Travelogue #24 Calgary, Eh?

We finally arrived! Calgary was our only "date" destination...and we're excited to get here. Calgary welcomed us with open arms and sky....

Calgary hosted the Olympics in '88, I think. We're camped very close to the Visitors Centre. I'm getting Canadian....Even spelling like them

The Centre is decorated with the flags from participating countries-but do you see the sky?

I have NEVER been in such a hailstorm in my life! Even Jack said he hadn't seen the hailstones so large....dents in my car and a crack in the windshield. What a welcome!

That night we had tickets for the grandstand show. the temperature had dropped about 20 degrees, so we layered up and prepared for a wet night. Didn't happen-the rain stayed away for the most part.

Opening Ceremonies were touching...

But the Conestoga Wagon race was a thrill! There are four wagons; they have 4 cowboys on horses and that makes up the team. The cowboys are responsible for loading the wagon and steering the horses into position and they must ride the coarse, too. There are 6 heats each evening and each position earns points as well as cash each nite. The top 6 will be in the playoffs next weekend. The teams of four are really close: It's fun to watch and we were right up front...

After the races the grandstand was transformed for the show. WOW! A nonstop action-filled performance-singing, dancing, acrobatics in the air, motorcycles, and......

Fireworks! This is the best show I've ever seen, bar none. The fireworks were even better than DisneyWorld on New Years Eve and I thought I'd never see anything that could top that!

There were hundreds of performers-the children were especially adorable...

Then the next day at the Stampede was Senior Day-we got in free, had coffee and doughnuts and a special commemorative pin, saw the AM show and the acrobatic ice show. We took the LRT-kind of fun!

There were lots of seniors taking advantage in spite of the weather-this is the doughnut line....

There was an indoor ice rink where Elvis Stoijka and the gold metal pairs winners were featured.

Another action-packed show-this is Scott and Tessa.

In another part of the building there were exhibits of all kinds of art. Jack is going for the living artist's jug-and he has a hatchet in his other hand!

I tried to smell the roses....We didn't try to get to the other buildings-it was raining too hard and we both felt we had seen quite a bit. And we were pooped!