Into the Great Beyond: A Saturday Adventure in East-Central Alberta

I love it when we do this! This Saturday morning we got up at a half-decent time, and I packed the cooler full of snacks and pop. We grabbed our hats, my camera, and bug spray, and we headed out into the great beyond! Well, first to Provost, Alberta and then into the great beyond.

Listen to me read this post:

Our first stop in the great beyond was Dillberry Lake Provincial Park. The lake was large and the water was clear. Blue dragonflies flitted on the shore, and along a sandy path, cactuses bloomed more beautiful blooms than I’ve seen in any other desert land. Children floated by on colourful watercraft, and adults chased each other around in the deep sand and shallow water.

There is more to the great beyond than Dillberry Lake, so on we went.

Just before turning onto the secondary highway that leads to Chauvin, we stopped to photograph an old prairie grain elevator. In the village of Chauvin we were astounded by the grandeur of the Sacred Heart Church and we questioned ever so slightly the status of Chauvin’s World’s Largest Softball. I mean, I guess it could be…

But there is more to the great beyond than grand churches and exaggerated softballs. There’s beer. And so on we went.

Our next stop on the tour was Edgerton, Alberta, home of the Ribstone Creek Brewery. We went straight there and, as we walked through the door, we were greeted, “Hello! Welcome to the Ribstone Creek Brewery. What can we do for you today?”

We sampled their flight of four seasonal craft beers, all different, each delicious. At the tap room’s tasting bar, we sat astride saddles and sampled a little bit of beer: sour and sweet, light and dark. We bought a growler full of the sour and kept on going.

There is more to the great beyond than beer and saddles. There’s history.

Just around the corner, we found the Edgerton Museum. We took a tour of the old train station, the church, the school, and the Canadian National Railway caboose. We really enjoyed it, and the volunteers who staffed the place on this day were warm and welcoming. They even invited us back to attend Edgerton’s agricultural fair in early July. How awesome!

But there is more to the great beyond than trains and lanterns. There’s ice cream.

So when our friendly tour guides said, “Herbie’s across the street there has the best soft ice cream,” who were we to doubt them? We drove across the road and had a HUGE cup of soft ice cream each. It was tasty beyond belief. Arguably, it was the World’s Best Soft Ice Cream.

What a spectacular summer day full of fun and so close to home. Who knew the great beyond was so darn accessible?

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