Picnic tables make good benches in a pinch...

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While the sun came out beautifully, Kananaskis Country was still barely -10 with a bit of wind, making for a chilly ski outing.

Tags:   Kananaskis ALBERTA CANADA Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Peter Lougheed Park Peter Lougheed fire lookout Lookout Cross Country ski ski skiing trek Trail path moose ptarmigan

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Last week I tried to bake a buttermilk chocolate cake, and something went horridly wrong... It puffed up like the Goodyear dirigible, then collapsed into something akin to what came out of the Exxon Valdez... A myriad of possibilities, but the true cause is lost to history... So today I got my gumption up, tried a new recipe, and voilá, perfectly edible chocolate cake with a rhubarb compote filling and an icing of chocolate ganache... No ill effects to date...

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We hadn't been to Lethbridge, Alberta for some while, and thought this would be a good time to spend a couple of nights there exploring. These are just a few of the initial snapshots. More to come.

Tags:   Fort Macleod Lethbridge Nanton CALGARY ALBERTA CANADA

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From Waymarking.com

The Greenhill Hotel, named after West Canadian Collieries' nearby Greenhill Mine, was another major construction project in the company-owned West Townsite. The builder was W. Pettifor of Calgary, using the fireproof hollow red clay blocks common in many WCC buildings of the time. After its completion in late 1921, the Greenhill was leased and opened in February 1922.

Although the hotel provided rooms for miners, its best rooms were reserved for wealthier clients and visiting WCC share-holders. As the newest establishment in town, the Greenhill Hotel was 'the' place to stay; guests have included Queen Maria of Romania and boxer 'Sugar' Ray Robinson. The bar on the main floor served miners and managers alike.

From Alberta Register of Historic Places:

The exterior is an eclectic mix of architectural styles popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tudor Revival half-timbering, classical columns and a gambrel roof make this an unusual and engaging structure. Plan was originally U-shaped; now rectangular.
The building has the appearance of wood frame and stucco, but it is actually constructed of twelve-inch-thick hollow brick tile covered by stucco.
Three dormers, north elevation and one, south elevation. 2nd floor portico over main floor porch, east and west elevation, with wood pillars and decorative brackets, blustrade. North elevation pillared and projecting front is piece forming main entrance no longer in use.

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The historic registry lists the building as a 1918 building, whereas the plaque suggests it wasn't completed until 1921

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