OT: Visiting Calgary (General City / Area Discussion)

[Volica]

Been to Toronto 3 times already and I guess it's time to visit Calgary next regular season. As a teacher/professor I only am able to visit late October, late December/early January or late February. And of course during the summer, but with no NHL action then, I would rather not.

Because I will only have a week in Oct and in Febr and like 12 days in Dec. and want to visit of course Calgary, but also Banff and some other beautiful places, what do you guys recommend? Take into consideration the weather, time needed to see stuff, prices etc.

Are you a skier at all?

 

[Nanuuk]

September/October in the mountains is quite beautiful. The tourist crowds are down and the weather can be quite warm 18-22C in September before cooling off at night. In October you could see some warmer temperatures, but generally we are transitioning to winter so we can get just about any weather except for the frigid below zero temps.

October is the best month for sampling some of Banff's cuisine as there are a couple of festivals which celebrate local food.

The first of which is Taste of Banff, which is held in early October. Visitors can try some of the premium cuisine Banff has to offer during this festival.

There is also the Annual International Banff Springs Wine and Food Festival, which is held in late October and features some of the best food and wine from the area.

 

[Cappuccino]

Are you a skier at all?

Never done that really. Living in the Netherlands were our highest 'mountain' is 300 metres high and the average temperature is (in the winter) maybe plus 5 degrees celsius.

September/October in the mountains is quite beautiful. The tourist crowds are down and the weather can be quite warm 18-22C in September before cooling off at night. In October you could see some warmer temperatures, but generally we are transitioning to winter so we can get just about any weather except for the frigid below zero temps.

October is the best month for sampling some of Banff's cuisine as there are a couple of festivals which celebrate local food.

The first of which is Taste of Banff, which is held in early October. Visitors can try some of the premium cuisine Banff has to offer during this festival.

There is also the Annual International Banff Springs Wine and Food Festival, which is held in late October and features some of the best food and wine from the area.

Thank you so much for the information.



I was in Toronto in February, it was minus 15 or something. Can I assume that would be in Calgary regarded as a "warm day" (during December till March) ?
I guess October would be a nice time to visit.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Calgary weather changes a lot. Even during winter.

Calgary February Weather 2019 - AccuWeather Forecast for Alberta Canada

Expect cold but range of “cold” will vary.

 

[Cappuccino]

Calgary weather changes a lot. Even during winter.

Calgary February Weather 2019 - AccuWeather Forecast for Alberta Canada

Expect cold but range of “cold” will vary.

Haha every day looks like a new surprise. You may need a Canada Goose jacket or just a t-shirt.

 

[Nanuuk]

We dress in layers Cappuccino and try to be prepared for every eventuality. If you have not experienced a Canadian winter February in Calgary and surrounds can be very cold. We also have a phenomena called a Chinook. Moist air from the Pacific ocean pass through British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains. Due to the height of the mountains the moist air is forced upwards and so the clouds must empty themselves on the western side of the mountains, sometimes on the eastern side, but after that the air is dry. And so we see warm westerly winds that can drop temperatures dramatically. It is not uncommon to see us go from -20C to +15C overnight! Calgary typically experiences 10 or more Chinooks in a winter season.

Chinook wind - Wikipedia

 

[Nanuuk]

And if you are coming all the way over here I would strongly recommend you travel the Icefields Parkway, a highway that connects Banff and Jasper National Parks. It is gorgeous anytime of the year, but extreme caution needs to be taken if travelling during the winter season. If you do take it plan on staying a night or two in the town of Jasper, a less commercial mountain town than Banff.

The Icefields Parkway: Highlights, Travel Tips, Photos

 

[super6646]

The smoke outside is killing me. Dear god at least we had half a summer to salvage before it came last year.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Smoke?

More like mesquite flavoured air.

 

[These Are The Days]

Figured I'd ask actual Albertans/Calgarians instead of speculating

My mother (turned 65 in August) made it pretty clear that a big number on her bucket list is to see the Calgary Stampede at least once. Gotta say boys this one sounds like fun and I might as well make some dreams come true right? So anyway, I might go this summer, might wait til after she retires next year but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask. So how many days are we looking at for the Stampede alone? I know it goes on a while and it doesn't look like something you're gonna be able to experience all in a day as an outsider. Maybe 2 days? But maybe I'm wrong. And are there any other "must" sights and sounds as I embark on (as what the Oiler fans would call it) my prairie pilgrimage? My only real selfish desires are to have the best damn pancake breakfast I can get my hands on at a local mom and pop place and see if there's any countryside tours. Don't know if the old lady can handle horseback though. A slow walk on the horse on other hand may work though. I think you guys get the idea of where I'm going with that one.


Oh yeah and one more stupid question and forgive me if this is a bad one. You gotta realize I have lived in Florida 31 years, haven't seen proper snow and the closest I've come to Alberta was South Dakota. Are the hockey rinks open year around? I have ice skates I got my hands on 10 years ago and I swore to myself I was going to break them in "properly" as in either a rink up north or actually playing hockey in them.


I've carried on enough. Any feedback is appreciated. Good luck to the Flames by the way

 

[JPeeper]

Figured I'd ask actual Albertans/Calgarians instead of speculating

My mother (turned 65 in August) made it pretty clear that a big number on her bucket list is to see the Calgary Stampede at least once. Gotta say boys this one sounds like fun and I might as well make some dreams come true right? So anyway, I might go this summer, might wait til after she retires next year but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask. So how many days are we looking at for the Stampede alone? I know it goes on a while and it doesn't look like something you're gonna be able to experience all in a day as an outsider. Maybe 2 days? But maybe I'm wrong. And are there any other "must" sights and sounds as I embark on (as what the Oiler fans would call it) my prairie pilgrimage? My only real selfish desires are to have the best damn pancake breakfast I can get my hands on at a local mom and pop place and see if there's any countryside tours. Don't know if the old lady can handle horseback though. A slow walk on the horse on other hand may work though. I think you guys get the idea of where I'm going with that one.


Oh yeah and one more stupid question and forgive me if this is a bad one. You gotta realize I have lived in Florida 31 years, haven't seen proper snow and the closest I've come to Alberta was South Dakota. Are the hockey rinks open year around? I have ice skates I got my hands on 10 years ago and I swore to myself I was going to break them in "properly" as in either a rink up north or actually playing hockey in them.


I've carried on enough. Any feedback is appreciated. Good luck to the Flames by the way

If you don't attend the Grand Stand show day (rodeo?) or night the Stampede can be done in like 4 hours, there's nothing really special about it. It's mostly midway rides/games and various unique foods. You could do a day at the Rodeo and then Grandstand Show at night and eat some of the foods in between, especially if you go early. There isn't anything really unique to look at or visit on the grounds. Most people who go multiple days are going to drink and party and as you're taking your 65 year old mother I assume she doesn't want to get sloshed and party with 20 year olds. If so, then I guess you could do 2 days as one night for the Grand Stand show and another for partying. I honestly don't know why anyone would travel here just for the Stampede personally (not knocking your family, we get thousands of tourists a year for it), it's really just an overpriced place to party in dress up. Like it's fun, but eh.

If it's a bucketlist thing I'd say two days at the grounds is enough to see all that's needed, but I would then suggest heading to Banff for a day to see the mountains.

And no, there is literally nothing in Edmonton that is interesting. Their biggest attraction is a mall. That's how lame that city is.

Lastly, the ice rinks in the summer are essentially basketball courts or used for street hockey. It's like 20+ Celsius every day in the summer, we aren't that north LOL. Only ice I know of that is easily usable would be the Olympic Oval at the University; community center rinks which I don't know if they have drop in sessions in the summer are open, but I think only for summer leagues.

 

[Fig]

Figured I'd ask actual Albertans/Calgarians instead of speculating

My mother (turned 65 in August) made it pretty clear that a big number on her bucket list is to see the Calgary Stampede at least once. Gotta say boys this one sounds like fun and I might as well make some dreams come true right? So anyway, I might go this summer, might wait til after she retires next year but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask. So how many days are we looking at for the Stampede alone? I know it goes on a while and it doesn't look like something you're gonna be able to experience all in a day as an outsider. Maybe 2 days? But maybe I'm wrong. And are there any other "must" sights and sounds as I embark on (as what the Oiler fans would call it) my prairie pilgrimage? My only real selfish desires are to have the best damn pancake breakfast I can get my hands on at a local mom and pop place and see if there's any countryside tours. Don't know if the old lady can handle horseback though. A slow walk on the horse on other hand may work though. I think you guys get the idea of where I'm going with that one.


Oh yeah and one more stupid question and forgive me if this is a bad one. You gotta realize I have lived in Florida 31 years, haven't seen proper snow and the closest I've come to Alberta was South Dakota. Are the hockey rinks open year around? I have ice skates I got my hands on 10 years ago and I swore to myself I was going to break them in "properly" as in either a rink up north or actually playing hockey in them.


I've carried on enough. Any feedback is appreciated. Good luck to the Flames by the way

The Calgary Stampede is essentially a large carnival/fair that is perhaps used as an excuse to be neighborly and party. Plaid, jeans and cowboy hats are the clothing of choice for most people, cowboy boots are optional. I think you can finish up on the stampede grounds in around 2-5 hours depending how much you want to dawdle, but there's more going on than just the events on the grounds. The Stampede grounds are essentially beside our current arena, the Saddledome.

Pancake breakfast wise, we aren't really known for that type of fare and I don't think it's something that most mom and pop places start whipping up just for the event. Pancake breakfasts are generally free (or minor fee of a few bucks) breakfast pop ups that are generally used as an excuses for meet and greets and advertising for different organizations in town. I think there's an app or a website if you want to cruise around and get your fill, but I don't know what it is off the top of my head. I am not really aware of any restaurant that does pancake breakfasts during stampede week as it is generally considered a free food thing.

Not far from the Stampede grounds is 17th Ave which is the Red Mile when the Flames are in the playoffs. It's a good place to consider for some drinks or food. Food wise, there's not really much I can think of that's a local delicacy and the smoked meat and BBQ scene while very good is not going to be something that steals the crown from the Southern USA.

Country tours wise, are you going to rent a car? Driving out to Canmore or Banff is around 45 minutes to 1:15 depending on where from the city you start driving from. Lake Louise and Lake Moraine are a bit further than that, but I'd highly recommend it. Jasper is also neat, but I often find it's only worth going if you have more than enough time to casually spend a few days in the mountains. I think Jasper is around a 3 hour drive away from Calgary and it forks away from Banff, so it's like two hours away from Banff. For someone who may not be used to mountains on the East coast, I believe it's really worth it to see the Rockies. If horseback is the thing you want to try, there are horseback tours in Banff that are around 30-45 minutes long that just take you around on a slow scenic tour. The guides are pretty awesome, so they'll attempt to match favorable horse characteristics to individuals. It will all be just walks, no galloping or anything like that.

You will need a park pass for Banff/Lake Louise/Lake Moraine etc. which is in our national park, which you can pick up at the park gates. Canmore is just outside the park boundaries in an area called Kananaskis and there's no need for a park pass there, but I think as someone who may not consider returning for a long while, it's worth paying the extra and going into the national park. There are some nice hikes in the area that you can self guide. I wouldn't choose any hikes that are in excess of 1.5 hours or so though... Just a minor suspicion of mine. If you want something easy though, I would suggest Johnston Canyon in the national park. It's a paved "hike" with a short leg of around 45 minutes or 1.5 hours round trip. The Banff springs are also worth soaking in after a long day and there's a public one in Banff that's essentially like a giant pool/hot tub. I think it's worth it. Pure silly bonus if you decide to rent the historical bathing suits (made me feel like a Rugby player) and you can probably joke to your mom about old time fashion or something.

The Columbia ice fields are near Jasper. They're glaciers that you can pay to go on top of. There will be snow and ice there and if you decide to go, you'll want full on winter gear because it's cold up there, even in July. There's also a sky walk in that area. This stuff is neat, but stuff I'd say consider optional until you have achieved everything else.

Rinks wise, I am not sure of any open skating in the summer. There might be some arenas, but I am not aware of any community skating sessions. That being said, I need to explain the climate here to you. We are technically in the mountains, so in the evening temperatures drop. I personally think it's great to have reprieve to "heat", but this can be jarring for someone who isn't used to this, such as someone like yourself who lives in Florida. Expect night time temperatures (dark) of around 10-20 celcius and day time temps (light) of 20-30 celcius. Also, we are quite North. This means in the summer that there is a ton of daylight unlike somewhere like Florida where sunlight/darkness is pretty close to clockwork. We're talking the sky doesn't get dark till nearly 10:00-11:00 PM at times. This means that if you two are night owls, this is awesome and there's plenty of time to spend out and about. If you two are the type to hit the hay early and are sensitive to light, you may want to prepare something like a night mask to block out the light.

Calgary is also a dry place. Not full on desert like Arizona, but pretty darn close. Stay hydrated and double check each other whether you've consumed water every once in a while while on the grounds or hiking etc. You can't really use sweating as a gauge because you likely won't be drenched in sweat because moisture will evaporate quickly.

Another option to pursue (if somehow it's something that interests you) is if you go in a totally different direction from the mountains (West), there is a place called Drumheller around two hours North East of Calgary in the bad lands which has an amazing dinosaur bone museum. The mountains are amazing though and we in Calgary are spoiled to have something like it in our own back yard and so close to the city.

In all seriousness, after your summer prairie pilgrimage, if you want to break those skates in, you should consider a winter pilgrimage as well

 

[Nanuuk]

A slight correction to Fig's post. Calgary to Jasper is about a 4.5 hour drive. Glaciers can be noticed pretty much the length of the Icefields Parkway, aka Highway 93, but the actual Icefields attraction is about half way to Jasper. The attraction has an interpretive centre, bus rides to the glaciers, and guided tours. You can also park at the base of the main glacier (Athabasca) and walk up a pathway to reach the base of the glacier if you want a free experience. The attraction is closed in the winter.

As I married a Jasper girl and still have friends in Jasper, I'll have to respectfully disagree with Fig. There is lots to see and do in the area. I do agree though that you might want to spend a couple of days there. All in all your Rocky Mountain experience will make it easier to understand why so many come out this way and decide to stay.

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

Country tours wise, are you going to rent a car? Driving out to Canmore or Banff is around 45 minutes to 1:15 depending on where from the city you start driving from.

45 minutes? How fast do you drive?

 

[Fig]

A slight correction to Fig's post. Calgary to Jasper is about a 4.5 hour drive. Glaciers can be noticed pretty much the length of the Icefields Parkway, aka Highway 93, but the actual Icefields attraction is about half way to Jasper. The attraction has an interpretive centre, bus rides to the glaciers, and guided tours. You can also park at the base of the main glacier (Athabasca) and walk up a pathway to reach the base of the glacier if you want a free experience. The attraction is closed in the winter.

As I married a Jasper girl and still have friends in Jasper, I'll have to respectfully disagree with Fig. There is lots to see and do in the area. I do agree though that you might want to spend a couple of days there. All in all your Rocky Mountain experience will make it easier to understand why so many come out this way and decide to stay.

Sorry, bad wording at way too early in the morning. I didn't mean Jasper isn't worth going, but it's not worth rushing and/or just putting down as a stop for a day. IMO, it's better to skip it and do it proper than to try and rush through it.

And yup, my driving estimate is off.

45 minutes? How fast do you drive?

I was talking about Canmore not Banff, sorry. In my youth, I am assuming I was driving around 20-30% over the speed limit. I don't really do that any more, but the improper estimate sometimes sticks.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

If it's your first time, probably want to give yourself two days to experience all of the Stampede things.

At the Stampede:

Rodeo (held daily, sit down low to get a unique experience)
Chuckwagon races (nightly event)
Grandstand Show (nightly event)
Visit the agricultural (and other) exhibits on the grounds

You will be able to get a free pancake breakfast pretty much any day during the Stampede. No promises on quality, however.

Calgary has a lot of other experiences to offer as well - and it really depends on your interests and how much time (and money) you want to spend here.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Figured I'd ask actual Albertans/Calgarians instead of speculating

My mother (turned 65 in August) made it pretty clear that a big number on her bucket list is to see the Calgary Stampede at least once. Gotta say boys this one sounds like fun and I might as well make some dreams come true right? So anyway, I might go this summer, might wait til after she retires next year but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask. So how many days are we looking at for the Stampede alone? I know it goes on a while and it doesn't look like something you're gonna be able to experience all in a day as an outsider. Maybe 2 days? But maybe I'm wrong. And are there any other "must" sights and sounds as I embark on (as what the Oiler fans would call it) my prairie pilgrimage? My only real selfish desires are to have the best damn pancake breakfast I can get my hands on at a local mom and pop place and see if there's any countryside tours. Don't know if the old lady can handle horseback though. A slow walk on the horse on other hand may work though. I think you guys get the idea of where I'm going with that one.

One thing about pancake breakfast is it's more of an event, where you see lots of people. If I were in town during Stampede Week I would try to go to a local Stampede Breakfast almost every morning. Beyond that, I suspect you'd find that you can fit most Stampede Activities into one long day -


- Rodeo etc
- Petting Zoo/Dog Show etc
- Coca Cola Stage (But this might need to be staggered to another day depending on which performing acts you actually want to catch)
- Fair activities / Rides (For a Florida person this may be underwhelming)
- Elbow River First Nations Camp
- Beer Gardens / Downtown Bars / General Debauchery
- Nighttime Fireworks

Oh yeah and one more stupid question and forgive me if this is a bad one. You gotta realize I have lived in Florida 31 years, haven't seen proper snow and the closest I've come to Alberta was South Dakota. Are the hockey rinks open year around? I have ice skates I got my hands on 10 years ago and I swore to myself I was going to break them in "properly" as in either a rink up north or actually playing hockey in them.

I expect that there are indoor rinks open at that time of year, though IIRC Summer Beer Leagues usually wrap up in June-ish. If you want to make a day trip up north to West Edmonton Mall, there's an indoor rink there along with tons of other mall++ activities. You could maybe even do something like this:

Fly into YYC in the morning, rent a car for 6-7 days from a non-airport rental place (airport places upcharge a little). Get a hotel in downtown Calgary. Try to catch a Stampede Breakfast.
Day 1 in Calgary, get most Stampede activities
Night 1 in Calgary

Day 2:
Do a Stampede Breakfast, then drive up for half a day in Drumhellar(Horeshoe Canyon + Royal Tyrell Museum), come back to Calgary for some evening activities
Night 2 in Calgary

Day 3:
Stampede Breakfast in Calgary, goto Banff, explore Banff area, enjoy nature, lots to see, lots of fun little shops to check out.
Night 3 in a Lake Louise hotel;it's about an hour from Banff)


Day 3 in Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.(Get there nice and early, like 7am). Get a proper hike in, Sentinel Pass etc are gorgeous. If someone in your family isn't in shape then i suggest working on Cardio / stairmasters / incline treadmill etc fornthe next six months to get into decent shape because a true mountain hike like this can really push your limits.
Enjoy the alpine lake when you get back down, take a canoe out and just relax. Go back into Lake Louse.
Night 4 in Lake Louise

Day 4
Drive up to Jasper, make sure to stop at the Columbia Icefields en route. Explore Jasper a little, taking care to do Jasper-specific activities (admittidely it's not too different from Banff) such as the Hot Springs. Stay a night in a classic Jasper Cottage.

Day 5:
Drive to Edmonton in the morning, get a full day at WEM, including your skating plans. Enjoy the mall and attractions. Spend a night at Fantasyland hotel.

Day 6:
Fly home from YEG, OR drive back down to Calgary if you want (3h drive from WEM).

Can always play around with that, but that seems pretty thorough. Of course, I'd personally be pretty choked to be all the way in Lake Louise and not head southwest to the Okanagan (Kelowna/Pentincton) instead of Northeast to Edmonton but I guess I don't think of skating in July.

 

[super6646]

Hot take: The stampede is lame. About the only thing you get out of it is seeing random people you haven’t talked to in years.

 

[Nanuuk]

@AlwaysSunnyInTampa, you and your Mom may also enjoy the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller and the Badlands. The Royal Tyrell is a world renowned museum of dinosaur artifacts, skeletons, and displays. The Badlands and its topography are very unique and the source of many of the exhibits in the museum. It is about an hour and a half drive.

A good day trip would be to drive to the Saskatchewan (Sask-catch-e- wan) River Crossing. The Crossing is about 2.5 hours from Calgary and there are two ways you can get to it from Calgary. The first, is by highway #1, aka the TransCanada Highway, past the Banff townsite and past the Lake Louise townsite to Highway 93. Stay on highway 93 until you reach the Crossing. Plan on stopping to enjoy the sights along the way. The Bow Summit (and Lake) is a sight to see. Glacier fed and turquoise green (as is Lake Louise). After that its downhill (literally) and scenery that is arguably the most beautiful on the planet. At the Crossing you can refuel, have some lunch, and take in the beauty of the location. Then, you can either turn around and go back from whence you came, continue on to Jasper with another 2 hours of a scenic trip, or turn east and take highway 11 towards Rocky Mountain House, a small town in the foothills. From there you can angle south back towards Calgary or straight east towards Sylvan Lake and Red Deer. That stretch is about 2.5 hours from the Crossing (I could be slightly off with that) and its 1.2 hours from Red Deer to Calgary.

Another day trip you might want to experience is to visit the Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump. It is directly south of Calgary and a World Heritage Site.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site

Another day trip to to scoot past Lake Louise on the TransCanada and visit the Spiral Tunnels in Yoho National Park. The Tunnels were built to overcome grade difficulties when Canada was building a national railroad from the east to the west.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/yoho/culture/kickinghorse/visit/spirale-spiral

Another idea might be to visit the Waterton Lakes National Park south of Calgary (about 3 hours). Waterton is hardly mentioned when you have the likes of Banff and Jasper National Parks, but it really is a jewell. You might want to stay close by to fully enjoy it.

Anyway that's it for now. If I think of more I will let you know. And now that the creative juices are going I am sure others will have additional ideas.

 

[Nanuuk]

Hot take: The stampede is lame. About the only thing you get out of it is seeing random people you haven’t talked to in years.

While I don't go every year, for visitors to Calgary, the rodeo events and agricultural fair can be very entertaining. The nightly Grand Stand Show is world class. Hardly a lame event.

 

[super6646]

While I don't go every year, for visitors to Calgary, the rodeo events and agricultural fair can be very entertaining. The nightly Grand Stand Show is world class. Hardly a lame event.

Fair enough, but it doesn’t exactly mix itself up year over year. As a local, I don’t plan on visiting the stampede next year (first time in 15 years) because it’s gotten mundane for me at this point.

 

[Nanuuk]

Another thing you can do with Dear Old Mum (I'm the same age btw) is to take her for a fine dinner atop the Calgary Tower. The restaurant is top notch and rotates so that you can get a panoramic view of the city, mountains, rolling hills, and the great blue sky. At night, of course, you'll see the surreal skyline of the city and maybe even those fire works during the Stampede. A bit pricey, but I'm sure Mom is worth it. Besides, you'll make a killing on the exchange rate!

 

[Mobiandi]

Head to Prince's Island Park. That area in the summer is beautiful

 

[These Are The Days]

Thank you to everyone so much for the feedback. I really do mean that. I'm not sure when the trip will happen (or if I can afford it) but like mother like son we're both the type to plan things out for a very long time before it actually happens. I'm gonna see what I can do to sell her on a trip to Jasper and any other of the countryside (the mountains in particular)

Another thing you can do with Dear Old Mum (I'm the same age btw) is to take her for a fine dinner atop the Calgary Tower. The restaurant is top notch and rotates so that you can get a panoramic view of the city, mountains, rolling hills, and the great blue sky. At night, of course, you'll see the surreal skyline of the city and maybe even those fire works during the Stampede. A bit pricey, but I'm sure Mom is worth it. Besides, you'll make a killing on the exchange rate!

If it got dat 'Berta beef too I assure you that this will be on the list.




Once again thank you to everyone. Keep the suggestions coming if you don't mind




PS- It's true what they say about Canadians and being nice

 

[Nanuuk]