Sundre sits on the Red Deer River in Alberta's foothills, northwest of Calgary and west of Olds. It is not the Rockies, but it has the first rough edge of them: ranch country, river bends, wooded trails, campers, and people heading farther west.
The town clears the day-trip bar because its sights are not just services for the highway. The Sundre and District Museum gives the area a pioneer and ranching story, while Snake Hill Recreation Area puts walking and biking trails close to the centre.
South of town, Bergen Rocks International Sculpture Garden adds an odd and likeable art stop. In warm weather, the Red Deer River is the wider reason to come, whether for a gentle paddle near town or rafting farther upstream.