September 13, 2009 Day 114 Calgary, AB
We went to the VC at the Canadian Olympic Village (COV), avoiding the downtown VC. Our Jeep is out of alignment, we needed a map, and they always have valuable info. This VC saved us 172 miles of driving and a ton of frustration! I wanted to verify my directions to the supposedly extraordinary dinosaur museum at Drumheller. The VC man just tossed in their brochure. Later in the day, while waiting for Dean to gas the car, I thumbed through it and discovered that the museum is closed on Mondays, contrary to the AAA book info, which showed shorter fall hours, but daily until October. I called, and they are now closed on Mondays. We will go to Drumheller on Tuesday.
We didn't have enough time to go through the COV Museum, commemorating the 1988 Winter Olympics, but we did take pictures of the venue. We could see the training or warm-up small "ski jumps" on the left, and Dean and I were both surprised how small the "landing" area is. Canadians are like the Alaskans, very practical, and while they still use these facilities as jumps and ski runs during the winter, they use the slopes for bicycles before snow falls. These are not your typical bikes-they are very sturdy mountain bikes. The bicyclists put on ankle pads, shin guards, elbow pads, arm pads, wrist guards, and their helmet straps are cinched tightly. We could not see them riding because of the topography. Pardon the fenceline in the pictures. Dean got the best shots he could without going through the Museum.
We wanted to get to the Glenbow Museum as quickly as possible because we had heard that it was spectacular, and it is only open now from 10-5. We spent about an hour circling, looking for parking, encountering all one-way streets (Wouldn't you think that 50% of the time they would be going the right way?), streets blockaded off to allow only for light rail, and streets that curve. We saw one place where they wanted $20 for "all day" parking. We finally saw a sign with a green "P", no prices, no name even. We took a chance and went into this parking garage located on the back side of a building across from the museum and only paid $5.
The museum was well worth the effort. With a coupon available from the "Calgary Tour Book" that we were given at the VC, we saved $10. Be sure to get this book, as it has discounts for ALL of the attractions. You can also download this from the internet, which our friend at the Edmonton Royal Alberta Museum had done for us.
The theme was "Mavericks", apparently a term popular here in Alberta long before Sarah Palin. We went to the First People's section first and spent most of our time there. They had many true artifacts from the 1800's and early 1900's, unlike many of the other museums where they have had reproductions because so many artifacts have been destroyed or lost. The museum has modern architecture and light pleasing lines, but a reverence for the past and the "old ones" is especially shown in this area. The quality of their relics is excellent, and their labeling tells not only of use, but of appreciation for what their ancestors went through. There also is much talk of the future and what they will do to preserve their history, as well as adaptations, such as an appreciation for higher education.
In one area they highlight the history of oil in Alberta and the people who have made that history colorful. When the price of oil skyrocketed in the 1970's, Pierre Trudeau decided to tax oil heavily. The oil companies went to 85% of production, with possible further decreases. Eventually, compromise worked. The taxes were raised, but not as much, and the proceeds were split between the federal government and Alberta (the feds had wanted all the revenue). There is still a lot of oil being produced here, and that is how Alberta pays for their beautiful museums, smooth roads, and pretty mowed open spaces.
Another area highlighted the cowboys and Calgary Stampede that is held in July. I have developed a greater appreciation of art, and this statue of a horse made out of BARBED WIRE wowed me!
Another, small section highlighted their government. I found "Bible Bill" mentioned here again, just as in the Legislature in Edmonton. This time they had an audiotape with him promising $25 and a lower cost-of-living to each Albertan. I wonder if they ever got their $25.
They had a whole floor of art-Asian, modern, and historical. We only had 15 minutes to see all of it. We enjoyed the Asian section, and wish we had longer. Again, we closed the museum. Another great day!
Weather: Beautiful, high of 78°, but Dean forgot to turn on the heater, and I can't give you a number, but it gets really COLD here at night!
Overnighted at West Calgary RV
