Wednesday, October 11, 2006

10/10-10/11 Calgary and Edmonton, AB

This post comes in a day late, but still as informative as any other post.

Staying at the Days Inn - Calgary South on Macleod, I was about a mile and a half from downtown, and a block from the LRT station to take me there. After a short ride downtown, I went to the famed Calgary Tower. The tower, which stands some 600 feet above ground, provides a 360 degree view of the city, the mountains, and the Saddledome/Stampede area. The observation deck is 525 feet from the ground, with a restaurant below it, and another bar and grill above. After a couple walks around the viewing area, and a scary walk on the glass floor that extends over a portion of the deck, I went to another popular, slightly less touristy area of downtown Calgary, the Stephen Ave Walk.

8th Ave, or Stephen Ave. as it's called on the stretch downtown, is a pedestrian mall filled with shops and businesses on the outside, and three indoor malls that are connected by elevated walkways, or +15's. One of the malls, TD Square, is unique in that the fourth floor, the top floor of the mall, is a large botanical garden with several open air fountains, a great place to reflect, write, read, or even sleep. As I was there, there was a couple taking a tour of the larger grounds, looking to plan a wedding reception.

Connected to the Stephen Ave. Walk is 3rd St., or the Barclay Mall. Also a pedestrian mall, this several block stretch doesn't have as many shops, and is open to motorists, as a normal street. At the end of Barclay Mall is a few indoor malls in an area called the Eau Claire Parade.

An LRT ride back to my hotel was the last of the nice weather that I saw this day, as the later the day got, the weather got colder, and eventually started raining. A call to Manie's Greek and Pizza, and Game 1 of the ALCS on TV, and that was my evening.

This morning, I left the beautiful city of Calgary for another wonderful city, 180 miles to the north, and quite a few degrees colder. Edmonton has been nice to me so far. My hotel is a block from the ETS train that happens to run right to Rexall Place, the location of tomorrow night's affair between the Sharks and the Oilers. It is also a block from the bus station that will take me to the West Edmonton Mall. More to come tomorrow, have a good night everybody.

Go Sharks.
-Jess

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