Located between the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies, the city of Calgary is considered the energy capital of Canada because of its oil and gas resources.
We couldn’t pass by this famous Alberta city without stopping to find out what makes it so popular.
At first glance, it is a dynamic and cosmopolitan city of medium size and therefore very accessible. We quickly found our bearings and discovered some interesting neighborhoods.
The city is particularly known for its famous Stampede, an event that celebrates western culture and is the largest outdoor rodeo in the world. During the 10 days of the festivities, a whole range of activities are on the program ranging from horse riding skills competitions to wine tasting, including evening shows and even a pancake breakfast. You are sure not to get bored!
When we arrived, the day was particularly hot and we noticed several inflatable boats happily sailing on the Bow River near a magnificent bike path. This was an activity offered by Lazy Day Raft Adventures and it is a very pleasant option to enjoy a unique perspective of the city on hot summer days. The Bow River originates in Banff National Park and flows 587 km from Alberta to Saskatchewan. It is renowned for its trout fishing, but is also an exceptional body of water for a host of activities.
Continuing our exploration, we discovered a city center with several historic buildings alongside others with interesting modern architecture including the 190.8 m (626 feet) high Calgary Tower which offers an impressive 360-degree view and even the possibility of walking on a glass floor which gives you the impression of literally walking in a void!
The tower, built to resist natural elements (earthquake, winds up to 161 km/h, etc.) in 1968, was raised in 24 days using a concrete pouring process unique at the time. It also served as a receptacle for the Olympic flame during the 1988 winter games.
You can also enjoy a cocktail or a meal at the Sky 360 restaurant located on the tower’s rotating floor which lights up for a different light show every day before sunrise and from dusk until midnight.
While walking around the city, we noticed the presence of many parks and green spaces, some of which offer entertainment and events of all kinds for the local population and tourists. We were able to practice a few salsa steps at the Fiestaval Latino at Place Olympique and listen to a group cover the hits of the Beatles at Tomkins Park. Slices of history are also represented throughout by works of art by local artists, which makes the visit informative.
If you want to learn more about the city, a visit to Heritage Park and Gasoline Alley is ideal (allow approximately 3 hours) and animal lovers will appreciate the Calgary Zoo.
We also discovered several good restaurants with interesting terraces to enjoy the beautiful summer days. In order to take full advantage of it and since we had time on our hands, we divided our meal into several places and each one charmed us with a little something special!
We then enjoyed a magnificent golden sky and slept in the Deerfoot Cabelas’s parking lot which has spaces reserved for RVs and even a dump station. Very convenient for a short stopover in town!
Canmore
Sometimes life puts good advice people on your path who have interesting recommendations to make. Canmore is one of those destinations where we probably wouldn’t have stopped without a timely meeting beforehand.
It’s a tiny, picturesque town built on the mining heritage of the Rocky Mountains located just before the entrance to Banff National Park and is bordered by, once again, the magnificent Bow River. A lovely 25 km cycle path linking Canmore to Banff can even delight cycling and cycle touring enthusiasts, as it runs along the river in the valley surrounded by the Rocky Mountains.
This is also a great place to stock up on supplies before entering the park, but the streets are quite narrow and parking spaces are limited for large vehicles like us. Several RVs, small and large, were parked along the railway line which crosses the city, probably to spend the day there, because overnight parking is prohibited there like almost everywhere in the park and the surrounding area. (Make sure you have a reservation at a campsite!) We took advantage of our stop to take a short walk along the river and admire the Engine Bridge (famous for its appearance in episode 6 of the HBO series The Last of Us ) and, of course, the magnificent surrounding landscape. The color of the river, a beautiful blue-turquoise almost reminiscent of the Caribbean Sea, is quite common in this region and is due to the fact that this is melt water from the surrounding glaciers and the melting ice releases sediments which give the water this particular color. It goes without saying that the source of the water makes it, even in July, not very hot, but there were still those who dared to take a dip in it and cool off!
We continued our journey towards our next destination on the beautiful road surrounded by these majestic snow-capped peaks. The road itself is a masterpiece for wildlife protection thanks to its landscaped passages which blend wonderfully with the landscape. You can learn more along the way by downloading one of the following audio guides: Calgary to Banff or Calgary to Lake Louise. Be sure to download them before you leave, as the cellular connection is not optimal in the park.
Don’t miss our upcoming destinations: Banff and Lake Louise
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