Calgary

[tinkerbelljenny]

We are going to Calgary in May for a train event. We are driving there. We have been there before but where should we stay, where to eat, what to see, where to shop & what to buy?.. etc. We will have two little ones with us. I was thinking of taking them to the zoo. What about the Olympic Park? Do they have tours?
We usually stay in the Best Western Suites because you get two rooms for a really great price but we want to stay somewhere nicer this time.
Thanks for the help!

[snowzilla]

We go down to Calgary all the time, as it's only a few hours away. The last time we stayed for a weekend wedding, it was at the downtown Westin. LOVED it. Those Westin Heavenly Beds really ARE heavenly. DH and I joke that our next mattress set will come straight from the Westin.

I would recommend the to-die-for Sunday brunch at Luciano's, but, *sniffle*, it's no longer there. I was heartbroken. Their Sunday brunch was incredible.

The zoo there is well worth the visit. Calaway Park is eh, in my opinion. It's an aging amusement park - 'nuf said, right?

Oooh, if you like really, really bad-for-you food, there's Pete's Drive-in. It's legendary around here - their milkshakes are enormous, and so are their burgers. Bring cash, because I seem to remember they don't take debit - it's a drive-in, as the name suggests, so don't plan on eating inside. But plan on moaning for at least a day afterwards - 'I can't believe I ate the whole thing". ;)

Chinook Center is a huge mall - easy to get to, and lots of shopping to be had there.

Do you know what area of the city you're wanting to be in/close to during your stay?

[acceptablerisk]

another user asked me about calgary, and here's the PM i sent her:

in calgary, i have a zillion favourite restaurants.
for finer dining:
Rouge (http://www.rougecalgary.com/main/index.php)
Teatro (http://www.teatro-rest.com/)
The Calgary Tower Panorama Room (http://www.calgarytower.com/Panorama_Dining_Room.html)

midrange:
Il Giardino (http://ezinearticles.com/?Hello-from-Calgary:-A-Delicious-Dinner-at-Il-Giardino&id=174034)
Samosa Grill (http://www.samosagrill.com/)

hope that gives you some ideas for good eats. calgary really has a lot of great restaurants.

we also have an amazing zoo (http://www.calgaryzoo.org/),, and the glenbow museum (http://www.glenbow.org/) is gorgeous, if you like museums.

this article lists all the good places to shop : http://www.vacationsmadeeasy.com/CalgaryAB/articles/BestofCalgaryCanadaShoppingMarketsMallsandMore.cfm

also, if you have time, visit Banff. (http://www.banff.com) absolutely stunning.

my favourite place to stay would be the fairmont palliser hotel (http://www.fairmont.com/palliser/), but i'm biased, as that's where i was married. they have a delicious pasta bar and death by chocolate on thursdays, and a sunday buffet that is the best i've ever eaten.

it really depends on what quadrant you'll need to be in the most - calgary is pretty big. the palliser is downtown, and so you'll have lots within walking distance.

[Pine Tree]

Some family friendly suggestions:

The spaghetti factory (Eau Claire Market - also a fun area to walk around, including Prince's Island if it's nice weather)

Fiore's - mid range Italian on 17 th Ave.

Lots of 'take out' places on 17 th Ave that are great ie Wicked Wedge for pizza, vietnemese subs etc...

Olympic Park is okay, it does have tours. There is a travel book just for Calgary with kids (or families) - check out amazon.ca with those key words.

[1MegMeg]

Distance Question -

How far is Kananaskis Provencial Park from Calgary? And is it closer or further to Calgary than Banff National Park?

Thanks! :)

[andy's di]

I did a quick search and it appears that Kananaskis Park (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Kananaskis+alberta&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=9&ll=50.885709,-115.161438&spn=0.665372,2.655945&om=1) is southeast of Banff National Park.

Banff is about a 60-90 minute drive (depending on traffic) on a major highway - the speed limit is 110km/hr or approx 70mph. The highway leading to Kananaskis looks like it may be a 2 lane highway so the limits will be slower.

It's 116km (73mi) from Calgary to Kananaskis and 126km (79mi) to Banff, So you're probably looking at a difference of 10 minutes driving or so.

Banff is absolutely beautiful! But so are all the parks in the Canadian Rockies. Since Banff is a National Park if you are stopping inside I think you have to pay $10CAD/day to stop the car look around etc. AFAIK you do not have to pay to visit Kananaskis...

HTH!

Di

[Pine Tree]

Kananaskis is about the same amount of time driving - very windy. It's beautiful, but there's not much there. I loved camping there, but it's much more isolated, although the hiking is good. There is a Delta Lodge in Kananaskis which is quite nice, and it has some great restaurants.

[1MegMeg]

Thank you for the help ladies!

I want to do an overnight backpacking trip while I am in Calgary. It's just going to be one night because I am only going to be in Calgary for a week and there is so much I want to see and do. Would you recommend that I go backpacking in Banff National Park or Kananaskis?

Thank you again!

[snowzilla]

My friends choose Kananaskis every year, without fail, over Banff, for hiking/backbacking. Banff is beautiful too, but in my opinion, far more commercialized/touristy. We did a few hikes in Kananaskis this past year, and I loved it.

[1MegMeg]

Snowzilla - Thank you for the insight! Do you have an specific recommendations for an overnight backpacking trip in Kananaskis? I have emailed the "Friends of Kananaskis" to get trail maps/books, but I haven't heard back yet.

[1MegMeg]

Time flies...I'll be in Calgary in just over a month. :) Have any of you local ladies eat at, or know anything about, River Cafe (http://www.river-cafe.com/index.php)? It looks wonderful!

Thanks :)

[1MegMeg]

Just got back from a week in Calgary and had an amazing time! It was a combo trip of visiting my parents, going to the Stampede, and doing lots of outdoor activities in Banff National Park/Canmore.

I wanted to come back and post my thoughts about River Cafe (http://www.river-cafe.com) for the local ladies as well as anyone else who may be visiting the area.

I can't recommend River Cafe, which is located on Prince's Island Park downtown, enough! It is a sustainable restaurant that supports local and regional organic small farms. The menu is seasonal and changes monthly to feature the best meat and produce of the season. From the appetizer, salads, entrees, desserts, and wine everything was superb. Fresh, healthy, not overly salty, but full of delicious flavor. For example, I had an asian influenced salmon dish for my entree and it was in a light broth rather than being laden in salty soy sauce.

River Cafe is definitely fine dining (in price, food, and service), but is an expensional establishment for a special occasion.

ETA: Unrelated specifically to the restaurant, but I just wanted to add how friendly and welcoming Canadians are! :) Even though it was Stampede week, we were definitely tourists amidst the Calgary locals. From the people in our white water rafting group, to the friends we made downtown at night, everyone was SO friendly and wanted to make sure we had a good time. So thank you for being so nice to your southern neighbors.