If you're looking for a great way to stay in shape, rack up your cardio and are not into the…read morerunning thing, then stairs just might be for you! If I'm not mistaken, the Royal Glenora stairs is the 2nd longest staircase in the Edmonton area, boasting an astonishing step count of 202 steps, runner-up to Grandview stairs at 242 steps (according to this article: https://where.ca/alberta/edmonton/sweat-it-out-on-edmonton-stairs/ ) As the location is nestled between the Royal Glenora Club, High Level Bridge and River Valley Road, these stairs are constantly populated with energetic stair-goers and other workout or cardio enthusiasts most of the spring and summer months. Come fall it starts to peter out, and in the winter you only find the really dedicated or the crazy ones hiking these icy-snowy steps. Thankfully these stairs also have a little variety, with the bottom third of steps being wide at a shorter height, making it easier to run up in sets of two. You can catch your breath on the 2 plateaus halfway before finishing what seems like the last half on taller shorter steps - feel the burn here! Honestly, I believe no one actually enjoys stairs, but the potential of developing increased strength and stamina (and buns-of-steel!) is rather appealing and most desirable lol.

I have a total love/hate relationship with these stairs!…read more Many fond memories of working out with friends and the Running Room here! I prefer to do them wtih a friend or a group... By myself, they can almost convince me to turn around :-) I shall come visit you soon, Beauitful river valley stairs, as soon as the snow melts :-) Mmm... just had a thought! These stairs would make a fantastic winter luge or sled run!

Besides fearing for my life* while going down the stairs and trying (but failing) to go about it…read moreunnoticed - what a climb! It's two very long sets of stairs that descend down to the river. At the bottom, you can cross the street and go down another small set of stairs to walk or run the trail that courses by the river. At the very top, you see an unobstructed view of the fall foliage (or greenery, depending on what season it is) and city skyscrapers. If you ascend without stopping, it's quite easy to feel a bit winded! Good workout, to say the least. *In my defense, each stair was made up of two planks of uneven, multi-colored wood.

Totally bummed that I couldn't attend the Expo this year but have been coming yearly for the last 3…read moreyears prior and always have a fun time. There can be long line ups going in but after the crowd somewhat disperses amongst the halls. The previous years they would give attendees a bag with a comic book inside and where you can put all the shopping stuff inside. One of my favourite cheap entertainment areas at the Expo is the free arcade. Yep, free Pac Man, pinball, and was it Xbox or Playstation? I don't know, as I don't care too much about the TV and chair set up as I do playing free arcade games! That is if you can get a machine. I have seen pinball wizards hog the machines and just keeping playing until the next one opens up and they snag it. I'm not that big of a wizard to play for hours as there's other cool stuff/cosplayers to see at the expo. I don't often buy much but sometimes you can get cool hard to find stuff as gifts for myself or others. One year, I found a big cute stuffed dog for my niece. It was pricey but definitely something that I could not find in any store. Some of the other unique handmade or drawn stuff would be cool for fans. Just don't buy mainstream action figures or games here as the mark up is high. It's always great to get autographs and photo ops. Over the years, we've had our picture taken with Alice Cooper, Stan Lee, and Christian Slater. Would definitely recommend booking in advance but if you pay there, it's cash only and there might be a long line at the ATM. You don't know what the guests are charging for autographs though until you get there and most don't spend much time chatting, although there's always one or two exceptional ones. Bring lots of bucks for autographs, photo ops, merch, and Food truck grub. Lots of panels on various topics and the rooms are rarely full and people may pop in and out, although not great idea to sit at the front and do that to disrupt the session. Moderators aren't always great but hey, they are volunteers as are lots of people working at the Expo. During the Q&A, there's always that one that asks the stupidest question where you know everyone is groaning inside, but that's cool the guests are willing to take (stupid) questions. Most of the time the event is well organized and you could spend a full day or two, or three here depending what interests you. There are a few kinks they could work out but nothing to prevent me from coming back. They announce guests on their social media starting about a few months before the event so check it out and see you there next year!

I don't go ever year but when I do, I enjoy it. Having attend the early years in Calgary, the comic…read moreexpo here has that same feel. The venue is pretty good but the side rooms and arena for the guest panels feel a little disjointed. I shared photos from the year I took my girls to see William Shatner. In our house, we call him Uncle Bill. I tease that we even invited him to our wedding. Only recently did my oldest daughter realize that we are not actually related to him. She thought it strange to have an Uncle Bill she never met in person. I saw Shatner in Calgary for a signature and autograph a few years prior. However, he seemed much happier in Edmonton compared to the Calgary visit. I would be too - it's Edmonton!

An amazing display of lights of every shape and size. A beautiful tribute from a son to his Mother…read morewho has unfortunately passed on a few years ago. An absolute must to see in the north end of the city. Please remember to bring a non-perishable donation for the Edmonton Food Bank as well :)

It had been a few years since I came to Festival of the Trees and this year I decided to volunteer…read more It's was an excellent experience. I signed up on their website and I received a letter in the mail with a confirmation of my shifts. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make my first one as I was sick but they had a phone number and email to let them know if you couldn't make it. The Volunteer area was in the lower level and they provided me with a name tag, light up necklace, and Santa hat (if I wanted it). There was coat racks (if you could find a hanger). In the Volunteer Lounge they provided snacks of sandwiches, oranges, desserts, drinks, and frozen treats. As I walked into the hall, it was great to see all the families. The Gingerbread house displays was near the entrance and had a line up. Another popular attraction was the snow globe that you can go into and take a photo. The trees are in areas in the middle of the hall and beautifully decorated. The coupons for activities are reasonably priced at 50 cents. There's decorate and get a little tree for 8 coupons that was a popular activity. Although I didn't look at all the kids' activities, I noticed there are fewer than the years ago I used to go with my nephew and niece. The Post Office where kids can write letters to Santa is a nice feature. I would like to volunteer here next year as my friend said she had a lot of fun helping the kids. The Sweet Shop where I was had a lot of kitchen items all Christmas themed and lots of sweet treats!. You could buy plates, candy jars, aprons, mugs, tea pots, packets of hot chocolate, apple cider, baked goods, chocolate covered spoons, lollipops, and so much more. The prices include GST and it's a great place to Christmas gift shop. There's a Gift Shop too with Christmas trees, ornaments, and decorations. Lots of fun browsing and shopping! There's a small concession in the corner by the stage as are washrooms. There's entertainment with singing and martial arts, and there are rows of seating too. Will be back next year to volunteer! It's a fun time, and they are organized in coordinating volunteers.

I am all aglow with Christmas spirit after taking in the 2013 festival of tree's this year. I was…read moresuper pleased they eliminated the colorful strobe lights from last year that projected images onto the floor and surrounding area. They were a cute idea but they took away from the color and shine of the tree's themselves. My boyfriend had commented that it looked like there were less tree's this year. While I can't say I agree with him one hundred percent if they did take away some tree's I think they used it to increase seating around the stage. I had no issues finding chairs this year to enjoy the entertainment as opposed to prior years where I was left standing. This was the first year I bought coupons to do an activity and I thought they were extremely reasonable at fifty cents a pop. We bought eight to do the trim the tree activity and that got us a mini tree with some fairly decent quality decorations. They had a mini backpack activity going on as well and I really think stuff like that is a great way to do a fun activity with your kids and have a souvenir left over afterward that they are more likely to hold onto then say a coloring sheet or Popsicle stick figure. As with every year the tree,wreath,and gingerbread house decorators went all out to create festive and stunning pieces and I would love to see the festival in a larger venue to allow more people the opportunity to participate as well as help with some of the foot traffic congestion issues. Despite a tiny hiccup or two however the Festival of Trees is still one of the most magical ways to celebrate the season and give money to the great folks at the University Hospital Foundation.

The 2015 Edmonton Alberta marathon is said to be the largest marathon in the province. Running in…read moreCanada has given me the opportunity to expand my marathon resume and just be able to visit places I won't do, if it wasn't for the marathon. The 2015 Edmonton marathon is my 2nd marathon in Canada, 2nd province in a bid to run all of Canada's 10 provinces and 3 territories. Since completing the 50 US states in 2014, this new quest to run Canada has bolstered my resolve to keep on running and racing. To be able to reach 100 marathons / ultras lifetime would be the secondary goal as well, while having something to look forward to. The Edmonton marathon was pretty much the right marathon to do for Alberta, since it fit my schedule. The Running Room Canada is the official title sponsor for the event this year and they cater to the participant while making it a world class event for everyone involved. It was my first time in Edmonton and I was thrilled to be here. The race itself was as nice and scenic as I thought it would be - although we were weaving in and out of residential areas more so than I would like it to be. Beautiful homes though. The Edmonton marathon weekend was jam packed with things to do. The expo was held at the Shaw Convention Center in downtown Edmonton. I'm glad that the expo closed late on the Friday before, so my friend and I got to pick up our packet that night and have Saturday free to prepare for race day Sunday. The expo wasn't as big as I had imagined, but they used the convention center space for the venue. I thought it was small, with a handful of vendors, along with package pick up. I received my race number and race shirt, along with verifying my race tag to make sure it was functioning properly. I was in and out within 30 minutes, which was good. I even stopped off at the BMO Vancouver marathon booth to chat up the rep. I just did that one in May and loved the course, especially from 36 km to the finish. Yes indeed, race weekend was pretty awesome feeling, especially when you're one of the participants! The marathon start and finish was held in front of the Shaw Convention center. The field of participants swelled to over 2,000 for the marathon and 3,000 for the half marathon. That's a pretty good size field for any endurance event. The enthusiasm on race morning was nice and it kept me going. There was adequate aid stations and the crowd support seemed adequate, although it would have been better with more people cheering. But then again, it's a Sunday morning. I thank the volunteers for being out there and supporting us participants and the race itself. Without them, there wouldn't be a world class marathon here in Edmonton. The course was basically a double out and back loop - like a figure 8, if you will. I did like watching the kilometer markers as opposed to mile markers. You see them a lot more on the course. The course was flat and the weather was pretty good. It was 22 degrees C during the day and 8 degrees C during the morning. The course could have dealt more with urban scenic stuff, but in the end, it was residential back roads that was king and having the locals come out from their homes to cheer us runners on was great. The finish line, like anywhere across the country and around the world, was sweet, as always. Completing 42.2 km on foot was a masterpiece in mental and physical toughness. It was nice to be announced in, with the dude saying "from Honolulu, Hawaii" and my name as I crossed the line. It never gets old! It's always an accomplishment to do 5km, 10km, 21km, 42km, and beyond. Just do! You'll be glad you did. After getting my finisher medal and my sanity back, there was a champion's luncheon in the Shaw Convention Center. It was nice to sit down with friends and relax. Alberta is done. Edmonton marathon is recommended, if you want a summer marathon, but don't want to both with the heat. If you are running Canadian provinces, this may be the perfect one for you too! #YelpMarathons A++

We should be proud of our marathon because it is an attractive one known for being fast and flat…read more This makes runners very appreciative and can make for some personal bests! There are 5k, 10k, 21k and 42k components. After the race you can check how you placed overall, with respect to your gender and with respect to your group. This is also a qualifier for the Boston Marathon which means for some it's serious business! My girlfriend ran the half marathon and I was so proud of her finish. I got to spend 2.5 hours cheering on the first young kid to cross the line in the 10k, the first old guy to finish the half, a couple of friends pushed a wheel chair confined person across the finish line and the look on her face was of pure joy, lets not forget the guy who had a promotional sign on his back and of course batman (who is an acquaintance) finished 88th in the marathon. I though it was a great way to spend a Sunday morning. Hope to join next year, luck willing! Fun times! Just be wary of the route so you don't get caught in traffic!

I've always loved checking out The Works Visual Arts Festival, and this year is no exception. I…read moreviewed a few exhibits in Churchill Square including some local artists that I am already familiar with. I really appreciate art that makes me think or which gives me an immediate emotional reaction and this year's exhibits are no exception! There are generally a number of food trucks parked nearby and numerous venues in downtown Edmonton so it's often worth it to explore.

The Work's is generally regarded as the kick off to our summer festival season and considering it…read moreis a free festival I think what they manage to put together is fairly impressive. There is lots of art to check out in Churchill as well as various locations situated around the downtown core as well as a block of food vendors and crafty folks selling all different kinds of wares. For 2014 they had brought in a few new vendors for the food like the amazing folks over at Pampa Brazillian Steakhouse and I felt the craft vendors were far more affordable this year. I even found a tent where the owner had put all her wares on sale to celebrate Canada day and managed to walk out with a stunning magnetic bracelet for only $7.50. The exhibit on Native Reconciliation in the main tent was fascinating and the nice weather that we got for the majority of the festival made it easy to walk around and check out the other exhibits as well. I was at 2013 last year and thought that was good but 2014 definitely had some noticeable improvements and I now can't wait to see what comes next year for The Works 2015. Happy festival season my fellow Edmontonians!

The City of St. Albert normally does an admirable job of maintaining its green spaces. Therefore I…read morewas disappointed to see the overflowing trash at KingsMeade Park today. Perhaps there can be ad additional pickup available on weekends or additional trash bins added.

I love the City of St Albert for many, many reasons, but right now I want to give a Shout Out for…read moreanother wonderful Safety Display at the City Centre Mall parking lot yesterday. This was our second year to attend and once again it provided the children several hours of fun exploring interactive displays. They were able to explore police cars, fire engines, first aid cars, the new Green bus, pet Search and Rescue dogs, learn how to use a fire extinguisher, feel a jello brain and learn about helmets, even ride up in a Fortis crane! Every single display was manned with friendly, helpful and patient experts. This is really a must-do for families, so mark your calendar and watch for it next year!