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Whether this is your first time in the
Canadian Wild West or your 10th, there's always something new to discover.
Here are some of our favorite things to do in the region. For those coming
from out of town, we suggest giving yourselves a week if possible to enjoy our wedding
festivities and explore Calgary and the Rockies.
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Downtown Calgary
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For the Kid in You
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Olympic Fever
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Working Out(side)
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Golfing Around
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Canadian Rockies
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For additional planning help and coupons, check out
calgaryattractions.com and the
Calgary Convention and Visitors Bureau
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During the 1988 Winter Olympics, a flame burned at the top of this famous
building; now, it's a major tourist attraction, known for its spectacular views
of the city.
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Set in the middle of the city, this indoor garden spans three acres and is home
to waterfalls, trees and thousands of plants.
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This colorful street market sells food and handicrafts and is popular for its
restaurants, walkways and movie theatre.
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This park is best known for its rodeos and chuck wagon races (seasonal).
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Gorgeous building modeled after the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, houses a
library, health center and an art gallery.
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This recreational island is located in the Bow River, providing stressed-out
urbanites opportunities to bike, hike and fish.
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Shopping complex with a country feel: square dancers, chuck wagons and Indian
parades give this mall all the ambiance of an old Hollywood western.
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With the plethora of restaurants, cafes and boutiques, Fourth Street is one of
Calgary's most popular downtown promenades. Public artwork along the road make a
walk along Fourth an even more enjoyable experience. Ten art pieces in all line
fourth street from 17th to 26th Avenues. Fun and quirky sculptures such as the
strolling cattle of 'Scene and Herd on Fourth' and the giant lounging frogs of
'Hanging Out' make hunting for art fun for both families and art lovers.
Self-guided tour pamphlets can be picked up in various businesses along the
route.
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Active nightlife, dining and holistic shopping area.
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This zoo is home to over 1,000 animals from all over the world, including
Kamala, the famous painting elephant as well as to the Botanical Garden and a
Prehistoric Park for dinosaur lovers.
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With one location in the South and one in the North, these
tropical playgrounds feature indoor waterparks and
a variety of recreational facilities, all under one roof. From wave pools to
waterslides, these centres are designed with families in mind.
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Historical village replicating the Western Canadian settlements that developed
in the 1800s.
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Calgary's address for those who want to explore outer space through the use of
telescopes, hands-on exhibits and an inventive theater.
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Built in 1875 as the original home to the North West Mounted Police, this
40-acre area is now a park.
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Train like an Olympian, at least for a day: at this park, you can speed down
slopes on a bobsled or soar over the 90-meter ski jump.
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Hosting the 1988 Winter Olympics was
a great honor for the city of Calgary and as a result, those Olympics are
commemorated at Olympic Plaza. Once the site of the medal ceremonies, the park
now features a wading pool, a skating rink, and plaques dedicated to medal
winners.
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Once the training grounds of the 1988 Winter Olympics, this 450-meter indoor
track is now open to the public. Located at the University of Calgary.
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Canada's largest urban park (and part of Nageeb's backyard!). You can swim
in Sikome Lake.
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This park's rugged, hilly terrain is full of paths and trails for hikers, bikers
and runners. Great city views.
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Horseback riding stable; Sports complex; Equestrian trail. About 30-40
minutes south of downtown.
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This site boasts an Olympic size swimming pool and lots of exercise equipment.
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A series of paths used for recreational purposes.
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The owner of this shop organizes weekly morning runs, and the website has route maps.
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This 27-hole golf course offers three nine-hole challenges: the Pointe, Heritage
and Desert courses. The best public golf course in Calgary.
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In the heart of the Canadian Rockies, less
than an hour’s drive from either Calgary or Banff, visitors find a golfing
paradise.
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You cannot leave Calgary
without exploring the Rocky Mountains! “Much of the Rocky Mountains area of
Alberta, running along the British Columbia border, is contained and protected
within two huge, adjacent national parks: Banff to the south and Jasper to the
north. The Icefields Parkway links the two, though there is no real boundary.
Adjoining the southern boundary of Banff National Park is Kananaskis Country, an
outdoor recreational area. To the south on the US border is Waterton Lakes
National Park” (which shares a border with Glacier National Park in Montana). –
Lonely Planet Canada
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Located within Banff National Park, Banff is Canada's number one resort town the launching pad
for exploring the Canadian Rockies. It is 138km (about 1.5 hours) west of Calgary.
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This is the gateway to the Canadian
Rockies from Calgary. Located less than an hour from downtown with great
hiking, biking, and golfing.
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Lake Louise is Canada's
most pristine lake, known as the "jewel of the Rockies." It is located 57km
(about 45 minuntes) northwest of Banff.
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Carved out by ancient glaciers, this
national park is located southwest of Calgary and has amazing hikes and views.
It is also adjacent to Glacier National Park in Montana.
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Located in Alberta's Badlands, Drumheller is home to Canada's dinosaurs.
Check out the famous Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. The terrain in
the Badlands includes grasslands, hoodos, canyons, and coulees.
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The Columbia Icefields are located
on the boundary of Banff and Jasper National Parks. One of the largest
accumulations of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle, it covers an area of
nearly 325 square kilometres. It is about 4 hours from Calgary.
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Jasper is the largest and most
northerly Canadian rocky mountain national park, part of a spectacular World
Heritage Site. It is less touristy than Banff and also farther away from
Calgary. It is 404km northwest of Calgary.
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