A weekend in Alberta, a new car, and a speeding ticket
Alberta, Here We Come
I was retrieved at the Calgary airport by a high school friend. In our wee world, it turns out that she happens to be my partner Mark’s second or third or fifth-cousin-once-removed. Something like that. They share the same surname and the same stubborn blood flowing through German veins. She picked me up while Mark caught a connector to Edmonton to visit his son.
Have you been to Calgary? It’s Edmonton’s well-dressed sibling—the one who thinks they’re all that but it’s really only because they got a manicure, have slightly cleaner armpits, and paid more for their cowboy boots.
Don’t get me wrong: I love Calgary. Their real estate is much more affordable than most cities in Ontario, you can bask in 300 days of sunshine, and they have chinooks. Who doesn’t love a warm wind that blows in and makes for a week of sandal-wearing temps in the middle of a frigid winter?
It’s a very cool spot. It’s just that after living amongst gritty, down-to-earth Edmontonians two decades ago, it was hard to fall head-over-horseshoes for the sibling who’s a slight diva. Plus, I’m an Oilers fan. So, there’s that.
First Things First: The Car
Before my physical arrival in Calgary, I’d already forked out the down payment and signed what I thought was all of the paperwork so my weekend wasn’t entirely spent in the VW waiting room. Driving off the lot a few hours later feeling a wee bit woozy from the off-gassing, I reveled at the near-zero on my speedometer.
My friend and I toured around a bit before uncovering a cross-river view of the Olympic ski jump and a quaint bakery and coffee shop called Euphoria. Then it was back to her place in Edgemont.
Later, sipping a lavender latte, when deciding on a name for my new vehicle, we hashed out possibilities. The winner: the first two places the sporty lil Taos had spun her wheels. She was christened Euphoria Edgemont.
Best Things Second: Canmore
Canmore, oh Canmore, be still my beating heart. Eighty kilometres west of Calgary you’ll find this must-see treasure. Have you been?
“It definitely is magical, it is where my soul feels home, it is for sure sacred ground.” Shelley Pinder
If you haven’t been there then put this down right now and book a flight! Okay, okay, of course, I’m not being serious. Pshaw. That would be some daft tom-foolery now, wouldn’t it, asking you to stop reading my blog? Hop on Expedia after you finish this post, of course.
Back to Canmore. You don’t want to miss this piece of heaven. You can check out funky shops and cutesy cafes. Wander through the adorable, free Northwest Mounted Police Barracks Museum. Feast on duck wings and uber-delicious cornbread at the Iron Goat restaurant—please believe me when I say it’s worth the wait even if you haven’t booked ahead.
My caveat: Don’t visit if you loathe mountain views that make you feel as if you found Ansel Adams’ inspiration. Or if historic iron bridges spanning a cornflower-blue river trigger your gag response. Or if you think boardwalks beside ponds and through forests are a waste of space.
It’s referred to as “the hidden gem” for a reason.
The rest of the Albertan weekend
What did the rest of the weekend look like? Late-night wine on my friend’s deck. Runs through nearby parks where I discovered that deer give you little more than a curious side-eye and that high altitudes make you beg for larger lungs. Rolling up pant legs and tiptoeing around Canadian geese and across rocks until being ordered out of the Glenmore Reservoir by the Boat Patrol.
Kananaskis. Heart-shaped rocks found while taking a scenic view break near the summit of the Huge Pass. Caramel lattes from The Westwood in Black Diamond—a town of about 2500 where you feel like you’ve fallen through a time warp into some frontier cowtown. Alberta Poutine at the Pomeroy Lodge.
And last but not least…
British Columbia, Here We Come
The snacks and lunch that Shelley packed for me were my front-seat passengers as I headed north out of Calgary. A grande Starbucks Pike Place beckoned me from the console and my daughter’s chipper voice rang out from the speakers as we chatted for almost all of the three-hour+ drive.
On the edge of Edmonton, a giant, full rainbow spread itself over the canola fields in welcome. After picking up Mark from his son’s place about twenty minutes out of Westlock, Alberta, we decided to take the twisting back roads rather than the “boring” direct highway. We were on our way to British Columbia.
“I’m not sure how the cops are out here,” mentioned Mark from the passenger seat. “But do you think that you should slow down?”
“It’s only 8km above the limit,” I responded.
“Except that the speed limit just went down from 120 to 100.”
“What? Oh…” As I crested a hill, fields of corn and wheat framed the ribbon of asphalt—and provided a little hidey-hole for a cherry-topped cruiser. “Well, I guess you’re right. I should’ve slowed down.”
The flashing lights lit up Euphoria’s rearview mirror and with less than 500km on her speedometer, Ms. Edgemont was inaugurated into the world of crime.
Now, you may book that trip…
Blogpost finito. So now you can hop, skip, and jump over to Expedia, Kayak, Skyscanner, YYZ Deals, or wherever you find your hot deals to arrange your getaway to Alberta.
Read the other parts of our Cross Canada adventure here.
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