Alberta, home of the prairies, the Rockies and the cowboys. There is no finer place to sample the very best that Alberta can offer than Calgary. Wander the city to discover every inch of this breathtaking place before venturing out onto the road to explore the nearby Rocky Mountains. Compare car hire before you travel to ensure you get the best deal before heading out on the journey of a lifetime. Located in the south of the province, Calgary is Alberta’s largest municipality. Like much of Alberta, Calgary benefited greatly from the oil boom of the early 1900s and the oil industry is still a great source of income and employment for the city. Calgary became world famous in 1988 when the Winter Olympics were hosted here, and its Olympic Park is still open to visitors who can even sit in the bobsleigh used in the film ‘Cool Runnings’.
The city itself is a thriving metropolitan city. There is a wealth of places to visit, including Calgary Zoo, Heritage Park and the Glenbow Museum as well as a number of shopping malls to indulge in some retail therapy. For those of a strong disposition, a trip to the top of the Calgary Tower is highly recommended for absolutely stunning views out across the city and out to the Rockies which surround the city itself. And if it’s hockey season, no trip to Canada is complete without watching a game of the national sport, ice hockey. Catch the Calgary Flames at the impressive Scotiabank Saddledome.
Calgary is also known for its love of the Cowboy, with the world famous Calgary Stampede entering its 100th year in July 2012. This awesome spectacle is not known as ‘the greatest show on earth’ for nothing- for an entire fortnight the city is engulfed in Rodeo fever. Enjoy pancake breakfasts around Rope Square before heading off to the stampede to witness Chuckwagon races and the Grandstand Rodeo. The atmosphere is so electric that you’ll be shouting ‘Yee-haw’ and tipping your ten gallon hat all the way home.
Once you’re done with city life, it’s time to take a short drive out to the Rocky Mountains to lose yourself in the tranquillity of getting back to nature. Located just 80 miles from Calgary is Banff National Park. Once in the mountain range, you’re spoilt for choice as the scenic landscape of Alberta really opens up on the road ahead of you. Enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Kananaskis Country, the wonder of the Columbia Icefields or the peacefulness of Bow Falls. Whatever you do end up doing, ensure you make time to see the ‘Jewel of the Rockies’, Lake Louise. No photograph or famous scene of this amazing place will prepare you for its beauty. Along the way, keep an eye out for Canada’s iconic wildlife- the elks, moose and of course, the bears. Wherever you decide to go, a drive through the Rockies is a drive that will stay with you forever.