Calgary is a beautiful city and a great destination to get a feel for the Canadian way! There are fantastic sites, delicious food, and fun cultural differences. If you’re looking for a great road trip, Calgary should be your next stop!
How we got there!
We drove! Living in Utah it’s easy to assume that Calgary, or even Canada, is really far away. Most people are surprised to know that the border is closer to Salt Lake than L.A. The border is 9.5 hours away by car while L.A. is 10.5. Sure there’s nothing at the border, but it’s much closer than you think.
Our journey was extra exciting for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s beautiful! Well, most of it. A lot of the drive is in the plains between mountain ranges. Crossing the mountains is incredible and there’s a lot to see. The real excitement came from a wrong-way driver that almost hit us on the freeway and a snowstorm that almost got us stuck in the Montana mountains. Keep your eyes and brains focused when road-tripping.
What we did!
As we often do in new cities, we walked and walked! The city is great for walking and it’s got some really good pedestrian areas!
17th Ave is a great area with lots to offer.
The Peace Bridge is a beautiful bridge we spent some time around.
We ate lots of treats and snacks that we don’t have in the U.S.
We went 5-pin bowling! It’s kind of weird, but it’s the Canadian way.
There are a handful of great places just outside the city for some views. One being Crescent Heights lookout. Great place for skyline views. We went at night and it was really cool.
Where we stayed!
We found a good deal on a Marriot so we went for it. It was in a great location and it was a really nice place to stay that fit our budget.
We did stop in Hellena on the way there and back. The hotels aren’t noteworthy. We just drove and then found the cheapest as we figured it was a good time to stop for the night.
What we ate!
We ate at a handful of different spots. Nothing too crazy, but we did find Poutine. Poutine is the greatest creation and it’s a real shame the U.S hasn’t caught on as much. We went to The Big Cheese Poutinerie and it was delicious
Gluten-Free in Calgary
We weren’t dealing with Celiac at this point in our travels, but like everywhere you can find whatever you need with just a little extra effort!
What we learned!
The speed limits are much lower than the U.S. we went from 85 to 65 and it’s real slow. They don’t have freeways like we do.