All Work, All Play in the County of Grande Prairie

After firing off some emails and taking a few morning calls, Chmielewski heads for the Evergreen Ridge Recreation Area. With its untended boreal wilderness, the forested preserve is a great setting for a light trail run to clear the mind. 

“Scheduling is very important to me,” Chmielewski shares. “I’m a planner, and it helps with business and my personal life, being able to balance it all. I usually get up early for a run, and [the County] has very nice, safe trails.”

You might even run into a crew of mountain bikers out for a cross-country ride, or riders on horseback, like Chmielewski did. “To be there and see people out using the trails ... from bikers to horses, to me hiking, there was lots of activity and I was out there for less than an hour!”

There’s nothing like a nature hit to get the creative juices flowing. Re-energized, Chmielewski heads for the Philip J. Currie Museum, the paleontological jewel of the north, for a lunch meeting. A centre for research and exhibition on scale with the Royal Tyrrell, the museum connects the story of northern exploration and resource extraction to dinosaur discovery and ongoing efforts to refine humanity’s understanding of natural history. 

Connect to adventure on the go in the County of Grande Prairie!

“With the restaurant patio, outdoor play area and the museum itself, it’s a great place to go professionally or personally,” Chmielewski comments, as she explores the interactive displays at the museum. “You go to museums and you think you have an idea of what it offers but being here, it’s surprising all the things there are to do.”

Business meetings on the golf course may be standard fare but you’ll find the courses in the County of Grande Prairie, like The Dunes Golf and Winter Club, are well-manicured, professionally managed and friendly. For Chmielewski, “Going to the golf course for a more casual meeting, to make more of a connection with a client, is simple and effective and it just puts you at ease.” 

Next to the dinosaur museum, one of the other major draws in the County of Grande Prairie is Evergreen Park. Situated on a large plot of land just 15 minutes south of Grande Prairie city center, Evergreen Park boasts a wide range of entertainment, from horse racing tracks to a drive-in movie theatre, two restaurants and a casino. Slot machines play colourful backdrop for a business social to cap Chmielewski’s tour. 

Connect to adventure on the go in the County of Grande Prairie!

It’s been a busy day, but Chmielewski’s curiosity is still not satisfied. “When I go out to places like Beaverlodge and other small communities [in the County], what I find really interesting is finding out what the communities offer, their history,” she says, “where they are and where do they want to go?”

It’s that inquisitive spirit that drives the on-the-go business traveler into new adventures and discoveries. The only question you’ll have to answer the next time you touch down in the County of Grande Prairie is, where do you want to go? 

WHEN YOU GO

• With concerts, horse racing, a casino, restaurants and more, there's always something happening at Evergreen Park. 
• For a unique experience, make a visit to Broken Tine Orchard where you can pick haskap berries and sample their haskap wine. 
• Get more ideas for exploring the County.