Calgary's Chinatown was such an unexpected surprise! It runs right alongside a lot of Calgary's…read moremain tourist area and is very vibrant and lively with lots to see and do. It's concentrated along Centre St and is adjacent to the beautiful Bow River and Calgary's most famous skyscraper, The Bow. Calgary's first Chinatown dates all the way back to around 1890! I would argue that the heart of Calgary's Chinatown is it's Chinese Cultural Center - it has a beautiful plaza at the entrance and a wonderful museum in the basement full of interesting historical information and artifacts, making it an excellent place to start when exploring this fun part of downtown. There are tons of shops, several lovely parks with historical info signs, and nice restaurants. It's extremely walkable and easy to fit in to a lot of the other sightseeing activities in the downtown core. Even the street signs are fun! I'd definitely say it's a must see part of Calgary. Our only complaint is that we didn't have enough time to explore further and try some of the highly rated restaurants and other shops!

Coffee & tea shops were busy Sunday morning. The wine bars, florists, spas and shops haven't opened…read moreyet. We stopped for a cold drink & a pastry to share at a tea house. Many of the shady blocks are restricted and gated here. We wandered along the Bow River through a residential centerto the Sunnyside Station.

The Kensington area has always been one that has played a major role in my life. In High School, we…read morewould descend upon the area in search of lunch and stuff to do. And later, as I grew older, it was prime shopping area, housing many of my favourite boutiques, restaurants and bookstores. I was taking some pictures of local businesses (for yelp!) when a nice looking woman stopped me, wondering if she could know why. It turned out she was Anna, the head of the Kensington BRZ. We had an excellent chat about Kensington, the area, and the BRZ's plans for the future. For example: -When you head down to Kensington during Christmas and it looks like a Winter Wonderland with all of the lights and flags and decorations? That's them. -The carollers that wander the streets on the weekends before Xmas, bringing a little light and cheer into your christmas shopping? That's them too. Basically, the BRZ is responsible for bringing together the community of Kensington, and helping to make it one of the warmest and quirkiest areas of Calgary. Also, did I mention that they are also responsible for the Sun and Salsa festival in July? Yep, that's one of the best small festivals in Calgary. Here's hoping that the BRZ keeps up with the excellent work of keeping Kensington glowing!

This is a great urban park with nice nature settings. We took some lovely family pictures here…read more There is parking along Riverfront. You have the best of both worlds, with the river sparkling beside you, beautiful trees rustling in the breeze...and a smorgasbord of delicious food just steps away. The park has really neat art elements and is fun to hang out with kids. It's just a small park, but big enough to lay down a blanket and have a picnic. It had people walking and cycling through the day we were there but it wasn't as busy as some of the other parks, which made things feel relaxed.

Sien Lok Park is basically the stretch of the River Walk to Chinatown and the name changes to Sien…read moreLok Park. Its nice to walk there. Or just to sit around or stand around and admire the river is nice. A park with a lion head. Right now there are constructions going on in that area. Just a park. Nothing much to see.

Calgary is swimming in public art pieces - and Family of Man (as this set of sculptures is more…read morecommonly known) was probably my fave one! Very unassuming from a distance, the statues are massive as you get close and evoke a sense of tenderness and connection. The figures loom over you at 21 feet tall but are very jolly and serene. Designed by beloved Spanish sculptor, Mario Armengol, they were originally installed as part of the British Pavilion's exhibit titled "Britain in the World," for Montreal's Expo '67. A local Calgary businessman bought them after the expo and they were given to the city in 1968. The instillation drew a lot of controversy at first bc the figures are indeed naked and anatomically correct in an abstract sort of way - and they're sitting on the site of the "board of education" though it's since been abandoned lol. But I quite like their presentation- the sculptures are faceless, raceless, and so much is left open to interpretation here that it leaves lots of space for one's own imagination. But the sense of gentle connection between the statues was unmistakable (to me anyway) and definitely something we could all use a little more of nowadays imho. One fun fact that I really loved about these sculptures is that no instructions were given on how to install the art and Calgary didn't consult the sculptor - so the staff placed them in the big circle we see today. But at the expo back in 1967, they were all separated and scattered about lol. I really think the tenderness and connection would've been lost if they had been installed any other way!

Mario Armengol's "The Brotherhood of Mankind" sculpture is on the lawn of the now abandoned Calgary…read moreBoard of Education Building, at the corner of 1st St and 6th Ave S.E.. The 10 sculptures are over 20 feet tall & were installed in 1968. To me the faceless sculptures represent the connections & relationships between people. Their positions & gestures demonstrated a tenderness that exists between the figures. The interplay of the figures, creates narratives the more I studied them.

I think Cochrane is the cutest little small town I've ever seen. I know the locals aren't crazy…read moreabout the fact that it's expanding but you should take it as a compliment that everybody wants to move here -it's just so much fun and beautiful and within reaching distance to Calgary and even better within a very very quick drive to the mountains, I climb usually 2 to 3 mountains per week all summer and I ski at Sunshine three times a week all winter. Cochrane is perfectly suited and situated and everybody is so friendly and a small town feel...... Great views in all directions and lovely hiking paths everywhere and the bow river is in my backyard. They just had a fabulous Christmas party called lights up and 50,000 hotdogs were free. I haven't had a hot dog in over two decades but who can pass up free food?

The Wonderland sculpture is prominent on 6th Ave. a short walk from Olympic Plaza. It is in front…read moreof the Bow is a crescent shaped skyscraper in Calgary. It is a groundbreaking structure that has been ranked as one of the top 10 architectural projects in the world. Wonderland is a 39-foot tall statue in the shape of a young girl's head. The bent wire sculpture was created by artist Plensa. It is meant to represent the dreams of the young people of the province. Unlike most sculptures, Wonderland has an entrance that allows visitors to view the artwork from the inside. I viewed the city from the perspective of all of those who are represented by this sculpture.

Whimsical, intriguing and amusement head sculpture in front of the Bow skyscraper in downtown…read moreCalgary. 39 ft tall steel wire structure by famous Spanish artist depicts the head of a young girl. Walk around and go inside. View, age and perspective change with where you look at. Should not be missed if you're strolling downtown Calgary

Definitely gotta make a stop in this district if you're exploring Calgary....there are TONS of…read morerestaurants, shops, clubs and bars here - even a comedy club! There's a college nearby and the vibe is trendy and hip in this area so it's a great spot for nightlife. It's quite a ways away from the downtown core so a bit of a trek on foot but flat, paved and doable. It's located on 17th Ave SW between 2nd Street SW and 16th Ave SW. Their website lists all businesses in the area. One thing I really love is they have a TON of awesome street art and lots of locally owned small businesses (where's my YES folks at??!! Lol). There are also quite a few nice green spaces with historical info and it's super walkable. It was a very hot day and we had time constraints so didn't get to explore as much as I wanted. Would definitely like to come back! Parking looked like it was all metered street parking and there are some public garages nearby. Lots of bus stops too. The area is mostly clean and felt relatively safe but there's one park right in the heart of the district that had a lot of transients set up there on the benches and tables and some were aggressive. One of them jumped out of some bushes around a tree, rushing towards me screaming....but he left us alone when we ran off. So just keep your wits about you and be aware. Other than that one weird encounter, the area seemed fine.

Stampede week!! Yahoo!! The greatest show on earth as it's…read moreknown and well worth coming to see. I just love my City I was born and raised in. I have seen so many changes over the years/ decades. Some good some not so good. The old Sandstone buildings are becoming few and few between now with high rises. There is some heritage building that are nice to tour. -Heritage Park -Calgary Zoo -Calgary Tower -Devonian Garden -Bird sanctuary -Calgary Stampede in early July -Banff, Canmore just a short drive west. Are just some of many attractions to visit

CANMORE - one hour out of Calgary…read more Am posting some pictures of the foothills of the Rockies. This is a must-do when visiting Calgary.