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Swan Hills
The 276 km (166 mi) trip back to Edmonton via Hwy 33 south goes through Swan Hills. Take the Grizzly Trail, Hwy 33, on through Fort Assiniboine and Barrhead, both of which feature museums dedicated to their local history. |
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Girouxville
4 km north on Secondary Hwy 744 off of Hwy 49 travelling west. The Girouxville Museum has over 5000 artifacts of Native culture and pioneer and missionary life dating back to the settling of the Peace River area. Open May 1 to Sept 30, 10 am - 5 pm daily. $3 adults, $1.50 child/stu. Multi-lingual guides are available. Call 323-4252. Town office, 323-4270.
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Grande Prairie
Travel the Big Horn Hwy (Hwy 40) north 182 km (109 mi) to Grande Prairie, a modern city with excellent fishing, hiking and wildlife watching. Crystal Lake is a waterfowl refuge, call 538-0451, visitors welcome. Muskoseepi Park spans 1000 acres along Bear Creek Valley. It offers camping, golf, hiking and biking trails, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boats, concerts and festivals at the Park Pavilion, lawn bowling and go-carting. Beach and boat park are open mid May to mid Sept. Call 538-0451 for more information.  Grande Prairie Museum, located in Muskoseepi Park, shows fossils, rocks, a pioneer village and wildlife. May 1 to Sept 30, daily 10 am - 6 pm. $2 adults, $1 youth; 532-5482. The Kleskun Hills are the eroded remains of a prehistoric river delta, containing fossilized marine creatures and dinosaurs. 20 km (12.4 mi) east of the city on Hwy 34, north 3 km (1.8 mi) and west 1 km (.6 mi). Grande Prairie Regional College was designed by Alberta’s Douglas Cardinal. Visitors are welcome to view the college wkdys 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. 10726 - 106 Ave. The Grand Prairie Operations for Weyerhaeuser Canada offers tours of the pulp mill, saw mill and forest lands. Tues - Thur, 8 am - 4 pm, 1 hr for each area. Free. Children must be 12 or older. Call 539-8687 to book.
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Fort McMurray
Explore more of the vast northern region of Alberta by heading 291 km (175 mi) north from Lac La Biche via Hwy 55 and 63 to Fort McMurray. The Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit contains more oil than all known reserves in the Middle East, enough to supply Canada for the next two centuries. Oil Sands Discovery Centre tells the whole story of the development and technology of the oil sands. May 15 to Sept 7, daily 10 am - 6 pm, closed Mondays. May 16 to September 4 daily, 9am - 5pm. $6 adults, $5 sen, $4 youth/child, free for children under 6, $20 fam. Call 743-7167. Bus tours of the Suncor Energy and Syncrude Canada Plant sites are run by tourism. The bus tours leave the Discovery Centre at 12pm. The cost is $20 plus GST for youth
between 12 and 17, $20 plus GST for seniors, and $25 plus GST for adults. Children under 12 are not permitted on the public tours. The price of the ticket includes admission to the Discovery Centre. Reservations can be made by calling Fort McMurray Tourism at
1-800-565-3947 or (780) 791-4336. Reservations must be made at least 24
hours in advance, and photo identification must be presented at time of tour. Suncor tours run Sunday through to Tuesday, while the Syncrude tours run Wednesday through to Saturday, starting long weekend in May and continuing through to the long weekend in September. The Wood Bison Viewpoint and the Wood Bison Trails are located off Hwy 63, approximately 35 km (21 mi) north of the city at the entrance to Syncrude Self-guided trails on reclaimed land feature local plants, wildlife and a her of more than 300 wood bison, a species that was reintroduced to the area. Heritage Park, on the banks of Hangingstone River, is a recreated pioneer village. May 18 to Sept 1, wkdys 10 am - 6 pm, wknds noon - 5 pm. By donation. Call 791-7575. Gregoire Lake Provincial Park offers sport fishing (northern pike and walleye), call 334-2222. 40 km (25 mi) southeast of town. For more information, call the visitors’ bureau at 791-4336 or 1-800-565-3947.
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Saddle Lake
Farther west on Hwy 28 is Saddle Lake and the Saddle Lake Cultural Museum. The museum traces local Native history and is located in the Manitou Kihew Centre, designed to resemble an eagle with wings spread. Wkdys 8 am - 4:30 pm, wknds by appt. Free.
Address: Off Hwy 652
 1 780 726-3829
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High Prairie
From Peace River, travel south on Hwy 2 to High Prairie, 127 km (76 mi). High Prairie & District Museum contains Native and pioneer artifacts. May and Sept Tues to Fri 1 - 5 pm and by appt; June to Aug, Mon to Sat 10 am - 5 pm. Donations. 53 Ave & 49 St, 523-2601. Hilliard’s Bay Provincial Park is 35 km (21 mi) northeast of town on Lesser Slave Lake, offering camping, water recreation, and walleye and pike fishing. For information, call 751-3789.
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Slave Lake
Travel east from High Prairie 75 km (45 mi) along Hwy 2 to the junction with Hwy 33. Before swinging south on Hwy 33 for the return trip to Edmonton, continue east on Hwy 2 for 43 km (26 mi) to Slave Lake. Slave Lake Native Friendship Centre offers displays of Native handcrafts and artifacts, and regular interpretive programs. Wkdys 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, 849-3039. Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park encompasses old growth forest and spectacular mountain views. The “Walk Through Time” trail is a self guided forest hike. The park offers camping amid such diverse terrain as small streams, large sandy beaches and unusual sand dune formations. Look out for bald eagles and other wildlife. There are interpretive programs throughout the park including ecological demonstrations at the neotropical migratory bird research station in the park. North of Slave Lake on Hwy 88, call 849-7100 for information.
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Beaverlodge
A detour 43 km (26 mi) west of Grande Prairie on Hwy 2 leads to Beaverlodge. The mural-covered Beaverlodge Hotel Museum is one of the oldest buildings in town and contains more than 10,000 artifacts. Open daily, free, 354-2059. South Peace Centennial Museum. is a pioneer village with 13 buildings filled with furniture, tools and other artifacts. May 16 to Sept 6, daily 10 am - 6 pm. $2 adults, children free, 354-8869. Driftwood Ranch & Wildlife Haven, between Beaverlodge and Hythe at Goodfair, specializes in endangered species including Siberian tigers and snow leopards and features other exotic animals. May 1 through Sept, tours Wed to Sun 12 am - 6 pm, $5 per person, call 356-3769.
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Fairview
West of Peace River on Hwy 2. The RCMP Centennial Celebration Museum consists of the RCMP residence and barracks built in 1928. Tour the trading post, post office, school room and hospital. Open mid May to Sept 30, Tues to Sat 1:30 - 5 pm. Admission by donation. Call 835-2392. Town office, 835-5461.
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