Alberta........

Calgary, Alberta  to Longview, Alberta (sightseeing)

August 29- August 30, 2016

South of Longview is the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site.  It is the site of what was once one of Canada's largest ranching operations, operating between 1882 and 1950.  It was owned in turn by 3 men who each left their mark on the ranch and it's operations. 

Overall view of the ranch buildings.

At one time the ranch was famous for it's breeding program for both cattle and purebred Percheron horses.  Even today, 3 teams of Percheron horses are used to move visitors around the site.

Slow but steady and reliable transportation.

These teams actually respond to the drivers voice commands.

One of the local ranch hands.

Another local ranch hand.
They almost look like twins don't they???

Blacksmith's shop

Those Percherons need some mighty big horseshoes!

Ranch kitchen.  We sampled zucchini bread made in that beautiful wood fired oven.

Storeroom off the kitchen.

One of the tables in the ranch hands dining room.  The lazy susan must have helped
move the food around quickly. 

Bunk house above the kitchen and dining room.

Storage sheds for food, meat and other items.

This is the storage shed for food products. 
It was completely encased in metal to keep the rodents out.

The prototype for today's RV.  They were used at roundup time, etc.
One is the kitchen/dining wagon.  The other is the bunk house.

Dining room

Kitchen

Bunk house on the road!

There were other buildings as well.  A harness/leather repair shop, a working horse barn, a saddle horse barn, a stallion barn, a grain elevator with storage for wagons, etc.  We found it all very interesting.  In it's day it must have been a very busy place.  They still keep about 60 head of cattle and the 3 teams of Percheron horses.