Postcard from Alta Range, Alberta

As an adopted Albertan, I thought I knew the landscape well. I was married in the shadows of the Canadian Rockies, and I’ve swam in chilly northern lakes with my angler husband, Keith. I’ve taken my girls Kate, 8, Jacqueline, 5, and Nicole, 4, camping in the windy south and in the dry and unforgiving badlands to the east. But when Keith decided we should drive part of the historic Cowboy Trail and take the kids for a weekend of horseback riding, fishing and rafting, I discovered a hidden gem – Alberta’s Aspen parkland ecoregion. We explored the region by horse, raft, foot and minivan to the excited soundtrack of “Mommy, look!” and “Daddy, what is that?” from our girls. Turns out they weren’t quite as city mouse as we’d feared.

A version of this article appeared in our September 2013 issue with the headline, "The cowboy trail", p. 30.