Stuck in the Middle with Heinrich

So we finally did it! We delved into the deepest, darkest pit of Alberta: the geographical centre of the province!

It was a beautiful Saturday, and with Heinrich home from work (he had been working near Slave Lake for much of the summer), we decided to go for a drive (what else!). After first doing some research, we headed to Redwater to check out their little fair (a bouncy castle and pony rides) before moving on to Westlock. Heinrich had found something online about an event out there, but after driving through the town, we didn’t find so much as a trace. So onward we forged to Swan Hills (why not!).

Back on the Grizzly Trail!

Along the way, I FINALLY got my picture of Aaron the Heron (yay!).

As we cruised down the desolate highway toward Swan Hills, I noticed a sign by the side of the road…3 km to the centre of Alberta! How could we resist?

How could we pass this up?

So, off we went in search of whatever waited for us at the end of the trail. The trail, filled with huge puddles and holes (thanks, ATVers! Because 3 km is far too long to walk, right?) was also plagued by mosquitoes. So, along with struggling through the muddy trail in flip-flops (note to self: ALWAYS keep a pair of rubber boots in the car from now on!), I was constantly swatting myself all over. Eventually, we found some signs that indicated that we were on the right path (it did fork at a few places, and we had been guessing) and were given a clue as to what awaited us at the end of our hike.

Excellent signage. Just in case any Americans were hiking the trail and didn’t understand the Canadian spelling of the word centre.

And then, all of a sudden, there it was: the centre of Alberta!

We made it to the centre!

After some quick photos, we rushed back down the trail to escape the swarms of mosquitoes that were after our blood. My flip-flops were coated with mud after getting stuck a few times in quicksand-like mud, but at least we made it back without being completely eaten alive!

Once we got to Swan Hills, we took the mandatory photos at ANOTHER big thing: the grizzly bear, swan, and swan’s nest!

A grizzly, a swan, and the swan's nest. Only in Alberta!

And then, as usual, the longer-than-expected drive home...(we should really start paying attention to how far we are from home!)

Until next time!