If your family is looking for a road trip that ventures away from the ordinary and crosses into the extraordinary, consider an adventure to the picturesque Canadian province of Alberta. Extending from the glacial Rockies to the prehistoric Badlands, a three-day tour showcases the best the region has to offer. To get your journey off to a flying start, you might want to consider arriving in Calgary via air, renting a car and enjoying a long weekend on the road.

Day One:  Columbia Icefield, Jasper National Park (Jasper)

Located on the boundary between two of Alberta's famed national parks, Banff and Jasper, the awe-inspiring Columbia Icefield is home to the largest sub-polar body of ice in North America. Columbia Icefield covers 325 square kilometers with solid ice up to 365 meters deep. Visitors can enjoy one of Canada's most breathtaking natural wonders through guided Ice Explorer Tours on all-terrain Terra Buses. Tours generally last one-and-a-half hours, and allow visitors to disembark from the bus to explore the glacier ice surface first hand. For more information, visit www.columbiaicefield.com.

Day Two:  Kicking Horse River, Yoho National Park (Banff)

Part of the famous Canadian Heritage Rivers System, the Kicking Horse River runs through Canada's spectacular Rocky Mountain range. As you make your way down from Jasper to Banff National Park, follow the Kicking Horse along the three-and-a-half hour drive south on 93E, and later, 1E. Flowing through eastern British Columbia, the Kicking Horse rushes across ice-cold, serene glacial valleys before dropping into the notorious Kicking Horse Canyon, home to some of the Rocky's most turbulent rapids. Visitors can survey this untamed mountain terrain through whitewater rafting tours offered by Banff Adventure Unlimited (www.banffadventures.com). Stretching over 27 kilometers, the Kicking Horse River can be experienced by adventurers of all skill levels. For example, the "Mild Whitewater Adventure" tour paddles through class one and class two rapids, making it suitable for children ages five to 12. For thrill seekers, both the "Kicking Horse Classic" and the "Ultimate Whitewater Adventure" take rafters through class four-plus rapids. Only 90 minutes away from Banff National Park, visitors can enjoy views of snow-capped mountains, glistening glaciers and natural wildlife while driving Highway 1 through Yoho National Park on the way to the river site.

Day Three:  Dinosaur Provincial Park (Brooks)

Wrapping up this three-day weekend, a journey down Highway 1 to Southern Alberta's Badlands region leads to one of the most important fossil beds in the world. Located in Brooks, Dinosaur Provincial Park was once home to some 35 species of dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period. Each summer, paleontologists from around the world travel to Dinosaur Provincial Park to unearth new fossil specimens. Visitors can travel back in time by exploring this unique landscape through numerous guided hikes of bone beds, as well as through Badlands bus trips. Tours of the Field Station Laboratory is popular with visitors interested in a behind-the-scenes look at dinosaur excavation and exhibition. To learn more about this exciting destination, visit www.cd.gov.ab.ca/enjoying_alberta/parks/featured/dinosaur/flashindex.asp.