We will need to begin to get a handle on how many ambassadors we will send so their club can arrange hosting. Just like the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, this is a popular time of year for tourists to Medicine Hat, so early planning is wise.
Some of the other places Medicine Hat likes to take its visitors to are:
1) the Medalta Pottery Museum. Medicine Hat was once a major centre for producing clay products which were sold all over Canada including restaurants and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Even the emperor of Ethiopia ordered a full set of dinnerware from Medalta.
2) the IXL Brick Plant Museum. The IXL Brick Plant was recently shut down because of the damage caused by a recent flood. The plant has been left in the state it was on the day of the flood. That is a very interesting tour. The bricks used in buildings in Medicine Hat have all been manufactured here.
3) the James Marshall brick murals depicting the Stations of the Cross. James Marshall is a renowned artist whose claim to fame are the brick murals he has designed and constructed in Medicine Hat and his pen and ink drawings of places all over Alberta. He also has some brick murals located in the United States.
4) Prairie Gleaners. Here visitors have the opportunity to have a hands-on experience preparing vegetables which are dehydrated and sent out to places world wide. Medicine Hat also has a thriving greenhouse industry and is a major distribution centre for vegetables shipped throughout western Canada.
As for getting here, one option is to drive . The other option is to fly. It is possible to fly from Calgary to Medicine Hat on Westjet. The cost of a return flight is currently listed at $240.58 CAD . It is a one hour flight. The other option is to fly to Calgary and take a 4 hour long trip by shuttle from the airport. The cost is $85 each way and the shuttle leaves in the early afternoon which does create a time problem. It is possible to book a shuttle privately but that would require enough interest to split the cost.
FFNM members should notify the JC as soon as possible to indicate their interest in participating in the trip.