more Foothills to enjoy

It was two years ago during a camping trip, while sitting around the fire with friends, when I first learned about the Leighton Art Centre out in the Foothills of Southern Alberta.  At that time, I thought one day I want to venture out that way for a visit.  That day came!  Today we hit those Foothills where we spent a few hours savouring everything there was to see.  There are a few structures around the property and this is the main building and where we began our walk.

the office beside the main building

the side of the main building showing the direction we first headed towards those red chairs 

We arrived at the red chairs and went a bit beyond to get a birds eye view of where we would be heading to see the many birdhouses along the hiking trail.  It was a gradual downhill in amongst those trees and rolling hills where we could faintly see bird boxes and where we aimed.

birdhouse with cow in the background

my favourite, because it is orange

Anybody home?

another birdhouse along the trail

While wandering along the trail, we could see a structure up another hill, we ascended to where it was.  Two years ago when my friend told me about the Leighton Art Centre, she also showed me some sketches in her sketchbook.  She took sketching lessons at the Centre and it was out in one of these shelters where she sketched from.  

sitting inside

the view out the front

view from up on the hill behind the shelter with the mountains in the distance

birdhouse along the trail

birdhouse along the fence which marks the property

autumn shades with the mountains in the background

a somewhat scary looking happy face on the top

view to a lake with a dock and a private residence

enjoying the view

Nearing the top of all those rolling hills, we came upon another location with a structure.  This is a sheltered learning centre with bones and antlers collected over the years from the surrounding area.  The Centre also has summer day camps for children.  

As we entered the forest to walk back up to the main building, 

we checked out the art work hanging from the trees.

a bumble bee

spider in a spider web

butterfly

These reminded me of prayer flags.

I wanted one but there were none for sale.

After a couple of hours on the trail, we then visited the botanical garden, the museum and then the gift store where we each made a purchase. Afterwards, we grabbed our lunches from the car and found a picnic table with a gorgeous view where we savoured the scenery and our lunch.  

It came time to leave and I already knew one day I would like to come back and sit in that shelter and draw the view in front of me.  We left this sweet place in the Foothills and went for something else sweet, a Foothills Creamery ice cream from a store in a sweet little hamlet close by.  My flavour is called "Campfire Smores" on a waffle cone.