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OT: Visiting Calgary (General City / Area Discussion)

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Visiting Fan Coming to Town - Questions/Advice?

Hey all,

I'm a lifelong Isles fan and avid snowboarder and have decided to put together a trip in February that combines both of those things. Flying into Calgary with my gf (fellow Isles fan and snowboarder) on 2/25 to see the Isles take on the Flames and then driving to Edmonton on 2/28 to see Isles/Oilers that night as well. I have a couple questions and am hoping you guys can help me out.

I've been to Banff before so I'm somewhat familiar with the Banff/Canmore area, but have never ventured north to Oil Country.

The most important question I have is regarding road conditions. My current plan is to hit the slopes at Sunshine and Lake Louise 2/26 and 2/27, then spend the night in LL (maybe the Fairmont?), and leave to go North the morning of 2/28. I have no hotels booked yet, so those plans are flexible. Google Maps says I can get from LL to Edmonton in 4.5 hours using the TransCanada Highway, 5 hours using the Thompson, and 7 hours using the Icefields Parkway thru Jasper. Are there any seasonal road closures I should be aware of? And during the winter, would I be correct to assume that my best bet would be to skip the scenic route and just take the TransCanada?

Also seeking any suggestions on things that a non-local wouldn't know that would be worth exploring. We're gonna have the day in Calgary when we fly in. We're open to local food, culture, etc. Any feedback on Sky365?

Sorry for the wordy post! Any advice is much appreciated!

TL;DR - Coming to Calgary/Banff/Edmonton with my gf to see the Isles play twice and snowboard. Familiar with Banff, and not much else. :help:
 
QuadDeuces said:
Hey all,

I'm a lifelong Isles fan and avid snowboarder and have decided to put together a trip in February that combines both of those things. Flying into Calgary with my gf (fellow Isles fan and snowboarder) on 2/25 to see the Isles take on the Flames and then driving to Edmonton on 2/28 to see Isles/Oilers that night as well. I have a couple questions and am hoping you guys can help me out.

I've been to Banff before so I'm somewhat familiar with the Banff/Canmore area, but have never ventured north to Oil Country.

The most important question I have is regarding road conditions. My current plan is to hit the slopes at Sunshine and Lake Louise 2/26 and 2/27, then spend the night in LL (maybe the Fairmont?), and leave to go North the morning of 2/28. I have no hotels booked yet, so those plans are flexible. Google Maps says I can get from LL to Edmonton in 4.5 hours using the TransCanada Highway, 5 hours using the Thompson, and 7 hours using the Icefields Parkway thru Jasper. Are there any seasonal road closures I should be aware of? And during the winter, would I be correct to assume that my best bet would be to skip the scenic route and just take the TransCanada?

Also seeking any suggestions on things that a non-local wouldn't know that would be worth exploring. We're gonna have the day in Calgary when we fly in. We're open to local food, culture, etc. Any feedback on Sky365?

Sorry for the wordy post! Any advice is much appreciated!

TL;DR - Coming to Calgary/Banff/Edmonton with my gf to see the Isles play twice and snowboard. Familiar with Banff, and not much else. :help:
Click to expand...

Skip Edmonton, spend a night or two in Banff, eat at Smuggler's on MacLeod or the Tin Palace, and spend some time at Cascade Shops in Banff. Also, in Calgary, go downtown and see Olympic Plaza, maybe see the Glenbow, go down to the revitalized East Village, and go to Canada Olympic Park. BTW - the Scenic Route is scary even in the summer - take the TransCanada.
 
QuadDeuces said:
Hey all,

I'm a lifelong Isles fan and avid snowboarder and have decided to put together a trip in February that combines both of those things. Flying into Calgary with my gf (fellow Isles fan and snowboarder) on 2/25 to see the Isles take on the Flames and then driving to Edmonton on 2/28 to see Isles/Oilers that night as well. I have a couple questions and am hoping you guys can help me out.

I've been to Banff before so I'm somewhat familiar with the Banff/Canmore area, but have never ventured north to Oil Country.

The most important question I have is regarding road conditions. My current plan is to hit the slopes at Sunshine and Lake Louise 2/26 and 2/27, then spend the night in LL (maybe the Fairmont?), and leave to go North the morning of 2/28. I have no hotels booked yet, so those plans are flexible. Google Maps says I can get from LL to Edmonton in 4.5 hours using the TransCanada Highway, 5 hours using the Thompson, and 7 hours using the Icefields Parkway thru Jasper. Are there any seasonal road closures I should be aware of? And during the winter, would I be correct to assume that my best bet would be to skip the scenic route and just take the TransCanada?

Also seeking any suggestions on things that a non-local wouldn't know that would be worth exploring. We're gonna have the day in Calgary when we fly in. We're open to local food, culture, etc. Any feedback on Sky365?

Sorry for the wordy post! Any advice is much appreciated!

TL;DR - Coming to Calgary/Banff/Edmonton with my gf to see the Isles play twice and snowboard. Familiar with Banff, and not much else. :help:
Click to expand...

This an excellent tool for these parts:
https://www.amaroadreports.ca/

Generally the QE2 and the TransCanada are fairly well taken care of. At certain parts of the year, there will definitely be some spotty sections here or there. This year, it's been nothing but excellent driving conditions. The Scenic routes or small highways can be really, really treacherous for most drivers, and I wouldn't recommend them if the weather's bad.

Edmonton to Jasper is normally done on the Yellowhead, an off-shoot of the TransCanada. It takes about 4 hours. That highway's normally not too bad either, it's probably the 3rd most important highway in Alberta (maybe 4th). If you're working on a tight schedule, make sure to keep yourself informed about conditions; the last thing you want to do is go to Jasper and have something like what's happening today occur.
 
Travelling the Icefields Parkway in the winter is not something I'd recommend to someone not experienced in winter mountain driving conditions. Tire chains, 4WD, etc would be requirements, IMHO. Plus there's no cell service for a big chunk of that drive if I recall correctly, which makes things that much more risky. It will take much more than 7 hours, most likely.

Plus, even if you take that drive, you still end up with a boring drive for about 3 hours from just east of Jasper to Edmonton. Might as well just take Highway 2.

Clint
 
CNeufeld said:
Travelling the Icefields Parkway in the winter is not something I'd recommend to someone not experienced in winter mountain driving conditions. Tire chains, 4WD, etc would be requirements, IMHO. Plus there's no cell service for a big chunk of that drive if I recall correctly, which makes things that much more risky. It will take much more than 7 hours, most likely.

Plus, even if you take that drive, you still end up with a boring drive for about 3 hours from just east of Jasper to Edmonton. Might as well just take Highway 2.

Clint
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I figured as much, but wanted to double check. I'm actually very experienced in winter mountain driving, but unfortunately, the rental car likely won't be equipped with the things I need!
 
Glengarry Glencross said:
Skip Edmonton, spend a night or two in Banff, eat at Smuggler's on MacLeod or the Tin Palace, and spend some time at Cascade Shops in Banff. Also, in Calgary, go downtown and see Olympic Plaza, maybe see the Glenbow, go down to the revitalized East Village, and go to Canada Olympic Park. BTW - the Scenic Route is scary even in the summer - take the TransCanada.
Click to expand...

Part of the impetus behind the trip is to see the Isles in both arenas, as well as see Rexall Place before it's replaced. So while I won't be skipping Edmonton, I'll definitely take your advice on the rest. Thanks!
 
QuadDeuces said:
Part of the impetus behind the trip is to see the Isles in both arenas, as well as see Rexall Place before it's replaced. So while I won't be skipping Edmonton, I'll definitely take your advice on the rest. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Being an islanders fan you must have a taste for out-dated dilapidated arena's, eh? :laugh:

edit: As for the huge mega-sports plex. What a terrible idea. Just build a stadium downtown. And put the field house somewhere much cheaper. Way too big of a project. I'm all about public expenditure to promote economic growth. But there is just absolutely no reason the field house has to be in such prime real estate. That land is too valuable. Once the ring road is done in 5-6 years (probably before the stadium) Calgary will be much easier to get around anyway. It could just go where McMahon/ Burns is now.
Just wanted to post that somewhere at some point haha.
 
I'm a Ducks fan coming to the game on Dec. 29 with my wife. (We live in Whitefish, MT now) We'll be wearing our Ducks jersey's. Are we safe? :help:

p.s. (We can also sing the Canadian Anthem if that might save our lives).
 
snowave said:
I'm a Ducks fan coming to the game on Dec. 29 with my wife. (We live in Whitefish, MT now) We'll be wearing our Ducks jersey's. Are we safe? :help:

p.s. (We can also sing the Canadian Anthem if that might save our lives).
Click to expand...

You might require a police escort and a glock :sarcasm:
 
HA!... yes, it was kind of a joke in Anaheim as well (the Hiller chant).. Good to see the tradition has crossed the border.:handclap:
 
Hey folks,

Didn't see a thread for this sort of thing, so...

Heading to my first Flames game on Tuesday night since moving to Calgary, and I have a few questions:

- parking (of course!) - what makes sense? I have no problem walking 10-15 minutes away to make an easy entrance/exit. Any tips?

- WiFi / cell service - love posting on HF during the breaks in action - does the arena have WiFi service and/or good cell service?

- any other tips for a visiting team viewer?

Thanks in advance! I'm really looking forward to it.
 
Derfel said:
Hey folks,

Didn't see a thread for this sort of thing, so...

Heading to my first Flames game on Tuesday night since moving to Calgary, and I have a few questions:

- parking (of course!) - what makes sense? I have no problem walking 10-15 minutes away to make an easy entrance/exit. Any tips?

- WiFi / cell service - love posting on HF during the breaks in action - does the arena have WiFi service and/or good cell service?

- any other tips for a visiting team viewer?

Thanks in advance! I'm really looking forward to it.
Click to expand...

Hey, welcome to Calgary. :)

It's probably easier to park at a train station and then get to the arena that way. It's also easier to exit afterwards. What part of the city are you in? There's trains coming from most directions.

The Dome has wifi also, so just hop onto it when you're there and you're set.

In general, don't be a nozzle. :laugh: Nah, the fans in Calgary are pretty good for the most part so I don't think you'll have any issues. I assume you're a Jets fan? There will be tons of others there so you won't stick out like a sore thumb lol.

Enjoy the game!
 
Derfel said:
Hey folks,

Didn't see a thread for this sort of thing, so...

Heading to my first Flames game on Tuesday night since moving to Calgary, and I have a few questions:

- parking (of course!) - what makes sense? I have no problem walking 10-15 minutes away to make an easy entrance/exit. Any tips?
Click to expand...

Welcome to Calgary!

If you don't want to pay at the Dome, you could go drive around for parking spots on the street west of Macleod, between 14th and 17th. Depending on how early you get there, there's usually available parking. A better suggestion would be to go park at the 39th Ave C-Train station and take two stops northbound to get to the Dome. It's been a while since I've parked there, but it should still be free.

Derfel said:
- any other tips for a visiting team viewer?

Thanks in advance! I'm really looking forward to it.
Click to expand...

Yes, enjoy a Pocket Dawg :D
 
DBU said:
Hey, welcome to Calgary. :)

It's probably easier to park at a train station and then get to the arena that way. It's also easier to exit afterwards. What part of the city are you in? There's trains coming from most directions.

The Dome has wifi also, so just hop onto it when you're there and you're set.

In general, don't be a nozzle. :laugh: Nah, the fans in Calgary are pretty good for the most part so I don't think you'll have any issues. I assume you're a Jets fan? There will be tons of others there so you won't stick out like a sore thumb lol.

Enjoy the game!
Click to expand...

Yeah - I don't live too far from Southland station. I have access to parking at 17th and 2nd that I may or may not use, but not sure what that walk would be like.

Is it free WiFi? Shaw Open?

I'll be wearing my Jets jersey and shouting "True North!" at the appropriate time, but certainly will be respectful. I've attended many a game in Minnesota as a visiting fan so hopefully Flames fans will treat me well enough.

Any food item I should for sure try as well at the game?
 
Derfel said:
Yeah - I don't live too far from Southland station. I have access to parking at 17th and 2nd that I may or may not use, but not sure what that walk would be like.
Click to expand...

In that case I would just ride the c-train all the way down to the Dome since it stops right outside of it. From Southland to Victoria Park station, it's only about 15-20 minutes.
 
Derfel said:
Yeah - I don't live too far from Southland station. I have access to parking at 17th and 2nd that I may or may not use, but not sure what that walk would be like.

Is it free WiFi? Shaw Open?

I'll be wearing my Jets jersey and shouting "True North!" at the appropriate time, but certainly will be respectful. I've attended many a game in Minnesota as a visiting fan so hopefully Flames fans will treat me well enough.

Any food item I should for sure try as well at the game?
Click to expand...

Google Maps says that would be about a 15 min walk. Keep in mind it's December. :laugh: But you wouldn't be the only one walking.

I think it's Telus wifi, but it's for sure free.

Can't speak to the food much. I'm sure there's good stuff but I tend not to eat at the Dome because it's fairly pricey. Maybe someone else can help out there. :)
 
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