a problem is “Oh, I’m sorry that has happened – let’s see what we can do to fix it.” The two staff here had obviously missed that memo and were truculent and defensive. Apparently, it was all our fault for booking through a third party, despite the fact that we had booked most of our accommodation through the same site months in advance and had no problem anywhere else.  It became my responsibility to call the booking company to sort it out – I was grudgingly allowed to use one of the hotel phones when I pointed out that it would cost me a fortune to use a UK mobile. I have nothing but praise for the young lady I spoke to who then spent half an hour talking to one of the staff, and – surprise again! – it turned out they did have a room, although more expensive than the one we’d booked. I don’t know why they couldn’t have found this in the first place: presumably the booking company was inveigled into paying the extra amount. I shan’t name the hotel, but I definitely won’t be using that chain again.

After my blood pressure had returned to normal, we set out to explore Drumheller. They love their dinosaurs. This T Rex is the largest dinosaur in the world, apparently – the one on the right is much smaller, it’s just the perspective making them look similar.

Drumheller T Rex
Drumheller dinosaurs

There were also smaller dinosaurs all around town. We even met one in our (nameless) hotel lobby! He arrived every morning to entertain the children, but didn’t seem to mind being photographed with a couple of slightly older visitors.

Meeting a dinosaur!
Drumheller dinosaur
Drumheller dinosaur

Drumheller is a former mining area and, if we’d had time, there is a mining trail we could have followed. We did visit one historic mine (which I’ll include in a later post) and stop for reflection at the memorial in town to all those miners killed in the area. A lot of names.

Drumheller Coal Miners’ Memorial
Drumheller Coal Miners’ Memorial

As for the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, which we visited on our first full day, it blew us away. It has to be one of the best museums I have ever visited. The layout was so clear that you could easily follow a logical path through it, and the signs had just the right amount of information. And if all you wanted to do was look at dinosaurs (there were many young children who were there to do just that), you could still have a ball.

Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology

Why have so many fossils, particularly dinosaurs, been found in Alberta? Apparently, it’s because of the high sedimentation rate in the Late Cretaceous Period which meant that dead animals were buried quickly before they started to decompose, preserving the skeletons intact.

The museum also has a Badlands Interpretive Trail (below) which we spent some time exploring before, mid-afternoon, returning to our hotel to freshen up for our next event at 6pm – the Canadian Badlands Passion Play.

Badlands Interpretive Trail
Badlands Interpretive Trail

We didn’t know until after we’d decided to visit Drumheller that this was on, but we jumped at the chance to get tickets when we found out. The epic representation of the life of Jesus has been produced every summer since 1994 and, if you live nearby or are likely to visit next July, I strongly recommend it. There are a few professional actors involved, but most are amateurs and they are simply amazing. Photography during the play is not allowed – the first picture below was taken by John beforehand and the other two were supplied to me as part of a set sent to ticket holders after the event, hence the attribution.

The Canadian Badlands Passion Play 2017
The set © Canadian Badlands Passion Play
Cast and crew © Canadian Badlands Passion Play

The site for the play was a few miles out of town and there were hundreds of cars parked, yet the volunteers directing us out were so efficient that we hardly had to queue at all before we were back out onto the main road. An excellent and well-organised event.

On our second day in Drumheller we set out to explore the Badlands further and get some hiking in. More next time!

Alberta, Canada , , , ,

74 Comments »

  1. Pingback: April Squares: Canadian Badlands – The Glasgow Gallivanter

  3. On our first attempt to visit this museum, which was August 26 and unfortunately a weekend, the place was so crowded that people stood four or five deep in front of the exhibitions. I returned our tickets because there was no way to enjoy the museum in all that chaos. When we returned a couple of weeks later the tourist season was winding down and the museum was back to normal. Our main mistake then was not leaving more than a few hours to do justice to the exhibits, which were more numerous and more detailed than I’d realized.

    Like

  4. I think you should name/shame the hotel. We thought the museum was outstanding also. Alas it was September so the play was not on.

    Like

  7. That play looks fantastic, Anabel. What a big cast. And, so nice that they sent you photos afterwards, since you were not allowed to take photos. Not a bad thing, since now, you could totally focus on the events played out in front of you. Sorry you had to deal with incompetent staff at your hotel. We have had many experiences like these as well and they are infuriating.

    Like

  8. Something similar once happened to us in Boston, but the response from the hotel was completely different. They were charming and soon had us booked in. I later discovered it was my fault on the booking, I had forgotten to hit the submit button!!!

    Glad the dinosaurs and passion play made the rest of the stay so much fun.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oops! John did something like that once (actually, he booked for the wrong month) but this was definitely not our fault. I had a valid booking number, but communication between booking website and hotel had obviously broken down somewhere. I would put my money on the hotel being at fault.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Given how they responded and the fact everywhere else worked out it must have been them. Never understand why big organisations try to argue it out as at end of day they can easily afford to rectify it. Dare I ask what John had to do on the wrong month occasion?!!!

        Like

        • Wear sack cloth and ashes for the rest of his life?

          Fortunately, this was a big chain hotel at a US airport and we only needed one night. They had plenty of rooms so we were ok. He’d booked it with his points and it had gone through as June instead of July so he lost his points, but no money (apart from the fact that we paid for a room we expected to get free). It’s actually part of a much longer and funnier story which I’ll save up till we meet!

          Liked by 1 person

  9. That is actually one of my big fears – to arrive at my destination hotel, tired and cranky, then be told there’s been a mistake and I have no room.
    That’s a terrible experience made even worse by the attitude you encountered.

    I’m so glad that Drumheller, in spite of its modest size, and less than warm welcome at the hotel, was still able to wow you.

    Like

  10. It’s nice you made a success of the visit, despite the greeting. (and I’m happy it didn’t happen in the USA for you, since we seem to be the leader in rude sometimes – selfish, I know, but there it is;) )

    Like

  11. Ugh, that hotel experience sounds awful. I’ve had similar bad ones with various chains, possibly the same one that your hotel was part of. I’ve never been anywhere near Alberta, but Marcus had to go to Calgary a few years ago for work, so he made a special trip to the Royal Tyrrell Museum, and was really impressed with it, though he was possibly even more impressed with the hoodoos. Personally, I’d be happy just to get a picture of myself riding in that dinosaur’s sidecar!

    Like

  12. My granddaughters would love those dinosaurs. What bad customer service especially when dealing with people from overseas. The passion play must have been lovely to watch. I read you have trouble commenting on blogs. I’ve had that trouble with blogger blogs for over a year and have tried everything. I now have to comment as anonymous and write my name in comment.

    Like

    • I’m sure they would! There were a lot of children having a great time. That’s strange that you have a problem with Blogger even though that is the platform you use. Same with me and WordPress. However, having decided that I was a spammer yesterday it seems to think I am ok today. So far.

      Like

  13. The hotel problem would have put a big damper on the entire trip for me. I’m glad you were able to overcome it and enjoy the positives of the region. I love the photo of the dinosaur in the motorcar!

    Like

    • He was definitely cute! Once we knew we actually had somewhere to sleep that night, we were fine. I admit to walking past with my nose firmly in the air when either of these two were on reception though!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Glad it was all sorted out for you, but I hate that sort of thing happening and it really upsets me when it does.
    We have a Dinosaur park near us; I don’t think the dinosaurs were ever real, though. 🙂

    Like

  16. That museum looks amazing! I had no idea there were that many dinosaur artifacts in one place. The passions play looks interesting as well. I’m sorry you had such bad luck with your hotel, but glad the rest of your visit was such a good quality that it made up for it.

    Like

    • Yes, I would definitely go back to Drumheller but choose different accommodation! Mind you, it’s not a place with a lot of inns or b&bs which we usually prefer, so the choice was between several chains and we picked unluckily.

      Like

  18. I’m another one who hasn’t heard of Drumheller but we hear so little in the UK about outdoor USA attractions in general apart from Yellowstone, Hollywood, Cowboy films, L.A. or forest fire zones that it might as well be on Venus. I still wonder why that is considering that America has such a large influence on our daily lives and culture. Very few programmes about the USA outside of these over done districts and no info at all about anything else that might be of interest. Over a hundred different cities and major towns in the USA as well but we usually see the same 10 or so featured for the last 60 years in films or on the news. Only Louis Theroux or American Pickers let you see a glimpse of that other America.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. You should write to the hotel chain explaining how horrible you were treated. That is a bad experience but it sounds like the rest was great and that’s what counts. I didn’t know they did their own passion play there but it looks like you had a good time. I know that Alberta is huge in the dinosaur category and I’d like to see this one day. Glad you had a great time there

    Like

  20. Hi Anabel – well glad you got over the hotel challenge – that’s awful and I’d hate to be on the wrong side of that sort of thing … still it was sorted out. So glad the Drumheller matched up though … sounds really interesting – and I’d love to visit … obviously need a day or two. I thought the Badlands were in the States … but perhaps there’s another lot …

    Fascinating … I’ll enjoy the rest – cheers Hilary

    Like

  22. My sons used to love to go to Drumheller when they were small. Your post has given me a new urge to go back and visit again (this time with grandchildren?). I’m so sorry about your ‘horrible welcome’ at the hotel. If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to write to the Head Management of that chain. They depend on feedback like yours.
    I’ve loved your posts in this series, Anabel. I only wished that I had gotten to meet you when you were in our neck of the woods. You will need to plan another Canadian adventure (and include Vancouver or Vancouver Island)! 🙂

    Like

    • Most people who have commented so far haven’t heard of Drumheller so it’s good to hear that someone who has thinks I have done it justice. I would love to meet too – a visit to Vancouver isn’t unlikely as we had a great time there on our very first Canadian vacation over 20 years ago and it would be great to see it again.

      Like

  23. Love the sound of this place – somewhere I was unfamiliar with before reading your post Anabel. The museum sounded great – who doesn’t love a dinosaur too! – and I am very intrigued by the passion play. I’ve long wanted to go to Oberammergau but now this will have to go on the list as well!!

    Like

  25. What an incredible setting for a passion play. I studied medieval literature but have never managed to see a passion play. You’ve now led me to pop this one on my travel bucket list. That museum looks incredible too. I can imagine spending a long time there with my kids. Sorry about the hotel stress. We encountered similar issues on our 2016 road trip. I think there can be s disconnect between accommodation booking portals and booking with the hotel chain itself that leads to these problems. It stressed us out a lot because it’s not that easy to find alternative accommodation for six people. Unhelpful staff just make things worse too.

    Like

    • I have never seen a Passion Play before but I’ve seen the Mystery Plays at both York Minster and Lincoln Cathedral. The difference is that in those two places we needed blankets or sleeping bags to sit outside even in summer! As for the hotel, I think a disconnect had happened as you say and the staff made it worse. I clearly had a reservation confirmation number so it wasn’t my fault and them blaming the booking company didn’t help. Another rule of customer service: the customer doesn’t care about your internal difficulties or whose fault it is they just want it fixed! If those two had reacted with more grace and showed any sign of caring whether or not we slept in the car that night I’d have been quite happy.

      Liked by 1 person

  26. What a shame about the hotel. Such a frustrating thing to happen and how maddening that the hotel staff didn’t seem to care or have any idea what customer service is. Love the dinosaurs scattered about, especially the one on the motorcycle. I’ve never heard of Drumheller. Sounds like an interesting place to visit.

    Like

  28. There sure are some quirky and interesting things in North America. I’ve never heard of this place, but you seem very enthusiastic about the Paleontology Museum and the Passion Play. I guess I’ll have to add Drumheller to my list! Sorry about the problem with your hotel. What a pain. I always worry about that happening when we travel; we were worried about meeting up with our Airbnb owners in Budapest and Prague, but it all worked out. Thanks for introducing me to Drumheller! 🙂

    Like