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"Calgary, Alberta, Canada" a Calgary Travel Page by penumbra

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"Calgary, Alberta, Canada" a Calgary Travel Page by penumbra

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Lives In: Calgary, CA
Member Since: Jun 13, 2005
VT Rank: 652

 

Page Views: 6,323            Last Visit to Calgary: August, 2007      I Live Here

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

by penumbra - last update: Aug 13, 2007

At the corner of the Bow and Elbow Rivers

Bow river at the Zoo
I like traveling because then I really enjoy coming home to Calgary. If I’m in Calgary for several months without a break it trends to get a bit boring. But if I’m out traveling, I really appreciate the city it when I get back.

Sure, there are some drawbacks. We don’t have a beach (sand beside a lake doesn’t count). The weather changes more often than the price of gas. The roads either have pot-holes, are dug up for construction or are covered with ice and snow.

But there are compensations. Calgary is a nice size… large enough to have all the amenities but small enough to avoid most of the mega-city problems. Although the temperature fluctuates wildly, we get a lot of blue sky days. The prairies are to the east, two rivers meet in the middle of the city, hills surround the outskirts and the mountains are on the horizon to the west. The people work hard, play hard and display a hospitality normally reserved for small towns.

Getting Around
Calgary is divided in four quadrants: North-East (NE), South-East (SE), South-West (SW) and North-West (NW). The dividing lines for these quadrants are Center Street and the Bow River (at least downtown). The central part of Calgary is a grid: streets run North-South; avenues run East-West. The same street/avenue combination can show up in each quadrant, so it’s important to pay attention to the two letter quadrant abbreviation after an address (NW, SW, SE, NE). In the newer outlying areas, planners have chosen to use twisting turning roads to prevent high speed driving through residential neighborhoods. Unfortunately, they often give the roads names similar to the neighborhood making it difficult to navigate if you’re unfamiliar with the area.

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penumbra's Calgary Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
Tips: 8 - Photos: 27
 
Restaurants
Tips: 4 - Photos: 6
Hotels & Accommodations
 
Nightlife
Tips: 4 - Photos: 6
Off The Beaten Path
Tips: 7 - Photos: 23
 
Tourist Traps
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
Warnings Or Dangers
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
 
Transportation
Tips: 3 - Photos: 6
Local Customs
Tips: 5 - Photos: 16
 
Packing Lists
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
Shopping
Tips: 4 - Photos: 7
 
Sports Travel
Tips: 14 - Photos: 27
General Tips
Tips: 6 - Photos: 18

penumbra's Calgary Travelogues
Title [Click to view]Travel YearPictures
Downtown SkylineSeptember, 2006 8

Comments for penumbra about Calgary
starship Sat Oct 24, 2009 15:51 UTC
 What a fantastic page! Great 5-star tips! We had once planned a trip for Calgary and the surrounding area and decided it was almost impossible to do in less than 2 weeks. I'd still love to visit when the "Stampede" is on!!
rafael_gd Sat Nov 22, 2008 04:47 UTC
 absolutely amazing -and creative- chart of the clothing suggestions by month... really helpful and exactly what I was looking for
Toshioohsako Tue Apr 15, 2008 17:39 UTC
 Hello, Calgary looks an interesting place. I did visit Vancouver last year but could not make it to C. Have a good day.
Jim_Eliason Mon Jun 25, 2007 14:40 UTC
 great page of your hometown!
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