July 2nd Welcome to Calgary, Canada!
Day 1, Wednesday, July 2: We arrived in Calgary along with 76 other RVer's ready for "parking lot camping" at the university of Calgary Football Stadium! We were on our first Fantasy Tour, The Calgary Stampede, along with 162 other people! We were so impressed at how quickly they were getting us all parked, avoiding driving over electrical and water lines and no crashes!
After setting up we got signed in and got our packets of information. We started meeting a few of the other campers sitting outside or wandering around. We all met at the campground "bus stop" to be taken to the Calgary Winter Club for our welcome dinner. We had four school buses (yes yellow school buses drive us around Calgary! They had set up tables of 8 and we sat with Frank and Pami who we were also camped close too. They also have a Phaeton and are from Ft. Myers, Florida. Our Wagon master, Greg had a few things to tell us and he's a pretty funny guy! We learned that when he said "Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy we were to respond "Hoya, Hoya, Hoya"! Greg says no one knows what it means but it is a lot of fun...but more about that later!
They started serving dinner by picking table numbers. We were table 9 and not getting called. I asked Greg if he was sure he put our number in the drawing, and he made me come up and draw the numbers! Guess what, I picked very number but ours. Of course no one let me forget we were last! The food was good and we had a great time!
Day 2, Thursday, July 3: This morning we met for our school bus and were taken downtown to the Sky Tower for breakfast...what a view! The Tower is 626 foot tall with a rotating 360-degree view of Calgary and the Rocky Mountains. We could also see the Stampede grounds and the Bow River,which runs through town!
After breakfast we walked across the street to the Glenbow Museum,. They have four floors in the museum full of art work, statues, glass art, rocks and gems, airplanes, neon displays, train information and so much more!
After the museum we walked around Stephen Avenue. The street is closed to vehicles and is a pedestrian mall right in the middle of downtown Calgary. There are cafes, vendor booths, live entertainment and shopping of course! We were tired from the museum so walked a little and then headed for the C-Train home. They have two train routes and we figured our way home easily.
Day 3, Friday, July 4: We got an early start for the Stampede Parade in downtown Calgary. Again on the school buses we headed out. We had reserved seats on the parade route of 29 blocks so we could all sit together. We were there couple of hours early and they got us coffee and Tommy Horton doughnuts (famous in Canada! There were Canadian Police Officers and others out along the parade route entertaining us while we waited. We also practiced our Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy and it was quite fun. We got a lot of notice from the performers for sure! There were over 125 floats, bands, horse groups, clowns, tanks, military, Royal Canadian Mounties and much much more in the parade. Waste Management Trash trucks were decorated and came along to pick up the horse poop! It was a lot of fun and with all the Hoya, Hoya Hoya yelling, we lost our voices by the end of the parade!
We came home on the train and rested before going back to the train to head to the fairgrounds. We met up with Frank and Pami and checked out where everything was. We found the vendor shopping area, the midway with lots and lots of rides and food and where we would attend the rodeo the next day. We found the Agri Center and watched dogs herding sheep. After we went to find a hotdog for dinner. It's much like the Del Mar Fair in San Diego but I think it's bigger.
Day 4, Saturday, July 5: Today we had rodeo tickets for 1:15. We left early for the train and got to the fairgrounds in plenty of time! There are millions of people taking the train and at the fairgrounds on Saturday...and I'm not exaggerating! Today they started off with the Canadian Mounted Police doing the musical ride, very cool! We saw steer riding, bronc riding, calf roping, calf pinning and ladies barrel racing. We had good seats and it was a lot of fun. I have a lot of videos and pictures of the rodeo but our wifi is not very strong here in Chama to put them all in :-( you are saved!
After the rode, we went in the vendor tent and looked around. In the back they had a wine garden in the middle of beautiful artwork. They had waterfalls around the area and cozy seating. They had entertainment, beer, wine and some food. We had a lovely dinner with Frank and Pami before dragging our butts home to Sophie (who by now is feeling like and orphan)!
Day 5, Sunday, July 6: Today we weren't going to the fairgrounds until late afternoon so had a relaxing time with Sophie. Tonight were the chuckwagon races, the entertainment extravaganza and the fire works!
The races were amazing, they would run four wagons at a time and how they maneuvered in the small area with their team of horses was amazing. In the middle they had peewee powered chuckwagon races that were so cute! After the races and time for the entertainment, a huge tractor pulls out this huge stage/sound system, which was something amazing!
When they started the extravaganza, it started to rain and at times, poured. We were dry and under cover but the entertainers got soaked. A couple of the performers were not able to finish their act, such as an acrobat and two guys that had dancing, arcing electricity! It was a really good show with dancing, singing, bands and more. The headliner was Taylor Hicks. He was in a bus that came out on stage and then turned 45 degrees and then the top opened and the front came down and he and a couple of musicians were inside! It was a good show and good fireworks even with the rain. As soon as it was over we headed for the door and managed to get on the first train for home and hardly got wet!
Day 6, Monday, July 7: Today was our final rodeo day at 1:15. We went a little early and went shopping in the vendor tent. We bought a steam mop, bamboo bed pillows, cribbage board and a pair of earrings and necklace for our 14th anniversary (Ted got the mop...kidding)! The rodeo was the same events but closer to finals so the competition was really good. We headed home to have dinner at the RV, can you tell we were running out of gas!
Day 7, Tuesday, July 8: We didn't know what to expect for today's trip to Heritage Park! It is a real frontier town from the 1860's to early 1900's. Our group had a private breakfast in the museum (again our table was almost last) overlooking gasoline alley. They had original gas pumps and old cars all beautifully restored and in mint condition! Apparently one gentlemen had bought the cars, restored them and donated them to the Park. It was amazing and the one place I didn't take enough pictures!
After a good breakfast a Docent took us on a walking tour of the town, Some of the buildings were original and moved to the location and some were replicas. Every one was in period costume and carried on as thought they were really back in time. They had a wonderful bakery and several of us bought home made bread and rolls that were baked fresh that morning. We took a ride on an authentic steam train and of course visited the little shops that were there. It was really fun!
Tuesday night was our last evening and we had our farewell dinner at the Calgary Winter Club. When we got there no one wanted to sit with me, including Ted, they didn't want to be last for dinner! They finally did sit with me and we were almost last again!
They had entertainment before dinner, two guys calling themselves "Rodeo Riders!" They play at the Stampede which is where Greg had heard them and recruited them for our dinner. They were dressed in "interesting" cowboy outfits tht were from Roy Roger's day in orange and while with colorful boots! They played a guitar and a base and sang and joked for a half hour. My sides hurt from laughing so hard and they were good musicians as well! A very fun farewell dinner!
Day 8, Wednesday, July 9: There was a continental breakfast this morning and we said our goodbyes. We were staying on for the second rally so we watched as everyone got out of the stadium without any troubles, pretty amazing! There were a couple of others that were going on to Canmore for the second tour and meanwhile a tour going to Alaska came in and the day we left a tour came in from Alaska! Fantasy has it figured out pretty well! Meanwhile, we rested, went and got laundry done, tried our new steam mop, nails got done and we reminded Sophie who we were! Coming up...Part II of the Kercher Canada Adventure!
The Calgary Stampede...
"Ain't Life Grand!"
ADa
