By Randy Ray
Special to True North
It's billed as the greatest outdoor show on earth and after a quick visit to the Calgary Stampede, this writer would have to agree.
While it may be simply a CNE or Ottawa Exhibition with a cowboy theme, we certainly liked what we saw during our July 12 visit. The place drips with western hospitality, the rodeo (my first) was amazing and ditto for the Indian Village, a well laid out display that is keeping aboriginal heritage alive and well.
Now, back to the rodeo. Not sure I like the idea of calves being roped — I kept wondering how my dog would feel if it were done to him — but the show is well done. Great and funny hosts, a lively crowd of more than 20,000, cold beer, and some pretty decent cowboy talent, all under gorgeous sunny skies.
The beef on a bun out on the Midway gets an A-plus, and oooh, those cowgirls roaming the grounds! Short denim skirts, leather vests, great tans and of course, cowboy hats and boots, Ooh la la!
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But alas, like most big cities, Cowtown has its dark sides. The night before we arrived a woman was stabbed to death and four others were wounded in a series of knife attacks. We left Ottawa, where three people were brutally murdered a week or so earlier, and run into similar negative news out here. What's this country coming to?
And rush hour traffic! Just as bad as in Ottawa or any other city...but in how many cities does the rush hour crush culminate in the mighty Rockies?
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Speaking of the Rockies. We spent our first night in Canmore, Alberta, less than an hour west of Calgary. Hats off to the builders of our hotel for providing a gorgeous mountain view at bedtime and a re-run when we crawled out of the sack the next day. Nothing like staring at towering mountain peaks as you sip on a coffee at 7 a.m.
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Wanna move out here? Forget Canmore unless you have deep pockets! $300,000 is lucky to get you a garage! Houses start at well over $400,000, a situation that prompted the local newspaper to do a feature story this week headlined: “Housing prices pushing some families out.''
As we do every time we travel west, we considered for about five seconds the possibility of living in this picture perfect community nestled in the mountains, then quickly abandoned such notions knowing only the rich and famous can afford to live here.
Such is life.
Until next time — Randy
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