Dinosaur Deep Dive

August 2^nd, 2026

Hanna, Alberta

Woke normal time and got ready.

Got on the bike in the brisk morning air and hit the road.

Back tracked toward the main highway to Drumheller, but then passed it and went over to the back road I had planned to take the day before.

Was a nice little ride, though a bit chilly still.

Dropped down and crossed over the Red Deer River, which was a nice little fast downhill and then back up.

Just past there I turned south on a minor highway, but one that had just been re-surfaced, best roads I have been on so far this trip!

That ran for several miles and then the road was closed at the turn off to go back toward the river.

This route dropped down again, but this time you take a ferry across the river.  Supposedly the last cable drive ferry in Alberta still operating.

Its only about 200 feet across the river, but ferry moves pretty slow, so takes about 4 minutes to cross.

I arrived at the bottom of the hill just as the ferry was departing the other side empty.  One car in front of me, and a truck and camper came up behind me, but then turned around.  Another car came up right before ferry docked.

The car drove up and then I got up the ramp.  Car came in behind me and that was that.

Crossed and drove off without issue.

Then the big hill out of the river canyon.

This area of the river canyon is where many dinosaur fossils have been found in the region.  Some great looking rocks in the area, would be fun to go hiking up the side canyons, see what you might find, erosion is always changing things, so even though canyon has been searched often, new stuff always coming to light.

Back on top of the hill we went a few miles, then turned south and later went back down the hill, closer to the river where the road runs along the shore all the way into Drumheller.

A few miles up the road I reached my destination.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum, one of the best dinosaur specific museums in the world.

Rode up the road to the building and holy hell, what a mess.

People all over the place, parking lot is jammed and cars driving around in circles.

Did the same, and was thinking I might have to give up on this place when I found road going toward exit, but also saw sign for over flow parking.

Down a small hill and found a huge gravel space, not organization, just open space, but RVs and cars were parking.

Got small space between the last RV in row and the trash cans, big enough for the bike, right next to the steps back up the hill to the building.

Got parked, secured the bike and covered it as the lot was very dusty, and figured it would hide the bags better, though not much in them.

Helmet does not fit in them, so had to carry it and the tank bag up the steps along with the jacket, not going to risk leaving it with the bike.

Up top you first walk through a playground over run with small kids, almost got run into a few times from them running around without any awareness of what is around them.

Then got up on main walk and near some of the dinosaur statues, but no point in taking photos as they all had someone climbing on them or a dozen people standing in front of them.

Found the main entrance and got in line.  I should have bought the ticket online the night before, I had planned on it, but forgot.

Line as probably 50-60 people deep at this point, and that was just the outside part.

We stood there for about 10 minutes perhaps, then they started to let us inside.  I almost did not make it, they stopped line with me at the front, but there was enough space in side still that they let another dozen people inside.

Inside they split into 3 lines for the admission stations, and that took about 10 minutes a well as they were doing a shift change already (place had only been open for 90 minutes) and line stops while they do that.

Paid my fee and grabbed a map and then went over to the lockers which I had seen a sign for.

Was able to put the helmet, tank bag and my riding jacket in that, so should be a much nicer walk now.

Then started to sort my pockets…..and my room key is missing!

I can only assume that when I put my phone in the pocket earlier near the bike, and when I pulled it out later while in line, the damned case on the phone catches the room keys and pulls them out.  Had it happen before, and usually catch it, but a few times I do not, like this time.

I secured the locker, and then verified I could come back inside with my ticket, then went outside, but searching around the area (which now had about 100 people standing) revealed nothing.  So, either was kicked off into dirt or picked up.

I asked inside, they had a room key, but wanted me to describe it, and for life of me I could not recall what it looked like.  I thought it might be brown in color (it was not), and she said they did not have one that color.

I figured I would ask again later and went ahead and entered the museum.

Some amazing displays, and lots of information.  Most of it completely blocked off from a dozen people standing in front of it, or just standing there, or 8 strollers all jammed up trying to get by each other, and 6 dozen kids running around between everyone.

After the first room, I gave up trying to read anything, could never get close enough, and trying to wait was going to take 6 hours with all the people and how slow many were moving. 

The entire museum moves in a pattern; you basically are routed along hall ways and cannot skip around except by just going past a section and not seeing it.

So of course everyone moves in same direction, kind of like a landslide of people flowing through a canyon.

I bounced from side to side, looking for gaps in displays or trying to see if it was something I really wanted to see or could skip.  I had resigned myself to only seeing half of the displays.

Was able to get a few photos in those gaps, or just by being taller than many, so could photo above the heads.  Thankfully many displays are quite large, so easier to photograph from a distance as well.

Moved through all the sections, seeing what I could, and some great stuff.  Saw several interesting fossils, both original and casts.  This included a few famous pieces I had only see in books up till now.

We soon reached the room with all the big dinosaur displays. Some great stuff in here, and larger room allows some gaps, and since I had moved faster than many by skipping many things, I was ahead of the large mass I started in, though still plenty of people around, and still stumbling over kids all over.

Eventually reached the end of the section, and I got through and out of the gift shop as soon as I could.  Nothing I needed, and crawling with kids.

Asked again at lost and found, but new person there (they must rotate jobs here, no one seems to be in same spot for more than an hour) said they did not have any cards.  So, either was clueless, or the card they had was already claimed and not mine.

Ill just have to get a new one at hotel, not going to look anymore.

I grabbed my stuff from the locker and left the building.  Decided I was not going to do the hikes, as they can take another hour, and it was already getting warm.  While not as hot as yesterday, still too hot to be hiking in full bike gear carrying helmet and bag.

Went ack to the bike, uncovered it and geared back up.

Left the lot and down the road to the main road.

Drove into Drumheller and headed for the other highway leaving town as I recalled seeing a restaurant on google maps that looked interesting.

I drove past the large T-Rex again, place was mobbed, so think I will forget about stopping.  Not worth the hassle to climb up a giant dinosaur to look out.

I turned down the highway and in about a mile the town just ended, so I turned off on a side road so I could use the phone to figure out where this place was, and just so happened that the road I turned on was next to the little strip mall of food places, just not visible from the road and not signed that good.

Stopped at Between the Buns to have a burger.  I was thinking I might have an Elk or Bison burger, but went with regular beef burger instead, and a plate of poutine.

Was a very good, but messy burger.

When done, I went out and got on bike.  I had decided to head south out of town to the next small village a few miles out to visit another museum I had seen when I rode past yesterday on way to the HooDoos.

I rode through the residential area to get to the other highway instead of going back up to the intersection.

Then headed south to the small town and stopped at Waynes Fossil World.

Small building, but every fossil inside was collected by this old guy Wayne over the last 50 years.

He had been all over the Alberta badlands region collecting surface fossils in that time and had amassed a huge collection.  Most of it had spent decades in his house in various boxes and tubs.

He had also worked with various organizations over the years preparing fossils for display and working on identification and reconstruction.

Just this year he finally opened his own museum to display his collection.

There were a lot of small pieces here, but some very interesting pieces as well.  The displays were done up nicely, even if it was 200 of the same kind of bone, they were arranged for neatly.

Some decent signs on where things were found and what they belonged too.

Wayne himself was onsite talking to various people, his daughter was running the front desk and another woman was going around talking to people and letting you hold small samples. (not sure how she was related to the display, but knew a lot about them).

I spent some time looking over all the objects, including some amazing petrified wood displays.  The wood in this particular region was trapped in soils that created a crystalline coating on the fossilized wood, something I had never seen before, and when I was talking with Wayne, he thinks it has only occurred in this region of Alberta, he had not seen it elsewhere either.

When done, I got to talking with the daughter at the front about some of the objects and what I had seen at other place and my own interest in the fossils and then the bike trip came up.

Once done there, I went outside and got on the bike and left.

I made my final decision to skip the big dinosaur, and stopped for fuel as I would need it to get back to the hotel.

I tried to use the restroom, but for some bizarre reason, a huge fuel station and store in a busy location thought they only needed a single public restroom.

And as usual, a line was formed and someone was camped out inside reading a book or something.

Decided I would find another place, so left, and went across road to station over there and used their restroom.

Then back on the bike and headed out of town.   Took the most direct way today, was getting tired and just wanted to get back to the room.

Ride back was a bit colder, and uneventful.

Back at the hotel I went inside the front to let them know my card had been lost.

They got me a new one and then I rode around to the door near my room.

Went inside, changed out of the riding gear and then decided that I would see what I could find for food.

Only 3 places close by, the onsite restaurant, another small restaurant across the road (which was closed) and the A&W, which was in a gas station.

Decided to just stay onsite, even though things were really slow the other night.

Same girl working again, though this time it appeared she has some help with to go orders at least.

Busy place, so did take some time to get a menu even, and longer to get order in, but she was definitely able to focus more on the dining room today.

Had a pasta and bowl of soup tonight.

Once done eating I went up to pay and spent a few minutes talking with her as it was close to the end of the night and nearly all the people were gone, so she has a few moments.

Talked about the trip as it usually comes up when people start asking where I am from and what I was doing there.

When done I returned to the room.  I worked on another video and was able to complete it, but will upload it later as the internet here is very slow, and it is already midnight, so do not want to wait.

Tomorrow we will leave and head east to another city for the night while we make our way toward the eastern side where I can re-enter the USA to get to my next trip starting point.

Catch ya down the road.

Todays Route