SusanC

I had planned to visit both of these in a day trip from Calgary but now see that it is too much. Not sure if I can carve out more time so wanted to get people's suggestions. If we can only see one - which one? If we spent the night either in Drumheller or Brooks, would be able to do both the next day and return to Calgary? Thanks.

rm_mn

With a choice like that, I'd probably spend the time at the Royal Tyrell. It would be a shame not to see the Dinosaur Provincial Park but the museum is huge, well done and can eat up more than half a day with just a casual stroll through.

Dinosaur Provincial park also deserves at least half a day if you want to see all that is there, more if paleontology is interesting to you.

bob_brown

I think your time at the Royal Tyrrell Museum will be more fulfilling than it would be at Dinosaur because the exhibits are more compact and more extensive.

The Tyrrell is NOT just dinosaurs; it is a trip through geologic history in that part of the world.

I think you will enjoy either or both, and one has something the other does not offer. If I could do only one, I would pick the Tyrell. If I could do both, I would have no reservations about splitting my time equally between the two.

The Tyrell can be seen as a day trip from Calgary. I think Dinosaur is a little farther away and quite a bit of time must be allocated for driving it.

Doing both as a same day trip would mean a very early start and probably compromising the time spent at both.

SusanC

Thanks for your feedback! I'm thinking of extending our trip in order to do both! I'm thinking of driving out in the morning, doing one and spending the night (any recommendations - Brooks, Drumheller?) and then doing the other one the next day and driving back to make the check wagon races at Stampede!

Judy_in_Calgary

Hmmm ....... On summer weekends the Tyrrell Museum really fills up. In the summers it's better to visit the museum Monday through Thursday. The unpleasantly busy days tend to be Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

I have not been to the Tyrrell during Stampede. It could be that the influx of tourists to the area makes week days at the Tyrrell just as busy as summer weekends ordinarily are.

A work-around on busy days is to visit the Tyrrell either as soon as its doors open at 9.00 a.m. or wait till later and go through between 6.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. These are the time periods that are less busy.

This strategy would work if you stayed in Drumheller the previous night and then went to the museum after breakfast or alternatively if you spent a night in Drumheller and went through the museum before retiring.

SusanC

OK, I'm down to the following dilemna:

1. Doing just Tyrrell - I reconfigured our plan a bit so it fits in easily.

or
2. Adding in Dino park. Requires a slight change of plans (flying back a day later - but I only have a $35 change fee so OK). I'm trying to decide if it is worth it though. Here are my data points:

Plus
1. National Geographic's Guidebook devotes 5 pages to it. Sounds cool and pictures look great.
2. Rough Guide, while devoting less space, also makes it sound cool

Negative
1. Changing travel plans (plus extra vacation day from work)
2. From talking to people in Canada (concierge at Calgary Marriott and hotel in Drumheller) - didn't sound like it warranted extra attention. Person in Drumheller had never even heard of it!!

Open to your thoughts!! Also if we go to park, need a place to stay nearby - suggestions would be helpful. My guidebooks don't list any. Thanks.

bob_brown

Well, if you go to Dinosaur, what will you see? The museum at Dinosaur doesn't compare with what is on display at Tyrrell.

You can take more tours and drives at Dinosaur, but you need to ask yourself these questions:

Do I want to do a walking day tour to look at bone beds?

Do I want a closer, more detailed view of Alberta's famed "badlands?"

If the answer is yes, then go.

The type of activities available can be found at this site:
http://tprc.alberta.ca/parks/dinosaur/event_desc.asp

If you want to go on a "dig", such tours are available from the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

If you want your dinosaurs and other fossils mounted and placed in a concentrated area, then the Royal Tyrrell is where you want to be.

For me, I took the option twice of concentrating on the Royal Tyrrell.
The educational program in the summer, particularly for children and young adults, is excellent. (Or it was when I was there.)

On the other hand the badlands are fascinating.

I think it boils down to what you want for yourself on this trip. We cannot really make the call for you.

SusanC

Thanks Bob. Correct - you can't make the call for me. I just wanted some more local color. I've gotten some more opinions and I've decided to not change our planes and just do the Tyrrell.

Now just picking a hotel....

bob_brown

I cannot help you on the hotel because my overnight stay in Drumheller was too long ago. My last trip 4 years ago was done as a day trip from our hotel in northeast Calgary. We drove it in about 90-100 minutes as I recall and returned to Calgary rather late.

I will say this: If you take in the educational presentations, you will find a lot to keep you busy at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. I recall a presentation on The Creatures of the Burgess Shale.
The staff had created huge models of some the animals like Marells Splendens and Hallucigenia that glowed under "black" light. The college-age youngsters doing the presentation had put together a very entertaining skit. Even though I was 69 at the time, and the program was aimed at children, I still thought it was brilliantly conceived and beatifully executed.

As for standard motels, you will find a Ramada Inn, Super 8, Best Western, Travel Lodge, and an Econo Lodge.

I would suggest taking a look at the Best Western and the Ramada. Although some Travel Lodge's can be ok places to stay. Demand is high in the summer, and the prices reflect it.

sludick

We went to the Royal Tyrell in the fall of 2005, during our vacation in Banff. Actually, we stayed in Canmore. We got up very early, as it was a day trip, and were in Drumheller in time for a late breakfast. I have to say, it really was not a place I would care to spend the night. Just a modest little town that is near the greatest collection of prehistory and fossils I ever could imagine. Calgary is so much closer than we were, I would not plan on an overnight.

If I had the time, I also would do both places. Haven't made it to Dinosaur Provincial Park yet. But we'll be back in Banff this September with another couple who has not ever traveled out of country. Of course, we'll have another sunrise drive to Tyrell...

bob_brown

I feel the need to correct my butchering of the name of one of the fascinating critters of the Burgess Shale:

Marrella splendens

And 5-eyed Opabinia.
And the top predator Anomalocaris with the big mouth. (Relative of course to the size of the prey animals.)

SusanC

I've decided to bypass Calgary on the way from Lake Louise to Drumheller. First of all saves me a lot of $$ on a hotel during Stampede week! Secondly, since we have the time to drive there the night before, saves us from having to kill ourselves in the morning and yet we can be there when it opens. Everyone has said we will want to spend a lot of time there and as we have opening night Stampede tix for that evening, I want to make sure we get to Calgary in plenty of time. Staying there overnight gives us an extra 90 minutes the following day.

My guide book recommended the Lodge at Drumheller (not a chain hotel) so I have a reservation there. The Ramada looks nice and has availability though. I'm debating "local color" vs sure thing (and twice the price).

SusanC

Oh, I forgot one thing: since we will be passing Calgary around 6ish, will be driving to Drumheller while it is still light. Are there any interesting things to see on the way?

BTW someone suggested a cute B&B on my Drumheller hotel separate post. It looks great so I just emailed them!

Judy_in_Calgary

>>>>>>Oh, I forgot one thing: since we will be passing Calgary around 6ish, will be driving to Drumheller while it is still light.<<<<<<

Do yourself and bypass Calgary's traffic by driving Banff - Cochrane - Airdrie - Beiseker - Drumheller.

Although Cochrane has turned into a sprawling satellite town of Calgary, it still has quite a cute, little, old town centre.

Mackay' Ice Cream in Cochrane is worth a stop.

Otherwise, once you hit the flat prairies, it's a big anti-climax after the mountains. It's worth the sacrifice, though, for the sake of visiting the Tyrrell Museum.

sludick

I just checked out review of the Ramada Inn. It is pretty new, built since I was last there in fall 2005. I didn't see a reference to the Lodge on Tripadvisor (just "Travelodge", which of course is a chain).
You might want to check out this link for more advice: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g1...ta-Hotels.html

SusanC

Thanks for your help everyone.

OK, don't kill me - we didn't go to Tyrrell! We were having such a great time in the Rockies, the weather was perfect (hours of sunlight) and we had added some extra activities so we decided to stay in the Rockies the extra day and then just head down to Calgary for Stampede.

I'm sure we missed out on the museum but we did some great things in the Rockies and so it was worth it. I WILL go to the museum though.

OK, now need to reply to the other posts I had started........

sludick

No, I understand completely. The day we went to Tyrell, the weather had turned nasty the night before. There was snow on the ground and gloomy skies above. Had the weather cooperated, we would probably have deferred the trip ourselves. Next time!