Day 5: Calgary

Quote of the Day: "Did I tell you about the time that I got kicked out the States? Now watch me juggle these knives!"

Calgary Court House

On the Plus 15 

In a Calgary Park

Katherine and Christina at Dinner

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Haley and Estrella goofing around

I just want to say that today was our first day without a hotel key problem (#winning). After waking up late and utilizing the few complimentary hotel items to prepare our breakfast (drinking oatmeal without spoons= interestingly delicious), we headed out into the city in search of gardens, museums, and social locals.

Parking in the city was clearly a challenge after circling around the downtown area for 40 minutes (just like yesterday). The minimal free parking led us to a comparatively expensive lot (especially to the lots in LA). Although parking was difficult, the discovery of the Plus 15 (a walkway that connects buildings throughout the city) helped keep us dry through the rainy day, allowing us to see the entire city. As we walked toward the Calgary point (much like the Space Needle in Seattle) with a map spread out in front of our faces, we encountered helpful Calgary natives who were willing to guide us through downtown. Surprisingly, we were (or simply just appeared to be) the only tourists in the town. For the most part, downtown Calgary felt quite rushed for it only seemed to be filled with rushed businessmen.  However, the tranquil park on Prince’s Island reminded us of the needed relaxation in our day, despite all of the mosquito bites. We headed back to our hotel room and unwillingly, took a much-needed nap to compensate for the long hours of the night we would be out until.  It is somewhat sad that we spent much of our day indoors, but after walking almost all of Calgary we agreed that there was not much else to see. In addition, a lot of the locals that we talked to expressed so much pity—“oh why are you here? You thought that CALGARY was the place to go? HA.” Katherine believes fun derives itself from the company, not the surroundings--we learned that tonight.

We slept through dinner time, but were hungry and had not yet adventured the nighttime. After driving around town for a while, we settled in at the Boston’s Pizza (ironic that while in Canada the only place that would accept us was an American restaurant) around the corner from the hotel. Our dinner was more than just a meal; it was entertainment with the locals and the hotel guests. We sang the night away with karaoke and shared stories with our new Canadian friends. The night at Boston Pizza was filled with songs from the Spice Girls, Katy Perry, Jason Mraz, and Bon Jovi. I think everyone can agree that our version of "Club Can't Handle Me" was terrible...Our new friend Andy enjoyed our rendition though! Later, when we went to Tipperary’s, we attempted to decipher French, Irish, and Canadian accents, but had a great night regardless of the limited time that we actually understood. We returned late to the room with lots of giggles and a need to leave the city that possessed so little parking (do not underestimate the annoyance of this).  Overall, it was a great day full of deep conversations with Canadians who passed on wisdom. Banff should be just as nice!

Best:

• Karaoke
• Prince’s Island
• Nice Nap
• Plus 15
• New friends and locals

Worst:

• Mosquito Bites
• Devonian gardens closed
• Rainy weather