From Toronto we left for Calgary, where we joined a travel group visiting the Canadian Rockies.
We were starting the tour from Calgary, Alberta, which was the closest city to the Canadian Rockies east of Banff. Our Rockies trip would end in Vancouver, British Columbia's largest city. It lies on Canada's West Coast, 515 miles west of Banff.
The Canadian Rocky Mountains, part of the larger North American Rocky Mountain Range, are a major scenic mountain range featuring jagged peaks, bright blue lakes, and massive ice fields.
They sit along the border of Alberta and British Columbia, stretching for approximately 900 miles, and are nearly 180 million years old, having been formed by powerful tectonic forces.
The highest peak in the Canadian Rockies is Mount Robson, standing at 12,972 feet. Other notable peaks include Mount Columbia and Mount Assiniboine.
The Canadian Rockies are home to several spectacular national parks, including Banff National Park, Canada's oldest national park (established in 1885), and Jasper National Park, Canada's largest Rocky Mountain national park.
Other parks include Yoho National Park and Kootenay National Park. Glaciers and lakes, ancient ice fields, waterfalls, and beautiful blue lakes are added attractions.
The Canadian Rockies are home to Elk, Moose, Bighorn sheep, and mountain goats, black bears, grizzly bears, Wolves, Cougars, bald eagles, and golden eagles; we were hopeful of seeing at least some of them during our trip.
The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 for their exceptional natural beauty, mountain landscapes, glaciers, lakes, caves, and rich biodiversity.
The vivid turquoise colour of many lakes comes from rock flour, fine glacial silt suspended in the water, and it also reflects sunlight.
The Canadian Rockies attract millions of visitors from around the world and have been featured in numerous films, documentaries, and television productions because of their spectacular scenery.
The mountains offer more than 1,000 km of hiking trails across the national parks, catering from beginners to experienced trekkers.
The charm of the Canadian Rockies makes them one of the world's premier destinations for nature lovers, photographers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Calgary is the largest city in the Canadian province of Alberta, the fifth largest metropolitan area in Canada and is at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the Southwest portion of Alberta.
Located 3428 feet above sea level, Calgary receives more than 330 days of sunshine each year, making it one of Canada's sunniest major cities. Its name, "Calgary", comes from a place on the Isle of Mull in Scotland.
Calgary is famous for its unique blend of Western heritage, modern urban life, and particularly its proximity to the Canadian Rockies.
After checking into our hotel, we walked down to Calgary's only pedestrian mall, Stephen Avenue, which provides a year-round pedestrian experience featuring shopping, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
We had gone at lunchtime, and so we could see many office-going people having their food over shared lunches at the wayside restaurants.
The Avenue is home to 5,000 to 10,000 people per hour during peak times, featuring live performances, buskers, music, festivals, and a wealth of artists and culture.
The area boasts nine major shopping centers/department stores like the Core Shopping Centre, Banker’s Hall, Fashion Central, Scotia Centre, and Bay Department Store; some of Calgary's finest restaurants, pubs, cafés, and bars; as well as an eclectic mix of boutiques and galleries.
Stephen Avenue Walk is managed from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm by the Calgary Downtown Association on behalf of the City of Calgary.
After a delicious lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, we hired a car to go around the city of Calgary.
We went initially to the Calgary Tower, the city's most recognisable landmark. Standing over 190 metres tall, it provides panoramic views of downtown Calgary, the Bow River, and, on clear days, the distant Rocky Mountains.
Next, we went towards the famous Peace Bridge across the Bow River. Designed by renowned Spanish architect Santiago, this striking red pedestrian bridge has become one of Calgary's architectural icons. The surrounding river pathways and parks offer beautiful photo opportunities.
A short uphill drive took us to Crescent Heights, one of the best viewpoints in Calgary. From here, the downtown skyline appeared framed by the Bow River.
We drove through Calgary's oldest neighborhood, Inglewood, whose streets are filled with charming heritage buildings, boutique shops, art galleries, antique stores, and local cafés.
We passed by Studio Bell, an architecturally stunning building dedicated to Canada's musical heritage. Even from outside, it had a unique design.
We drove around the famous Stampede Park, home of the world-renowned Calgary Stampede. Known as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth," the venue hosts rodeos, concerts, exhibitions, and numerous events throughout the year.
The Calgary Stampede is the city's most famous event, held every July. It attracts over a million visitors and features world-class rodeo competitions, chuckwagon races, agricultural exhibitions, live concerts and parades and cultural events. It has earned Calgary the nickname "Cowtown."
Calgary proudly celebrates its ranching traditions. Visitors often see cowboy hats and boots during Stampede season, a lot of ranches surrounding the city, Western-themed festivals, country music and rodeo culture.
Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics, leaving a lasting legacy of world-class sporting facilities. The city remains a hub for winter sports like skiing, snowboarding, speed skating, and bobsleighing.
Calgary consistently ranks among the world's most livable
cities due to its clean streets, extensive park system, strong economy, high quality of life and welcoming atmosphere.
In the evening, we spent some time in Outdoor World, the signature Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store, one of the city's most popular attractions for outdoor enthusiasts. This massive wilderness-themed store is approximately 70,000 square feet and is designed to showcase Alberta's outdoor heritage.
It had museum-quality wildlife displays featuring bears, elk, moose, wolves, and other North American animals.
We found large aquariums filled with native fish species. rustic décor with waterfalls, murals, log cabins, and mountain-themed interiors, extensive collections of fishing, camping, hiking, boating, hunting, and outdoor equipment. It was entirely a different experience, as the store looked more like a museum than a commercial place.
The next day, our Rocky Mountain tour began, and we met our tour mates in the lobby. We checked out, placed our luggage in the coach, and then went for a delightful breakfast at the Railway Café, located beside the Gasoline Alley Museum in Heritage Park Historical Village. The café's warm, vintage atmosphere, freshly brewed coffee, and delicious breakfast made for the perfect start to our day.
After breakfast, we stepped into the adjoining Gasoline Alley Museum, home to one of Canada's finest collections of antique automobiles, historic gasoline pumps, and fascinating automotive memorabilia.
Walking through the museum felt like taking a journey through the evolution of transportation, where every beautifully restored vehicle told a story from a bygone era. It was an engaging and nostalgic experience that appealed to visitors of all ages, particularly the kids. Mr Ron Carey was the benefactor of the museum, as he generously donated his extensive collection to the museum.
Heritage Park Historical Village is Canada’s largest living history museum. A registered charity, it is located on the banks of the beautiful Glenmore Reservoir. Sitting on 127 acres of pristine parkland, Heritage Park connects its guests with the history of the Canadian West.
With more than 200 exhibits and attractions spread over 127 acres of lush parkland, Heritage Park Historical Village is the perfect balance between historical fact, adventure, discovery, and fun.
The Park has an antique steam train; one can set sail aboard Calgary's only paddlewheel ship, visit the farm animals at the ranch, learn about Blackfoot culture in the First Nations area, engage with Western Canada’s energy past, present and future at Prospect Ridge, explore a bustling young prairie town and discover one of the world’s largest public collections of antique vehicles at Gasoline Alley Museum.
The exhibits span Western Canadian history from the 1860s to the 1950s. Many of the buildings are historical and were transported to the park for display. Others are re-creations of actual buildings. Most of the structures are furnished and decorated with genuine artifacts. Staff dress in historic costumes, and antique automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles service the site. The park opened on July 1, 1964.
We came to know that many of the exhibit spaces are used year-round for special events like weddings, corporate meetings, company barbecues, and fundraisers.
Due to constraints of our time, we didn’t tour the Park fully, but started our pleasant journey to Banff.
