Just got back from a jet-set holiday, touring the exotic climes of Calgary, AB all the way to the interior of BC. We drove out to see Spruce Meadows, the premiere showjumping facility of North America basically, and then went to see some roughriding action at the Calgary Stampede. Then off to Banff it was, and then Nelson BC (snail capital of BC?) and Osoyoos (surprisingly and disappointingly cold) and then home.
Showjumping was fabulous! Ian Millar proved he was Captain Canada yet again, and an Irish won the Derby, which was nail-bitingly tense as usual. We watched a performance of the Prairie Dogs, sort of like dog showjumping.
The rodeo was great, nobody got hurt but there sure were some tense moments and some really sad times when cowboys fell off before the buzzer sounded. Barrel racing was fabulous, those ladies can turn and burn with the best of them! I also ate pizza on a stick (wonderful) and root beer, and then a cheap buffet for dinner.
THEN it was off to Banff, home of the rich & famous. We trekked up to the Banff Springs (much like their slaves, er, servants, must have back in the 'ol days) and enjoyed a ridiculously expensive cocktail on the lounge patio, overlooking the majesty of the mountains. * yeah, like $16 for a mojito, and no, it wasn't gold-encrusted?! Woahhh. Anyways, I wanted to stay at the Banff Springs but had to settle for the Ptarmigan's humble, if kind of rude, service.
We enjoyed what will probably remain the most extravagant dinner at Banff's Grizzly House fondue restaurant. We all had the 'dinner' meal, that consisted of a salad, cheese fondue, then meat platter of choice-- Alberta (venison, moose, buffalo), Seafood (prawn, scallop, lobster) or exotic (rabbit, rattlesnake, shark, ostrich)... And the cheapest options started at $50/person?!
Ooooh did we ever eat well! (due to the extreme generosity of my dear parents). I rolled out of there smoky and sort of greasy--we cooked off a hot stone with garlic butter, yes I did say it was extravagant didn't I? And was stuffed for the rest of the next day, as well. Fabulous!
Then it was off to Nelson, the picturesque small town of silver-star fame Roxanne and the sun shone, everything was beautiful and we definitely ate dinner at the Dixie Cafe (well it is called something different now, but that is what it was in Roxanne). All is good!
The next day, Osoyoos, was a bit of a downer. Rainy, barely breaking 18 deg, no mood for swimming, nosir! Bummer!
And now it's raining in Victoria. Can we win this one? Hope you have a vacation this summer that IS sunny? Let's break 30, people!
