Sometimes it seems as if we don’t consider a getaway a getaway unless we’re going far from home. Well recently, Robyn and I were offered a promotional vehicle for a weekend, a 2013 Ford Explorer, and set out to explore central Alberta, instead of the usual Calgary, Banff, Jasper trifecta.

We started off on our way for breakfast, but got a bit sidetracked at the sight of a Ferris Wheel on a country estate on hwy 14, just south-east of Edmonton. Who the hell has a Ferris Wheel in their yard? And damn, that’s the biggest house I’ve ever seen to boot.

When we finally made it to breakfast at The Footloose Caboose near Tofield, we were instantly were reminded of how cool this place is. When it comes to niche dining, this place has it all. There’s 2 dining cars, old railway artifacts, and even 2 cabooses that are tricked out for bed and breakfast accommodations! And don’t expect some country motel style rooms – Robyn and I stayed here many years ago and were surprised at how tasteful the caboose was.

A Caboose at The Footloose Caboose

The Footloose Caboose Dining car

Breakfast isn’t your standard diner fare either. I’d say it’s more of a country breakfast, with a bit of a European influence. By European, I don’t mean the places finances are in shambles, but rather some of the dishes have some cross-ocean style. One of those dishes happens to be the pancakes, which Robyn ordered with Saskatoon Berry sauce.

Footloose Caboose Pancakes

The pancakes were a cross between an crepe, and a traditional North American style pancake, and were eggy and delicious. I couldn’t get enough of the crispy edges, and Robyn had to keep stabbing me with her fork to keep me away. They would have been the tastiest thing on the table, if not for my Hobo omelette.

Ahhh, the Hobo Omelette. 3 eggs, stuffed with smoked sausage and potatoes, weighing in at a tidy bazillion pounds. This thing is huge! When it arrived at the table it was so eye popping that it caught the attention of another diner and I commented to him that it would take 2 hobos to finish it. As full as I was halfway through, I still managed to put away about 3/4 of it, and just picked the sausage out of the rest.

Hobo Omelette at The Footloose Caboose

After breakfast we hit the road again, destined to see what the town of Tofield had to offer. Before we could make the town limits, we came across a familiar logo, and had to stop in to see the world headquarters of Beary Berry Honey.

A tour of the facility could be had if you schedule it in advance, but since we’re slackers we’d have to settle for a browse through the retail space. I had no idea Beary Berry had so many different products, from chutneys, to flavoured honey, to glazes and dipping sauces. We picked up a few things to take home and headed back on the road.

Beary Berry Honey

When we were speaking to a woman at Beary Berry, she gave us a tip to check out Moms Ice Cream Corral in Tofield. The words were barely out of her mouth before Robyn’s eyes lit up and all of a sudden she wasn’t quite so full from breakfast anymore.

The sign on Moms was out for repair, but luckily the metropolis of Tofield is not so confusing and congested with gridlock that we couldn’t find the place. Just look for a bunch of people standing around eating ice cream, genius…. it’s not that complicated.

Moms Ice Cream Corral- Tofield, Alberta

Talk about your old-school ice cream shop. Sliding order window, lots of handwritten specials plastered on the glass, and a ton of delicious sounding flavours of ice cream is exactly what you’d expect to find from a small town cone-monger, and that’s what you get. I had a soft-serve chai tea milkshake, and Robyn had a Kahlua chocolate fudge cone. We had a seat in the sun and enjoyed watching the constant stream of people treating themselves to a little decadence. That was a nice little stop.

Super stuffed full of dairy calories, we got back into the car and headed north in search of the next spot that looked stop-worthy. We happened upon a pretty amazing looking church, and had to get out to have a closer look. Well, to be honest it wasn’t really the church that caught our eye as much as it was the outdoor worship space. It might be a little creepy to have, say, a wedding here, what with the attached graveyard and all, but what a beautiful set-up all the same.

Our next stop was the town of Smokey Lake, which since I had never been there before I was surprised to learn isn’t on a lake at all. Come to think of it, it wasn’t smokey either, so why didn’t they just call it Dusty Field? (I’ll be here all week. Try the veal, and don’t forget to tip your servers)

Did you know that Smokey Lake is the pumpkin capital of Alberta, complete with a real small town pumpkin festival? You do now.

Insert your own joke here…..

I had asked on twitter and facebook for suggestions on favourite small town burger stands or diners. A couple people suggested Betsy’s Burger Shack in Smokey Lake, and it sounded fantastic to me. It was exactly as advertised, which is to say it’s a funky little burger shack with loads of personality and kick-ass burgers.

Betsy’s Burger Bar- Smokey Lake, Alberta

I got the Double Bacon Cheeseburger, as if there was any suspense there. Tipping the tills at a paltry $5.45, if you can find a better burger value in Alberta I’d like to hear about it. You’d expect to get an old fashioned, homestyle burger from a small town burger stand, and that’s exactly what I got. If they could add in some sassy middle-aged waitresses on roller-skates, this would be like stepping into a burger shop time machine!

Bacon Cheeseburger at Betsy’s

Robyn got a single Mushroom burger. This saucy beauty looked and tasted a lot like a Burger Baron burger, and that’s a pretty good thing. While we both agreed it wasn’t quite as good as the bacon cheeseburger, it was still plenty worthy of your $3.95. Yes, you read that right. $3.95. Remember when you could get a good burger in Edmonton for under 4 bucks?

Me neither.

The Mushroom Burger at Betsy’s Burger Bar

There’s nothing fancy or “gourmet” about a burger at Betsy’s, and that’s just how I like it. I’m sure you will too.

We got a couple of sides to go with the burgers, and though the onion rings were pretty typical, we both really enjoyed the Corn Fritters. I loved the texture which was kind of a cross between the usual fritter and a doughnut. I’d get those again. In fact, i’d probably take these over an actual doughnut anytime.

After devouring our dinner like pigs at a trough, we decided to make our way back home to Edmonton. There were more stops we could have made on the way home, such as the Jurassic Forest near Gibbons, but we were as tired as a new mom so decided to save it for our next tour of Central Alberta.

Next time you’re looking for a little getaway, consider exploring what’s going on right here in our own back yard, and maybe you’ll find a hidden gem or 2 you can share with me!