One-day itinerary - The Wild West of Alberta

Posted: Mon. Jul. 16/18

A ZenSeekers' road trip isn't complete unless the destinations include outdoor adventures, and culinary, learning and cultural experiences. Create your #BucketlistAB itinerary in Southern Alberta..

A ZenSeekers Expedition: #BucketlisAB

Getting To Lethbridge and Cardston

Drive from Calgary: It’s just over 2.5 hours drive south on the AB-2 S to Cardston. Follow AB 5 E to Lethbridge for a 1-hour drive.

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Drive from Edmonton: It’s about a 5 -hour drive south on the AB-2 S to Cardston. Follow AB 5 E to Lethbridge for a 1-hour drive.

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Drive from Regina: It’s about a 6-hour drive west on the Trans-Canada Hwy/SK-1 W, Crowsnest Hwy/AB-3 W and AB-5 S. Coming from Regina, you may consider staying over in Lethbridge with a fresh start in the morning.

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Morning – Start the day with the horses

Maybe you stayed overnight in Cardston at the historic Cobblestone Manor B&B or want a really good breakfast to start your day. Either way, the breakfast is fabulous in the old manor built in 1889. Not far from your breakfast table is the Remmington Carriage Museum. The collection of carriages, buggies, wagons and sleighs makes for the largest carriage museum in the world. It’s known to be the best display of everything from the common buckboard to the ultra-elite carriage for royalty.

Afternoon – Fort Whoop-Up

Get your lunch to go and rest-up on the hour long journey to Lethbridge. Head down into the wide Old Man River Valley and walk through big sun-bleached wooden gates and into a not so glamourous past of Alberta’s history. Learn why the fort was called Fort Whoop-Up, the history of fur trading, how the rum-runners took advantage of the First Nations and finally how the NWMP rode across the country on horseback to establish law and order. Fort Whoop-Up is a Canadian National Historic Park.

Late afternoon – Visit the Galt Museum for a history lesson of Lethbridge

Next, head out of the coulee for a quick trip into to the Galt Museum that overlooks the river valley. Learn about Lethbridge and the characters who settled the area.

Evening – Enjoy a dinner in a water tower

The massive water tower built in 1959 held its last drop of water for the city in 1999. Instead of a meeting with a wrecking ball, the tower was turned into a restaurant. The 1.9 million-litre water tank was refitted with floors, the walls cut for windows and kitchens moved in. A sunset dinner in the tower overlooking the city is a great way to cap off the day.

If you go

Read more about the Remington Carriage Museum and the Fort Whoop-Up experiences on our ZenSeekers website.

Begin planning your trip to Southwest Alberta via Travel Alberta or the Explore Southwest Alberta website.

Visit Lethbridge is an excellent source for more information about Lethbridge.

Spend more time in Cardston, stay for a barn dance or spend the day on horseback. More information is available on the Cardston Tourism website.

Hit the road to explore Alberta's South along Highway 3 this month and be sure to share your discoveries on social media with the hashtag #BucketlistAB and #ExploreAlberta - you could be featured on our social media channels. Check out www.BucketlistAB.ca for itineraries, stories and lots more video on Southern Albertan experiences.