Roaming Nanton

A spring snow dump has us away from the mountains…again. No worries though as we always find somewhere interesting to walk and small towns are where we often do it. They’re just so quaint and charming and laid back. A drive south of Calgary has us visiting the community of Nanton (population about 2200, founded early 1900s), with its many historic buildings, some old school grain elevators and the best darn candy store on the planet. How can one resist? It April 2018 and we’re itching to get out. Time to put feet into motion.

Our route is a loop – you can follow it to the letter or not. It’s no big deal. If you mix it up and take a different path, just make sure you take in the downtown core – so much cool stuff there and interesting things to see. If following in our footsteps, expect to put some eight clicks and a bit behind you. All those calories spent will be offset by the candy you’ll buy. It’s impossible to pass that store and not go in.

We start at Westview Drive at 27th Avenue pretty much at the edge of town in the Southwest. Go! Hit 27th and turn right (south). There’s a few old acreages here, that used be outside town a bit but now are in as Nanton has grown. Some don’t look lived in. Left at Highway #533. There’s a pathway underfoot, but on our visit some sections didn’t get cleared of snow. Continue on for a click or two before trending left, still on the pathway. Along here an abandoned farm at the edge of town.

Left on 21st Avenue. Boler! And those dogs look friendly enough. But I bet if you found yourself inside THEIR compound it’d be a different story. You can just tell they’d take you down in a heartbeat. Back track to 25th Street and head east. Left at Highway #2 (northbound lane, aka 20th Avenue) pass the big Double D (memories of our bra making business). We so love dive motels and this one’s particularly good.

Did someone say Grain Elevators? Nanton has a few (not many places can say that today) that come summer you can tour. They’ve been saved and are a museum. Know more here: Prairie Sentinels – Nanton Alberta.

Welcome to downtown. Soon it’ll be many historic old buildings and so many antique stores. If this is your thing, you’re in heaven. Why do we always shoot chairs? Left at 20th Street. Nanton Drugs 1908 and an old grocery store sign blocked by a newer one connected to the current tenant – cool! And the Candy Store. There’s no fighting it. Give in. The selection, all the old school sweets from when you were a kid. I’m eight again and I got fifty cents burning a hole in my pocket.

There’s a number of places along here where one can get lunch. We picked a small eatery in a nice old brick building. And our meal was yummy. Eat at mom and pop places and chains be damned.

Now back on the road we’re heading east. Pass the Auditorium Hotel, a place we’ve yet to visit, but hope to one day. So love these historic inns. Out back in the alley something speaking of another era, a small brick building once used to store ice (kept insulated by hay). Ice…for the ice box…to keep food from spoiling. So old school. And those wood doors with all that character.

Left at Highway #2 northbound pr 20th Avenue. There’s a big antique place here – next time we’ll stop in – a former hardware/furniture/sporting goods store. One one wall a ghost sign advertising paint. Left on 19th Street then right on coming to Highway #2 (southbound lane, aka 21st Avenue). Soon in come to the Bomber Command Museum. It’s been decades since we visited – we need to get back there something bad. Out front, some historic fighter planes, stuffed and mounted, an Avro CF100 “Canuck” and a Canadair “Silver Star”, both from the 1950s. There’s LOTS more cool stuff inside.

Come to a pathway, heading northwest-ish for now but soon doubling back and making a loop of sorts around some ball diamonds. Over there a skateboard park that waits for spring. And fellow walker – greetings are exchanged. Small town folk are so friendly.

Left on 18th Street followed by a right on 20th Ave (#2 Southbound, recall). Right at 20th Street. Lotto Stop! And no, we didn’t win a darn thing. Again…sigh. Right on 22nd Avenue then left on 18th Street. Lots of nice old homes here dating back to the town’s earlier days. Over in an alley, what looks to be an in-town barn. And down that street, a car right out of Mad Max. That bumper guard! Left at 23rd Avenue and right at 19th Street. More old houses transition to newer ones and soon we’re out in the “burbs”. Two cats get a little attention along here. Purr, purr, purr…

Left at 26th Avenue. Old acreage houses to the right. An vintage truck passes and it’s an off the hip shot. Just about didn’t catch it. Come to Highway #533, go left and retrace you steps back to your ride.

It’s over already. The good times go so fast. But we have memories…it’s Taffy and Fun Dips and Cuban Lunches, smoked meat and fine kosher pickles, piping hot Joe, lotto dreams dashed, buildings from another time and era, towering prairie sentinels, all these things passed from the past, working them muscles, pastoral streets, content kitties and silver winged angels of death that once patrolled the skies. This was our time in Nanton.

We didn’t see and photograph everything here in town – but that’s just a reason to come back.

A previous visit…
Nanton Alberta, elevators and old things.

Things in the general area…
Dome Home and the Boneyard.
Gravitas.

If you wish more information about this route, by all means contact us!

Date of adventure: April, 2018.
Location: Nanton, AB.
Distance: About 8km if you follow our route.
Height gain maximum: 0m.
Height gain cumulative: 0m
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate.

Early in, this old acreage house.

An unplowed section of pathway.

Abandoned at the edge of town.

Boler!

They seemed friendly enough.

The Double D.

Dive motels are an obsession.

What’s that in back?

the FOOD BUS.

This lonely old chair.

Many fine old buildings in downtown.

Candy heaven.

Stuthornes eatery.

In back of the Auditorium.

Many antique stores in town.

A ghost sign from long ago.

So much character…

Backalley views.

Well decorated.

At Mosquito Creek Trading Post.

At the Bomber Command Museum, this “Canuck”.

A “Silver Star”.

Another out walking.

Not till spring.

2201…

Postscript – the bad luck continues…

Lost on some street.

An in-town barn?

Max has retired to Nanton.

Wandering about.

Happy kitties.

Obligatory chair shot.

A from the hip photo.

Don’t STOP believing.

Follow our route or go freestyle.