Northwest U.S. & Western Canada Adventure

Day Two – “Heartland” and Horseback Riding

Lethbridge to Turner Valley, High River, and Calgary

After a good night’s sleep, we left Lethbridge at 7:00am for the 2 ½ hour drive to Turner Valley, AB, the location of Anchor D Outfitting. Anchor D is 12 miles west of Turner Valley and is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

When we arrived, the staff were extremely helpful. The three of us had never gone horseback riding before, and we were a little apprehensive; we even brought bicycle helmets to wear for safety! Fortunately, the staff assured us that our horses were picked for their tameness and were perfect for us!

Our ride took us for a 2-hour journey through open range, woods, and the foothills. There were 10 of us on the ride, all the time led and followed by Anchor D staff that were extremely informative and helpful.

At the top of the ride, we could see the open range to the east and the Rocky Mountains to our west. The staff will take pictures of your group on your camera.

LuAnn, Dale, and Ava at the midpoint of the ride, with the Rocky Mountains behind us.

The ride was very enjoyable, although when the horses trotted it made for a bumpy ride that, as novices, we couldn’t prepare for. We were safe, but our butts were sore!

High River

After our ride, we drove 30 miles to High River, the filming location for CBC’s “Heartland”. A main setting for the series is “Maggie’s Diner”. What we didn’t know was that the block that Maggie’s Diner is on is all set; none of the businesses on that block actually exist. Also, since several series use this block to shoot, the building that is “Maggie’s Diner” on “Heartland” is repurposed for other shows. The interior of the building, on the other hand, continues to be ready for another shooting of “Heartland.” While the actual ranch where “Heartland” is film is closed to the public, the Museum of the Highwood in High River displays artifacts from the show.