Each summer (well, weekend, anytime really lol) brings an opportunity to Explore Alberta!
Visit a place brand new to you or return to an old favourite, especially if you want to explore it through changing seasons. I honestly think it’ll take me my entire life to work my way through every nook and cranny of the province—an exciting challenge!
I also think it says a lot when you can visit the same place multiple times but still find new things to do each time, which is how I’m segueing into this focus of this blog post.
I partnered with Tourism Medicine Hat to return to one of Canada’s sunniest cities and share my itinerary with you so you can enjoy a visit down to the southern Alberta city of Medicine Hat too!
Medicine Hat is not only teeming with great things to do, but is also a great base for exploration around Southern Alberta including the stunning Cypress Hills, which I got just a taste of experiencing during this visit.
Why do I visit Medicine Hat so much? Well not only is there SO MUCH TO DO (and it’s arguably the coolest city in southern Alberta), but my dear friends Jack and Nicole also live there, so it’s awesome being a tourist in their town (many of our experiences we do together are new to them too—despite being locals!)
Scroll on to Copy my Medicine Hat Itinerary!
As you plan your visit to ‘The Hat’, be sure to reference my past blog guides for the area too!
- Guide to Floating Down the South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat (July 2021)
- Travel Guide: Only In Medicine Hat, Alberta: 8 Unique Experiences To Try (July 2020)
- A Day in Downtown Medicine Hat: Food to Eat, Shops to Visit (July 2020)
- UPDATED Guide to Instagrammable Walls of Medicine Hat (July 2020)
- Explore Alberta: 7 Things To Do (including Where to Eat) in Medicine Hat (Feb 2020)
- Things To Do in Medicine Hat (March 2015)
- The Old Guide to Instagrammable Walls of Medicine Hat (October 2017)
Copy my Itinerary: A Weekend of Fun in Medicine Hat (Southern Alberta)
Friday in Medicine Hat, Alberta
- Downtown Stories – self-guided Medicine Hat history tour
- A new experience to Medicine Hat that just launched Summer 2021 is the Esplanade’s Downtown Stories project. This is a self-guided community tour that takes you to 17 different locations around Downtown Medicine Hat, telling you the history of the building, and stories of the businesses and people of The Hat.
- Use your smartphone to scan the QR code starting at the historic Ewart-Duggan House (first built in 1883!) located at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre downtown, and start your self-guided walking / history tour!
- You don’t have to go in order though, depending on where you’re at downtown, keep an eye out for a Downtown Stories sign and QR code and scan to learn more about that space. There are amazing illustrations and fun sounds clips from residents sharing their experiences.
- You can also take quizzes to see how much Medicine Hat information you’ve retained, ha!
- Axe Throwing or Go-Karting at the Medicine Hat Lodge
- In the parking lot of the Medicine Hat Lodge where I stayed on this trip (more on that below), you can find pop-up axe throwing by SixOneSix Entertainment!
- SixOneSix Entertainment is a locally owned entertainment company offering virtual reality, axe throwing, and simulated golf. They have a 12,000 square foot facility in The Hat but also have a pop-up axe throwing space at the Medicine Hat Lodge parking lot!
- If you’ve never tried axe throwing, it’s a really fun activity—definitely a thrill. When and where else are you allowed to throw sharp objects safely? lol. In The Hat you can also join axe throwing leagues and competitions!
- Your axe throwing session includes a host who will explain the ins and outs, tips, best practices, and safety reminders that’ll get you nailing bullseyes in no time.
- And although we didn’t try it during this visit, the Medicine Hat Lodge parking lot is also home to Go-Karting in the summer! This is put on by the Medicine Hat Lodge, and definitely something fun to try too. I am loving the different uses of space here! (it’s a big parking lot lol).
- Dinner at Redwood Steakhouse & Bar
- After your outdoor activities in the Medicine Hat Lodge parking lot—axe throwing and / or go-karting (lol bet you never thought you’d say that sentence!)—settle in for dinner at the Redwood Steakhouse & Bar!
- I absolutely love blended drinks. I don’t drink often, but nothing will get me drinking faster than a fruity, colourful, blended drink, of which Redwood has many options! (Sidebar: why is it that restaurants don’t have blenders anymore? The people want slushy drinks! Don’t they? lol)
- Find some great weekly specials at the Redwood Steakhouse including Prime Rib Sundays or Friday and Saturday Seafood Weekend—which is what we took advantage of, with their Seafood Mixed Grill (bacon wrapped scallop skewer, 2 lemon butter poached shrimp, 3oz baked lobster tail, 4oz Cajun salmon & breaded crab, served with a vegetable rice pilaf & warm bread) and Land & Sea (8 oz. Alberta sterling silver sirloin, 5oz baked lobster tail, lemon garlic drawn butter, choice of two sides & warm bread). We also got a Garlic Mushroom Ribeye to share as well. You also get two sides for every entree, so this was a very filling meal!
- Oh, they also give delicious complimentary soft pretzels as your “bread” to start! Delish!
- And if you’re curious about the blended drinks I downed, highly recommend the Aurora Glacier (which comes with Malibu rum, blood orange vodka, peach puree and pineapple juice), as well as a Peach Bellini (dark rum, red wine, and peach puree). Y-um.
Saturday in Medicine Hat, Alberta
- Downtown Breakfast Crawl
- Why grab breakfast one place when you can grab breakfast at three places? lol
- As a big proponent of ‘crawls’ (food, drink, and otherwise), historic downtown Medicine Hat is a perfect location to hop around, experience, and support different, locally-owned businesses.
- For our downtown breakfast, we visited three spots (which I’ve been to before, but which were most conveniently located lol and I would still absolutely recommend even if they weren’t conveniently located):
- Inspire Cafe: an adorable little cafe AND art gallery. Try their lemonades, homestyle breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups and desserts.
- Redcliff Bakery: Fill up on sausage rolls, pizza rolls, donuts, and famous Cinnamon Buns.
- Station Coffee Co.: Find fresh brewed drinks, hand-crafted lattes, and baked goods including a delicious selection of cheesecakes!
- Read more about things to do in Downtown Medicine Hat!
- Outdoor Market and Ice Cream at Moose & Squirrel Artisan Village
- Something I love about Medicine Hat is how they’ve been able to transform empty lots downtown into really cool spaces. In my 2020 summer visit, I really enjoyed hanging out at The Yard, a patio that popped up between two buildings downtown. For this 2021 summer visit, I was thrilled to learn that an ice cream shop and outdoor market – Moose & Squirrel Artisan Village had popped up between another set of buildings downtown!
- Moose & Squirrel is a space where art, ice cream and nature mingle. There’s tons of great Instagrammable Walls right in this strip alone. Find rotating vendors. And delicious ice cream from Foothills Creamery. Moose & Squirrel also sell sundaes and floats.
- As pop culture lovers, the owners tell me you’ll find different themed specials and events that take place here, and Moose & Squirrel is actually named after Sam and Dean from Supernatural (a great show!)
- Red Rock Coulee
- I first visited the Red Rock Coulee Natural Area near Medicine Hat during the wintertime (I blog about the Red Rock Coulee in this Feb 2020 post and again in this July 2020 post) and remember thinking, these are so cool—aliens definitely had a hand in them. lol
- The Red Rock Coulee Natural Area is 800 acres of badlands, hard sandstone capped hoodoos and large, round, red boulders. I do like to call them alien boulders.
- These sandstone rocks are some of the largest in the world! They are mysterious looking, giant red, spherical boulders that are said to have been formed from shale, sandstone and sediment a MILLENIA ago when the land was at the bottom of a prehistoric sea.
- The reddish colour apparently comes from iron oxide and many of the rocks are up to to 2.5 metres (8 feet) in diameter. It’s quite a sight to see. Check it out in my video below:
@lindorable Did you know: Alberta is home to these alien-like, 🛸 giant prehistoric boulders? Find them near Medicine Hat! ##explorealberta ##redrockcoulee
- E-bike the Cypress Hills (rentals from Elkwater Lake Lodge)
- Wherever I go these days, I always look up if there’s an e-bike rental spot. If I can e-bike explore an area, I absolutely will! Biking is such a fun way to get around a place, it really helps get into those nooks and crannies I mentioned, and you just see an area so differently via bike than if you were just driving through. I’ve e-biked in Edmonton, Calgary, Canmore, Banff, Vancouver, Vernon, even Palma de Mallorca, Spain! With the electric component, you’re guaranteed to go farther and faster without even breaking a sweat, really! It’s AMAZING.
- In Medicine Hat’s case, there were no e-bike rentals specifically for the city (yet—I’m sure it’s coming!) but not far from Medicine Hat, about 45 minutes away, is the hamlet of Elkwater in Alberta’s Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, and the Elkwater Lake Lodge rents out e-bikes for tourists to explore, which is exactly what we did!
- The Elkwater Lake Lodge and Resort rents e-bikes for three hours ($50) or a full day ($100).
- We took our e-bikes along Elkwater Lake, where there are paved trails and cute boardwalks that span either east or west of the beach. There’s also a beach here, if you wanted a beach day! Find Medicine Hat’s Swirls ice cream shack by the beach as well. And snap photos along the Elkwater Lake pier.
- My favourite e-bike brand is Pedego Canada, which is by far the best e-bike brand I’ve ridden anywhere so far, but any e-bike brand is better than a regular bike, so I was happy with these rentals from Elkwater (the brake kind of screeches when you try to slow down, and it takes awhile for the brakes to kick in, which we later learned is because they don’t tighten the brake bars as much so that people don’t accidentally fly over the bike lol, which I assume has happened).
- Late Lunch at Camp Cookhouse
- After our e-bike, we needed some fuel for the rest of the day’s adventures! Our late lunch spot was Camp Cookhouse and General Store, a cute restaurant and store located at 40 Lakeview Drive, Elkwater (Cypress Hills).
- Camp Cookhouse has a small but delicious menu, We tried the smoked chicken smash salad (super refreshing), the Old Faithful and Mushroom Melt burgers (mouthwatering goodness!) and the special appetizer of the day was an amazing asparagus skillet topped with fried egg.
- As a side note, Camp Cookhouse is looking for new owners so if you’re interested in buying a restaurant in a little slice of southern Alberta paradise near Elkwater Lake… hit them up! lol
- In the general store, I bought a cute little fanny pak!
- Float down the South Saskatchewan River
- The South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat flows west to east.
- We dropped into the river just after the Trans Canada Highway Bridge (south of the river) off Red Deer Drive, and ended at Strathcona Island Park.
- When we floated, the river was moving VERY slowly so it took a VERY long time to get to our end point lol. This won’t always be the case but I do recommend having at least two paddles on your floatation vessel in case you need to speed up your trip.
- I blog more about What You Need To Know To Float Down The South Saskatchewan River here. Be sure to read it before your Medicine Hat river float!
- Late Dinner at Sushi & Thai
- After what was, as you can see, a VERY jam-packed Saturday, we were so hungry and wanted to fill that appetite with all you can eat sushi and Thai food at Sushi & Thai (117 Carry Dr. SE, Medicine Hat). Unfortunately the river float took too long (LOL) so we couldn’t dine in for the AYCE, but we did do take-out from Sushi & Thai and took it back to Jack and Nicole’s place to enjoy and unwind after a long but awesome day—the food was oh so satisfying. They’ve got some great selection!
Sunday in Medicine Hat, Alberta
- Explore Medicine Hat via Sunshine Trolley
- As one of the sunniest cities in Canada (it’s true! Medicine Hat gets an average of 330 sunny days a year! That’s a lot of sun, a lot of the year), it makes sense that The Hat would also be home to something called the Sunshine Trolley!
- This 1985 retro trolley hit the streets of Medicine Hat in 2019 and offers rides around town summer through fall.
- The Medicine Hat Sunshine Trolley makes stops at key city landmarks and neighbourhoods worth your visit, including (for our private ride for this trip):
- Medalta in the Historic Clay District: The Medalta is an innovative, industrial non-profit museum, contemporary ceramic arts facility, art gallery and community hub in Medicine Hat, located inside a converted century-old factory! They’ve got some great education and community programs worth experiencing.
- Saamis Tepee: The world’s largest tepee, the Saamis Tepee, resides in Medicine Hat. This incredible structure stands as tall as a 20-storey building, and features Indigenous artwork and information about the Plains Cree and Indigenous history in the region. This is the most visible landmark in the city, and within the circle of the tepee you’ll find ten illustrated pieces of art (they call it storyboards), that were hand-painted and represent a variety of influences and history of First Nations heritage. The tepee sits above the Seven Persons coulee and Saamis Archaeological Site. According to the City of Medicine Hat, there is believed to be over 83 million artifacts buried in this area!
- The Medicine Hat Sunshine Trolley makes stops at key city landmarks and neighbourhoods worth your visit, including (for our private ride for this trip):
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- Esplanade / Downtown: The Esplanade is the city’s home for music and dance, theatre, painting and sculpture, exhibitions, artefacts, archives and more. Just steps from the South Saskatchewan River, located in downtown Medicine Hat, you should definitely take in exhibits at the Esplanade, and then pop downtown for all sorts of shopping, eating, and snapping photos. at Instagrammable Walls! Many of the murals in Medicine Hat are a result of the Medicine Hat Mural Festival.
- Police Point Park: We just missed them, but if you time your visit right, goats may be grazing at the Police Point Park! Otherwise, there’s tons of flora and fauna, grasslands and possible wildlife sightings at this 97.7 hectares (241.43 acres) natural reserve which includes a Nature Centre with interpretive programming year-round.
- For 2021 season, the Sunshine Trolley is doing three loops around the city, with tickets being good for one loop. You need to pre-book online!
- Kids 12 and under ride free and adult passes are just $10.
- Be sure to wave to people as you pass by—that’s part of the fun of being on a novelty trolley!
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- Lunch at Golden Bell Sub & Grill Vietnamese Restaurant
- Often when I travel, I get the biggest cravings for Asian cuisine. Breakfast and sandwiches and ice cream and burgers and steak is great and all, but I always try to squeeze in some Vietnamese food (and almost always Japanese food) in my getaways, Medicine Hat is no exception. And does have some great options for Asian cuisine.
- One of our Asian food stops this trip was to Golden Bell Sub & Grill, a Vietnamese restaurant that is one of the rare restaurants open in Medicine Hat on a Sunday (lol).
- I’m not a huge fan of their soup (I’m pretty picky about Vietnamese pho) lol but their rice, dry noodle dishes, grilled items and appetizers are great.
- Browse used books at Unlimited Characters
- No visit to a smaller city or town is complete without a browse of the local book store!
- For this visit, we stopped into used book store Unlimited Characters where I picked up some old The Babysitters Club books to add to my collection and casual lifelong goal of acquiring all books in the series. Small town / city used bookstores are great spots to find BSC books!!
Other Food Options in Medicine Hat, Alberta
There were a few other spots I wanted to visit this time around but due to activities or just opening hours, couldn’t get to, some new to me, and some old favourites so I figured I’d pop them in this post too.
Other spots to consider stopping in for eats:
- Country Crumbs Bakery & Cafe
- The Copper Leaf Cafe
- Prairie Kettle Deli
- The Zucchini Blossom Market & Cafe (old fav)
- Lela’s Place The Chocolate Shop (old fav)
- Takumi Japanese Restaurant (old fav)
Please note that for some reason, MANY restaurants and businesses are closed on Sundays in Medicine Hat, so just keep that in mind as you plan out your itinerary!
Where to Stay in Medicine Hat, Alberta
Finally, a little more about where I stayed during this visit to Medicine Hat!
For this jam-packed weekend, I was hosted at the Medicine Hat Lodge, which is actually a resort casino and convention centre hotel in The Hat.
The Medicine Hat Lodge has a spa, indoor waterslide park, the parking lot Go Karting and axe-throwing, and several restaurants (including the Redwood Steakhouse).
The hotel has 190 deluxe guest rooms and 30 luxury suites, which I had the pleasure of experiencing. The air conditioning was much appreciated as the summer heat wave was just setting in during my stay, and the full granite bathroom and shower (with steam shower option) was amazing. For families, you can also book a poolside room! And I love that I got complimentary breakfast in a bag each day of my stay!
I had a wonderful stay at the Medicine Hat Lodge and recommend it if you’re looking for a spot to stay!
Note: my accommodations were sponsored by Tourism Medicine Hat!
Another option to consider (I haven’t tried yet but I’d like to) is Guesthouse 71, a 600 square foot, farmhouse style guesthouse (bed and breakfast) located just outside Medicine Hat in Cypress County. It’s on my list to try them for my next visit to the area!
Share your #myMHsummer!
Tourism Medicine Hat wants to know if you’re exploring the area during summer! Share about it with the hashtag #myMHsummer for a chance to win prizes. Follow @TourismMedicineHat on Instagram for even more exploration and adventure ideas!
So there’s my Itinerary for a weekend of fun in Medicine Hat!
I hope this blog post helps you plan your visit.
Note: my visit to Tourism Medicine Hat was sponsored! Experiences were hosted by The Hat. This does not impact opinions or views stated in this post—I love exploring this awesome little city!
Remember to check out my other Medicine Hat blog guides for even more ideas!
- Guide to Floating Down the South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat (July 2021)
- Travel Guide: Only In Medicine Hat, Alberta: 8 Unique Experiences To Try (July 2020)
- A Day in Downtown Medicine Hat: Food to Eat, Shops to Visit (July 2020)
- UPDATED Guide to Instagrammable Walls of Medicine Hat (July 2020)
- Explore Alberta: 7 Things To Do (including Where to Eat) in Medicine Hat (Feb 2020)
- Things To Do in Medicine Hat (March 2015)
- The Old Guide to Instagrammable Walls of Medicine Hat (October 2017)
And check out my video recapping a few of the ideas for things to do mentioned in this blog!
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Linda
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1 Comment
Linda thank you so so much about the absolute positive aspect of medicine hat I’ve lived here my entire life and iam so happy about the things you have mentioned in your itenerary of medicine hat I lived it and now have become a fan of yours ….iam 48 yrs old and it’s so nice to see that people wanna come to medicine hat I look forward to reading other articles you publish