The hills have eyes... well, bones anyway.

Most tourists don't get eaten.
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The prairie opens up into a hole in the ground and the highway descends.  We enter the badlands, but the badlands include a town in the bottom.  It is Drumheller, surrounded by colorful (but soft) canyon walls.  The town lives for fossil fuel; it was originally coal, but that has been replaced by oil.  These days, the town also lives for dinosaurs.  We are greeted at the edge of town by a welcome sign that makes no mention of oil, but plays up dinosaurs fairly well.

Horsethief canyon, northwest of Drumheller.
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On driving into the Canyon, the Calgary radio station we were listening to is hijacked by local tourism radio.  There is country music, interspersed with ads for all the tourist destinations.  Contrasting with the evolutionary and prehistoric theme of the town, we hear ads for the "Passion Play," put on by one of the local churches.  We did not press our hosts at the Silver Fox B&B for information on religion in the area, but we guessed that it was devoutly Christian, like many parts of the prairie.  Yet the town has firmly embraced the dinosaurs that are found in its walls, and the tourism that they bring.  Perhaps they are simply viewed as gifts from God that bring prosperity to the town.

Yet the town has firmly embraced the dinosaurs that are found in its walls, and the tourism that they bring.

The Hoo Doos.
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The downtown area has many shops and other businesses.  It has a sprawling feel to it because of the constraints of the canyon floor.  You cannot just build in any direction.  In passing through, we feel that we have made a great zig-zag, following the buildable land provided by nature.

The natural features around the town have also made it a highly prized backdrop for western movies.  "Unforgiven" is probably the most well known movie filmed in Drumheller.

GT