Easing Into Canada

We had mixed information about what we could or could not bring into Canada.  From what we read it seems like they can change the rules at any time depending on current issues.  I was most concerned about food, fresh fruits and vegetables to be specific.  I didn’t want to buy a lot of food just to have it confiscated at the border.  So we were very light on fresh produce at the border and as it turned out, it didn’t take us long to get across.  We had to show our passports of course and the guy just asked us about alcohol, fire arms and weapons.  We told him about our 5 cans of Montana beer and our one can of bear spray and he sent us on our way.

There is a Canadian National Park, Waterton Lakes, which is right over the border from Glacier National Park. This is an easy place for us to stop that does not require a lot of driving so we decide to check it out.  Since we are planning on going to other Canadian National Parks we decide to get the Discovery Pass, which gets you into all Canadian National Parks for two years.  Normally it is for one year, however as part of the 150^th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation in 2017, they are extended the pass for two years.  The pricing structure in the Canadian National Parks is different than the US Parks.  If you do not have an annual pass there is a fee that is charged DAILY.  In the U.S. the entrance fee is good for an entire week.  It was more cost effective for us to get the Canadian annual pass.

We head for the first come first serve campground at Waterton which is Crandell Mountain Campground, and we had no problem getting a site.  Something else that seems different at the Canadian park is there is a town right in the park, the town of Waterton.  It is kind of nice because there are services available, restaurants and laundromat, however there is only one store with groceries which was fairly limited on fresh fruits and vegetables but we were able to get strawberries, bananas and potatoes but had to go with frozen green beans.  The deer like to hang out in town here.  We saw them sitting on lawns just like a dog would.  They must know they are safe here.  We even saw a mom with her two fawns, so cute.

The highlight at Waterton was definitely seeing a bear crossing the road right in our campground!  We were driving on our way out of camp to head into town.  From what we learned at Glacier, I believe he/she was a black bear that was blond in color.   Black bears can be any color and grizzly bears can be any color.

We hiked up the hill called Bear’s Hump to get a view of the town of Waterton and the lake below.

We also went to the evening program at our campground which was about cougars.  This one was actually inside a structure whereas the campground evening programs we have been to in the US were always outside.  The Canadian interpreters are young adults and the programs are very kid/family oriented.  In the US, the interpretive rangers we met were older people with years of experience in the parks.

Turned off by the rainy forecast in the Canadian Rockies we decide to head for the Canadian Badlands of south eastern Alberta.  The landscape is barren and exposed and the sun should be shining, more of what we are used to from our desert dwelling past. On our way out there we see endless fields of bright yellow flowers.  A quick internet search determines they are growing canola on the prairies here east of Calgary.

When I hear the term “badlands” I just think of South Dakota because they have the Badlands National Park.  This prompts the question, what does “badlands” even mean? At the Dinosaur Provincial Park near Brooks, Alberta they think the term badlands came from the early explorers because it was hard land to cross with no water or animals.  Dinosaur Provincial Park is a hotbed for dinosaur fossils.  The park is also very family oriented with a play area for the kids in the campground.  Tourists are only allowed to go on certain interpretive trails unescorted and you have to pay for escorted tours if you want to go elsewhere in the preserve.  This may be about protecting the fossils.

After weeks of very slow to non-existent internet service, we are due for some city services.  Calgary here we come!