Calgary Stampede

Hello--

My husband and I will be attending the Calgary Stampede this year. I bought our chuckwagon tickets for Saturday, July 12 and the rodeo tickets for the last day, July 13th. We lucked out and are staying on Marriott points at the Calgary Marriott from July 6-14, 2008.

From June 28-July 6, we will be exploring Banff, Jasper, and Edmonton.

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding any of the above areas, favorite restaurants they enjoyed, type of clothing to pack, certain things not to miss during the week of the stampede, etc.?

We are really looking forward to this trip as we have heard how beautiful the area is with the Rockies.

Thank you!!

I just sent you a PM.

A great restaurant (a bit out of town) is the Ranche. It is in an old farm house that has been transformed into an upscale restaurant and set in a Provincial Park. You can see deer and other animals out in the field/forest while you eat dinner.

http://www.crmr.com/theranche/index.php

It's about a 30 min drive from downtown and well worth the trip!

I'll second the suggestion of the Ranche - they have delivered a great meal every time I've been there. However, if you are going to be in Calgary during Stampede, then you must attend one, two or several of the many Stampede breakfasts, lunches and dinners that can be found throughout the city. The food (usually free) may not be great and you could overdose on pancakes and beans during your stay but the fun is contagious.

Clothing during your time in Calgary - jeans, cowboy shirts, boots and hats are required. You will likely require a jacket/sweater for cooler evenings.

Calgary has a great zoo and also a historical park (Heritage Park) but while staying in the city, if you have even the smallest interest in dinosaurs, make a day trip to Drumheller and visit the Tyrell.

I would personally use two days to drive from Jasper to Banff as there are just an incredible amount of amazing sites to see and you need the time to fully appreciate all of the sites - Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Columbia Icefields, Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, just to name a few.

Thank you--some nice suggestions. I look forward to this beautiful part of the country!

I would have loved to see the look on the Canadian and American cow boys (not cow persons please) when the Hawaiian Paniolos showed up for their first competition all dressed up in their Hawaiian regalia.

I believe they took some blue ribbons home to the islands.

Sterling