So, this is it.  The final stop on the Central Alberta Museum Tour 2017.  Thanks to everyone who attended and a special thanks to those of you who have been following along virtually.  I really appreciate the comments.  Knowing that there are people out there reading the posts and watching the videos makes me feel really good.  I really do appreciate it.

Growing up in southern Alberta, Stettler was famous for only two reasons:  1)  this is where you would go to claim your big prize if you won Lotto 6/49, and 2) for being the home of Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions.  (More on that in a future post.)

I had no idea Stettler had such a great museum.  It was only when CAMT attendee Donna suggested we add it to the end of the agenda that I came to learn of it.  The Stettler Town and Country Museum is the fifth largest pioneer village in Alberta.

Emily and I were camped across the road at the Stettler Lions Campground.  It made the perfect home base for our CAMT explorations.  On the Friday night we were being rewarded with a fantastic sunset and I decided to put the drone up and do a little exploring of the museum from the air.

Immediately the large courthouse caught my eye.  Originally opened as a schoolhouse in 1907, it would later serve multiple functions, including the aforementioned courthouse, but also as RCMP barracks and a Magistrate’s office.  When it was closed it 1974 it was slated for demolition but was saved and moved to the museum instead, where it opened in 1978.

The other building that caught my attention from the air was the large railway station.  After seeing the third and fourth class stations at Meeting Creek and Donalda, this one seemed absolutely huge, and the next day when we toured it, that impression was reinforced.

Ah, yes, our tour.  We had to rush as we arrived with about an hour until closing.  That meant hustling through many of the buildings and exhibits, but we did manage to get a wonderful overview of what the museum has to offer and it certainly whet our appetite for a future visit.

And, with that, CAMT came to a close. We gathered as a group back at our campsite and had a final group dinner together before everyone went on their separate ways. It was a wonderful two days of friends, fun, and exploration. We visited many places that had been on my personal wishlist for a long time and met lots of great museum employees and volunteers. I think there may be a CAMT 2018, but planning for it will need to wait a while as there are many more adventures and explorations to come before we get there.

Thanks again for supporting me and providing the encouragement to continue putting my time into this blog.