Calgary Trip - Part 3 - Rocky Mountains and Banff

Mount Rundle

Our very first stop on our trip from Vancouver to Calgary was the spot of the Last Spike.

I got the whole family to pose.

Trail, BC reminds me of a model railway layout. So picturesque!

As we approached the border between B.C. and Alberta, we had to pose for photos:

The Albertans - all of us were born in Alberta.

This was C's first trip to Alberta!

I took this photo from the car as we drove near Canmore, Alberta. It shows the view as you drive through the Rocky Mountains.

My favourite mountain is Castle Mountain which was also known as Mt. Eisenhower for a time, my dad told me.

Castle Mountain

I worked in Banff for two summers (1986 and 1987) while I was in university. One summer as a chambermaid and one as a waitress. We were surprised to find that the restaurant I worked in is still in business!

One of the most recognizable mountains in the Banff area is Mt. Cascade.

We hiked up Tunnel Mountain. That was quite a workout since it was a very warm day and there wasn't much shade on the trail.

Boys on the trail

That's Mt. Rundle in the background.

Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of haze.

That is the town of Banff in the distance.

We enjoyed eating lunch outside on a patio on a Banff side street. The main street was super busy so it was nice to find a quiet spot. Bucca Bob's has very reasonable prices. I had a donair.

One of the key spots to see in Banff is the Banff Springs Hotel. When we entered the lobby, there was a lady playing the flute (in costume) and she said "welcome to the castle."

The hanging baskets were gorgeous.

This is the view from the patio.

We also went to Lake Louise but that visit gets its own blog post.

On our return to BC from Calgary, we stopped at the Spiral Tunnels in Kicking Horse Pass.

There was a long, colourful train going through the tunnel so that was a treat since we could have stopped at a time when there wasn't a train going through.

This is Rogers Pass and you can see the snow on the mountains.

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Calgary Trip - Part 2 - The Calgary Stampede

Saddle Bronc Riding

When you visit Calgary in the summer you need to be really deliberate about one thing: either come during Stampede with the rest of the tourists or avoid it altogether (like many Calgarians do). Billed as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", it's mainly a big-time rodeo, but it's also a city-wide, ten-day, western-themed party.

We went all-in, in part because we wanted the boys to experience a rodeo with all its rugged masculine glory, and partly because we want them to see Calgary in full colour.

The actual rodeo events are in the afternoon. They include Bareback (horse) Riding, Saddle Bronc, Tie-Down Roping (of a calf), Steer Wrestling, and Bull Riding. Those are the events we attended. It was a really hot day and we didn't pay for the shade. The boys survived the heat and were well-entertained. 

This shows our view which was great. I used my zoom lens for the photos.

The clowns and commentators are first-rate also and really add to the show. Some of the cowboys during the Canadian National Anthem:

Bareback Riding

Tie Down Roping:

My favourite cowboy is Fred Whitfield. He is 47 years old and a Tie Down Roper. The announcers like to tease him about his age. He's actually not the oldest competitor. There is a chuckwagon driver who is 63!

Bull Riding

In this photo you can see that the rider didn't last long on the bull's back. The bull "won."

There is also barrel racing done by women but we couldn't see it very well from our seats.

I really enjoyed watching the rodeo highlights on TV every night. I think I have caught the rodeo "bug." We are thinking of going to the Ellensburg Rodeo in September.


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Trip to Calgary - Part 1 - This is Your Life

I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I'm very proud of my hometown and my roots. I lived in that area until 1993. From my birth until age 10, I lived on a farm just north of the city. While on the farm, our official address was Balzac, a very small place.

Back in the 70s, it was 6 miles from our farm to the city limit. Now, the farm is within the city and all that is left is an old quanset. There is a very busy highway close by.

I'm glad there is something still there since the site of my Dad's brother's farm is now a shopping centre surrounded by hundreds of houses!

I took my boys to see my old junior high school, my high school, and my university. It was fun to find my photo on a wall of my high school which we were able to explore.

The biggest surprise was my previous house in northwest Calgary. It has been completely renovated and looks nothing like it did when I lived there in the 80s.

On Sunday, we went to my old church and found lots of familiar faces. Here is me with some old friends.

Freda and James.

There was a family reunion as well. My uncle and his wife (who live in Phoenix) were also visiting Calgary when we were there. My mom's other brother and his wife were there, too, and we met at my cousin Colin's house for some Swiss Chalet chicken and gabbing.

My parents in the centre. My American uncle on the left, my Canadian uncle on the right.

I also was able to meet up with my good friend Carrie and talk shabby chic for a while. She introduced me to it way back when. :)Pin It

Whose Broad Strips and Bright Stars......

I originally planned to paint a flag onto an old wood pallet that we have in our backyard. I changed my mind when I found out how heavy it is and how much paint I would need. I found a small fake pallet aka plaque at Michael's made of rough wood and that was it. The dimensions are 26 inches wide and 14 inches tall.

I had thought of using a stencil to paint on the stars but I instead bought these small wood stars

and painted them AND sanded them for the distressed look that I like. I used wood glue to glue them onto the plaque. I did intend to put 50 on but I ran out of patience and room. I used Folk Art acrylic paint.

There are 37 stars on my flag and I'm OK with that. Artistic license.

Lest any of my Canadian friends take issue with me painting an American flag, remember that half of my family is made up of American citizens. :)


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