Calgary, a rapidly changing “oil-town” city nestled between cowboy-prairies and the remarkable Rocky Mountains, can provide a very charming Canadian vacation. The time of year you visit, however, will largely determine what kind of trip you can expect. From late spring to fall (May-Oct), there are handfuls of outdoor nature activities, as well as ways to enjoy a drink (Calgary has an unusually high number of liquor stores!). On the other hand, if you are coming during the winter, you will likely be skiing, snowboarding, making a snowman, or preparing to throw a snowball. Whether winter, summer, or spring, you will have your hands full. But be warned: a winter day may dip to -30, degrees Celsius. It can be quite cold —even for a snowman!

That said, there is a Calgarian saying (took from Mark Twain) that says, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 20 minutes”. In other words, the weather is constantly changing. You can easily enjoy a 25-degrees “summer day” in the swimsuit-apocalypse of winter. Likewise, you can experience a short winter blizzard during a heat wave. This is the result of unique mountain breezes called Chinooks winds. Sometimes the breezes last only long enough to melt a snowman (or ruin your “snow-angel”).

Though most travelers coming to Canada will be steered towards metropolis areas like Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Montreal, or Quebec City, a trip to Calgary can rival those tourism heavyweights, with the right “insider” tips.

Tip #1: It is not particularly convenient (nor cheap) to be taking public buses and trains in Calgary unless you are staying near an LRT (public-train) station and plan your activities accordingly. Keep in mind also, that train and bus services sometimes end relatively early, and Calgary’s (extremely) large area can make taxi-rides expensive. To put it bluntly: rent a vehicle. Be cool.

Hopefully, you will either have your own vehicle now or, at least, you will know what to expect when it comes to getting around. Let’s look at what Calgary has to offer. Here is the list of recommended activities:

The Calgary Tower and/or Nose Hill Park

  • Time of Year: All-year (Calgary Tower)…March-Nov or a Chinook Day (Nose Hill Park)
  • Price: $18/$16 seniors/$9 children CAD (Calgary Tower)…Free (Nose Hill Park)
  • Time investment: 1-2 hours (Calgary Tower)…1-3 hours (Nose Hill Park)

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Let’s get this out of the way. The Calgary Tower may not be internationally mind-blowing (it is not even the tallest building in Calgary anymore), but its 50-odd floors was an impressive feat. It’s like an aged child-celebrity. In any case, it still provides a great view of the city. From its viewing deck, you can stand on a glass floor and look directly down at 600 feet past your own feet, where cars look ants and the city sprawl literally extends to the horizon. Built at a time when “Cowtown” still had dusty horse-and-buggy roads, it continues to be the most recognizable building in Calgary, besides the Saddledome.

From its viewing deck, you will notice the gargantuan green-hill, called “Nose Hill Park”, like a grassy oasis floating within the city. This rolling grassland was donated to the city by a rich-badass on the terms that it would never become a suburb. To this day, it literally remains wild. On a brief hike, you can see occasional coyotes, foxes, and deer saunter through its woods (if you are quiet enough!). Google “how to fox-walk” (not to be confused with “Foxtrot”). Nose Hill Park was once located along an ancient Buffalo migration route, where the horny buffalo males would sharpen their horny buffalo horns on the giant boulders to compete for the love of buffalo ladies. It was like Buffalo nightclub. The top of Nose Hill Park, an easy 1-hour hike to the top, also provides a breathtaking, alternative view of downtown Calgary.

Besides making Calgary postcards more meaningful, taking the bird’s eye view from either the top of Nose Hill Park or the Calgary tower will give you a sense of direction and help you plan the rest of your trip.

Stroll, Eat and Drink on 17th Ave (SW)

  • Time investment: 1 hour-1 day

Whether it is winter or summer, you will definitely need to spend some time on 17th Ave SW (not southeast, a.k.a. “International Avenue” where you can find Calgary’s best ethnic restaurants). If you are using the LRT (public-train), I recommend you depart downtown’s 8th Avenue station (or nearby stations), and walk down 8th St., southward toward 17th Ave SW. From there, wander westward towards the Victoria Stampede LRT (public-train) station. Here is where the majority of the cool shops reside. If you are feeling social, grab a pint at Calgary’s Ship and Anchor pub, where meeting other people (or having people meet you) is almost unavoidable. You will notice that Calgarians, for the most part, are quite friendly. The Ship and Anchor is located on 4th St., which extends from the Elbow River to downtown. Fourth Street itself also has many hip stores, pubs, and good restaurants to check out.

Tubing on the Bow River

  • Time investment (depending on river flow and previous rainfall): 1 hour-1 day…Glenmore/Deerfoot to Sikome: estimated 2-4 hours…Sandy Beach to Mission: estimated 4 hours

Opposite from 17th Ave. SW, on the other side of downtown, is Calgary’s beautiful Bow River. This is literally the lifeblood of the city and is most often enjoyed from Princess Island Park (the north-east edge of downtown). Every summer, you can see people with tubes floating down its gentle rapids.

First things things, you will need access to two vehicles to make this happen.

As the river current flows eastward, the further west you begin (where someone with a vehicle “drops you off”), and the further east you get “picked up”, will determine how long your tubing-day will be. Here is a list of “drop off” or “pick up” spots, from westward to eastward:

  • Princess Island Park (Eau Claire, downtown)
  • Harvey Passage
  • anywhere near the Glenmore/Deerfoot junction
  • Sikome Lake boat launch

What is the longest possible “float”? ALL DAY LONG. I have heard reports of people getting dropped off as far as Golden, Alberta —but I suspect some parts of the river would be dangerous. For more information, check out:  http://www.sportsrent.ca/bow-river-float-times/

What you need to know: You need a life-jacket by law —but many people simply purchase one at Walmart (and return it later for a refund!). Also, bring sunscreen if your complexion is not the shade of brown sugar, or a similarly protective hue. Lastly, if you plan on drinking alcohol, be warned that police make regular rounds on speedy police-boats to find-and-fine people for public drinking. Getting a ticket is a buzz-kill…and expensive.

Take a Day Trip Outside the City

Calgary is surrounded by renowned road-trip destinations. That is another reason to rent a vehicle if you needed another one —the best reason.

Directly westward is Banff and Canmore, famous for its skill hills (see #5: the Skiing and Snowboarding section). I will just mention that Banff is a spectacular place to visit even if you do not ski or snowboard. Many visitors visit the Chateau Castle, as well as dipping into the natural hot-springs (the sulphur is so strong it often smells like rotten eggs!). Beside Banff and Canmore, another gem to the west is Bragg Creek. If you visit during the right months you may be lucky enough to visit an aboriginal (First Nations people) Pow Wow ceremony. Seeing the regalia of First Nation dancers, continuing their tradition to the thundering drums and singing is an incredible sight. Just make sure to be respectful and take as many photos as you would during a Church service. In other words, not very many. Resist the temptation.

To the south of Calgary are rustic “cowboy” towns, such as Longview, which is my favorite spot to fetch spring water (read our Getting Jacked on Water article), though most people visit to stockpile Alberta beef jerky. Above all, the view of the southern Rocky Mountains perched atop rolling grasslands of grazing cows is breathtaking. If you continue driving for another hour-and-a-half (2 hours from Calgary), you should visit the museum called “Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump”. Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump is an actual, traditional name given by Alberta’s aboriginals (First Nation Peoples). The name, however long-winded (and fun to say), also succinctly explains its historical function: The cliff served as a hunting spot where indigenous hunters used to orchestrate stampedes of buffalo herds —whereby they would fall to their accidental suicides. The museum provides a fascinating learning experience of Alberta’s First Nation peoples and their traditional culture.

To the east of Calgary are some more especially interesting destinations: Drumheller and the town of Vulcan. To begin, Drumheller is one of the world’s most famous archeological locations of dinosaur fossils. It is also only a mere hour-and-a-half drive. Make sure to visit Royal Tyrrell Museum (where you can see over 40 real mounted dinosaur skeletons!). In the same vein, the quaint town of Drumheller itself also has an interesting reptile zoo. Lastly, if you are in the area, drop by the “Hoodoos” .

If you, instead, choose to drive an hour-and-a-half from Calgary in a southeast direction, you can visit Vulcan: a heavenly town for Star Trek nerds as it is referred to as the “Star Trek Capital of Canada”. If you are a real Trekkie, you would have already guessed as much from its name. You probably already had a nerdgasm, too.

Go Snowboarding or Skiing

  • Time investment: 1 day-1 weekend

Calgary is one of the best places in the world to ski and snowboard (no joke!). World-class skiers and snowboarders will judge a “slope” (ski-hill aka mountain) by the amount of “powder” (soft snow) it has.  And the Great White North has lots. Still, the amount of “powder” entirely depends on the frequency of recent snowfall, so stay tuned to the weather forecast. When planning to go skiing or snowboarding, there are several places near Calgary to choose from, listed below —from closest to farthest away:

  • Canada Olympic Park (C.O.P.) (5-45 min away): this is ideal for newbies for many good reasons. The hill is relatively easy, compared to the Rocky Mountains and, most conveniently, C.O.P. is actually in Calgary so the transportation cost is most minimal. You will have plenty time to practice on the hill. Be aware: the first day (or two) for newbies can be very difficult. That is why I suggest you learn how to ski or snowboard at C.O.P. first.
  • Canmore/“Nakiska”/Kananaskis (1hr away)
  • Banff/“Sunshine Village” (1hr 30min away): This has always been my favorite spot.
  • Fernie (3hrs away): This is another great spot.

What you need to know: This will likely be the most expensive activity on your trip. Costs include transportation, general admission, equipment rentals (skis/snowboard, ski-poles, boots, etc.), lessons (if need be), and highly-inflated food and drink prices at the ski-lodge restaurants. To curb spending, bring your own food, try to borrow equipment from someone (or rent them elsewhere before leaving Calgary), get access to your own vehicle, and take advantage of the various ways to get discounted transportation and general admission.

The Famous Calgary Stampede

  • Time investment: 2 hours-3 days

Besides the skill hills, the Calgary Stampede is the most popular reason why most people visit Calgary. To be frank, it is how the majority of non-Calgarians first hear of Calgary. Though it can be a little expensive, the Stampede is a good reason to don a cowboy hat and strut in cowboy (or cowgirl) boots. Basically, it causes the entire city to go into full-time party-mode.

At the Stampede grounds itself, there is everything to bolster its claim of being “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, including an infinitude of amusement park rides, free music performances (from Snoop Doggy Dogg to Usher to Taylor Swift), a real rodeo, daily horse-races, and world-class gambling. My two favorite spots in the Stampede include a giant Petting Zoo (cows, horses, goats, sheep, llamas, etc) and the Roundup Centre, where you can be endlessly entertained by entrepreneurs and salespeople doing product-demos of all kinds of interesting merchandise. I also like Indian Village where you can watch performances of First Nation peoples.

Tip #2: However often they call themselves “Indians”, it is not polite (as an outsider) to call them “Indians” —unless you are referring to people from India. Likewise, the terms “indigenous” and “aboriginal” also comes across anthropological. Therefore, “First Nation” peoples is the safest term, meant to include all the various, distinct tribes.

See a Live Hockey Game

  • Time of Year: October-April

Do you see that funny shape building often captured below the Calgary Tower? It is called “The Saddledome” and it has been designed to literally look like a horse “saddle” as an adjunct to Calgary’s Stampede/Rodeo culture. In any case, this is where fans flock to see an NHL hockey game. Get yourself a Calgary Flames hat or jersey, beforehand, to join the camaraderie.

Tip #3: Don’t wear the jersey of any other team (especially Edmonton!).

Other Notable Mentions…

In addition to the aforementioned 7 Must-Do Things to Do in Calgary, here is a smaller list of more random activities:

  • Ride a Mechanical Bull at a Famous Cowboy Bar (Ranchman’s)
      • This is the dance-floor in the Broke Back Mountain as well as Cool Runnings
  • Eat an Insect Muffin or Drink Mushroom tea (Light Cellar health food store)
    • This health food store is epic. They also provide interesting workshops to attend, from chocolate-making to tincture creations. See https://thelightcellar.ca
  • Learn Some Science at Spark! (Science Centre)
    • The best time to attend is the monthly-scheduled “adult’s night”. Visit www.sparkscience.ca to check the date. There’s beer to drink, a live DJ (for real!), and learning modules to play with. The best part? There are no pesky children anywhere.
  • Meet a Mennonite (Visit a Farmer’s Market!)
    • There are four or five farmer’s markets to choose from, including some outside the city limits. My favorite is the Crossroads Market, but you will need wheels to get there.
  • Get Some Fresh air at an Indoor Garden (Devonian Gardens)
  • Calgary Zoo
    • One of the best zoos I have ever attended anywhere.
  • Shoot a Gun
    • No license or permit required! I recommend The Shooting Centre on Blackfoot trail (not very accessible without a vehicle). Gun classes are also available, while a brief safety-lesson is required. Shoot a handgun, a rifle, or a classic cowboy revolver. See www.theshootingcentre.com

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