Calgary AB

With eastern facing jagged peaks as its backdrop, the rising skyline of Alberta's Calgary provides a landscape of contradictions within Canada's Rocky Mountains. In the heart of the city, however, visitors will find a substantial wealth of cultural experiences as well as opportunities to get out and walk, jog or take a bike ride in one of Canada's major metropolises.

Getting there takes about 4 hours from Glacier National Park. Head out East toward the Sun Highway and US 89, which becomes Provincial Route 2 North. Take the Highway Rte 2 N ramp towards Calgary and merge onto Provincial Rte 2 North. After about 100 miles you will be near the center of Calgary.

Founded in 1875, Calgary (believed to be derived from the Gaelic phrase meaning "bay farm") lies at the junction of the Bow and Elbow rivers. With the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway, ranchers established spreads in the plains surrounding the town that was eventually incorporated as a city. Calgary grew rapidly, especially with the oil boom of the 1960s and 1970s. Today, Calgary's populace remains easygoing and neighborly making it an ideal visit for outsiders. Regardless of when you make the trip, getting around downtown Calgary is easy. The city grid pattern has numbered streets running north to south in both directions from Centre Street and numbered streets running east to west in both directions from Centre Avenue. Plus 15, a network of enclosed walkways 15 feet above street level connecting most buildings makes winter passage all the more pleasant.

The ease with which visitors navigate Calgary incites trips to many local attractions including sporting and performing arts events. The excitement of Calgary's professional football and hockey teams can only be matched by July's rodeo, the Calgary Stampede, attracting visitors from all over the world. Furthermore, the city is an ideal starting point for one of the preeminent dinosaur-exploration sites in the world. Visitors may want to check out Calgary's many handsome buildings like the 626- foot Calgary Tower or the many sites of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. See it all while you enjoy Calgary's fine shops, restaurants and accommodations. With an international airport just 20 minutes northeast of the city center, getting here is as easy as it is to enjoy all that Calgary has to offer. For a taste of culture in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Calgary will appeal to all.

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