A few days earlier we had decided to cancel our next University of Alberta reservations and opted for a mid-range chain hotel in Edmonton. We got up early in Drumheller and drove straight to the hotel. Private baths! Air conditioning! Soft beds! After 9 nights in a tent we were appreciative of some creature comforts at the end of our vacation.
Feeling the need of societal trappings, we went to the West Edmonton Mall (Canada’s answer to the Mall of America). We did some last-minute shopping and saw the latest Harry Potter flick. We cooled off in the hotel pool later and spent a quiet hour in the hotel bar for some snacks and drinks before going to bed.