Calgary, Canada

Meeting Blake’s parents on our “second date”

Two months and lots of skype calls later, we meet again. This time in Calgary, Canada where Blake is from. Even though this is only our “second date” or the second time seeing each other (after our reconnection in Mexico two months ago), I got to know Blake’s family straight away and even celebrated Christmas with them. No pressure at all 😉.

Canada’s winter

I must admit, I was a bit worried about Canada’s cold winters. It was pretty cold but for some reason all of Blake’s friends were talking about this really “mild” winter they were experiencing. What does a COLD winter look like in Canada then? I was about to find out 3 years later…

Things to do in and around Calgary in winter

Go ice-skating

So what to do in winter in Canada besides celebrating Christmas? Of course – you go ice-skating on one of the many frozen lakes. Unfortunately, my ice-skating skills aren’t the best ones, so Blake, who used to play ice hockey for years, had a good laugh, let’s say, “with” me.

Watch an ice-hockey game live

We also went to an ice-hockey game of the Flames, one of the many sports teams Blake follows 😉. It was interesting to see the difference to German soccer games: Whereas in German soccer games, the players don’t foul as often (but still manage to fall and cry a lot), the fans go crazy. In ice-hockey in Canada it seems like the opposite: the players literally beat each other up on the ice with the referee standing next to them. But the fans, on the other hand, clap politely and shake hands with fellow fans when their team scores a goal. Canadias are just so friendly! 😉

Visit Banff National Park (this one is a must!)

Furthermore, we went to Banff National Park which I adore! Since then we made it a tradition to stay at least one night in Banff every time I come to Canada. Luckily, Banff is only a bit more than an hour away from Calgary and it’s just stunning! You are right in the mountains where you are offered an endless amount of outdoor activities, such as skiing, hiking or snowshoeing. But you also have the quaint mountain town Banff which is surrounded by the Rocky Mountains.

Do a day trip to Kananaskis Provincial Park

Kananaskis Provincial Park is only 50 km away from Calgary so it’s great for a quick day trip if you want to get out of the big city. Not that I had experienced much of that big city life just yet, but do you really need a good excuse to be in nature? Especially in winter, the frozen Troll Falls are stunning! This hike is seen as one of the best easy hikes in Kananaskis (3.5 km).

Do the line dance in a country bar

Additionally, we went to a real country bar where people were just living the cowboy style (I’m talking cowboy hats and leather boots) and dancing to country music. This already gave me a good impression of what Stampede, Canada’s biggest country festival, would have to offer. Besides that, I also saw my first bar fight of two cowboys fighting over a girl. I was pretty scared as you can see by the way I’m grabbing Blake’s arm in the photo…

See the Zoo Lights in Calgary Zoo

The Zoo Lights were also a cool experience as the entire Calgary Zoo was filled with lots of lights and other decorations.

Find yourself some hot springs

We also did a road trip to Invermere which is about three hours away from Calgary. The drive through the snowy mountains was already a highlight on its own. Invermere is a cute little mountain town right by a big lake. From there we drove to the Lussier Hot Springs close by. It was definitely a unique experience to sit in hot pools in your swimsuits while everything around you was covered in snow.

We weren’t the only ones with this idea…

Go dog-sledding

The highlight of the trip, which was Blake’s Christmas present and still a surprise to me, took place in Canmore. Even at the pick-up place, I still had no idea what was about to come. But according to Blake’s hints, it had to be something big. And so it happened to be dog-sledding. Gosh, way to go and set the expectations high for future presents 😉… It was truly incredible! We had been really lucky as we got fresh snow the night before. We took turns with either sitting in the sled or standing at the end of the sled and totally enjoyed the scenic ride with the huskies.