Discovering Medicine Hat

Spent the last few days and long evenings walking, hiking and exploring in and around the area of Medicine Hat, Alberta. All part and parcel of building our CanadaEH.net Travel Planning Network exposing the many outdoor tourism opportunities across this beautiful country.

When researching a new community you never know what to expect. Often the communities are under promoted or poorly promoted by their local associations, so we tend to try and make our own conclusions avoiding any bias.

I  am sometimes surprised at how much a community provides me with days of entertainment. I believe it is because I view each community with anticipation and with a fresh, non tainted, new set of  eyes.  Sometimes, and I am no exception, it is easy to sometimes take things for granted  when you have lived in an area for a long time.  It is like you have blinders on.

Medicine Hat, they call it the Gas City. Hmmm.. do you really need to say much here.  They really should do something about that name – does not do much for tourism.  Like I want to travel to see a gas plant?

I put the name aside, stayed out of the industrial area, and focused on the community set in a valley surrounded by coulees following the mighty Saskatchewan River. Sounds like a western sort of.

The trails in the community provide many opportunities for biking, jogging, walking and roller bladding.  The outlying golden and green grass fields were homes to cows and horses or fields waiting for harvest. Some farms had little red barns while some farms had rows and rows of silver buildings and tons of farm equipment.

The sunshine was a blazing for a few days therefore creating some, much anticipated, quality time in the community.  I took my time walking downtown visiting stores and talking with people getting a feel of the town. Then i set out to visit the Kin Coulee, Lions, Police Point, Riverside and Strathcona Island Parks.

I enjoyed the peace and quiet along the trails in the Police Point Park. Mainly because there was nobody there.  I  lucked out.  It was just me. Around me were  twisted trees, a whistling wind and birds singing.

The views of the Saskatchewan River were fantastic.  So much so I found my own corner of the river and sat back and enjoyed some quiet time with my camera.

Here is the picture from my private oasis in Police Point Park.

Next I hope to be off to discover the parks near Medicine Hat like Cypress Hills and Echo Dale Parks.

Chat soon.