Girl About O-Town

Phew.  It was a busy trip west, with lots of family, fun and summer sun.  

♥ As it turns out, I’m not so much a fan of mountain climbing.  Mountains are beautiful to gawk at in awe, especially those in and around Fairmont, BC, but getting to the top of a relatively small one was a feat of physical strength and emotional courage – at least for an Ontario girl like me.  What was supposed to be an easy morning hike with family ended up a test of my nerves, as the further we went up, the more afraid I became. Yikes!

Anyway, the view was spectacular, the weather perfect and my fear only a small detraction from an otherwise amazing experience.  That said, it is pretty clear to me now, I most definitely prefer cultural adventures to extreme physical ones!   This picture offers a glimpse from my perspective…while sitting, clutching the ground and strongly urging caution as those with me nudged nearer and nearer toward the edge.  Eeek!

♥ BC’s famous hot springs are really worth a stop.  We did, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the hot, mineral rich water – even in the heat of summer.  First, at the Fairmont Hot Springs, I managed a quick, night time dip under the stars, and then at Radium, where the hot pool made the air feel pleasantly cool. 

♥ Given I was with my other girl about town, the Calgary Zoo was a necessary addition to the itinerary.  If accompanied, as I was, by a huge fan of animals and a playground aficionado, the zoo can take a whole day to discover.  My advice?  Go early in the morning or later in the afternoon, as many animals tend towards a post-lunch siesta, especially in the summer sun.  For a couple of girly girls though, seeing a peacock – in full glorious colour – was a genuine treat!

 ♥ Calgary offers some great shopping too, and we did manage to squeeze some in before heading back to Ottawa.  Covering two distinct neighbourhoods, the focus was on decor and design, vintage and consignment, as well as shoes.

17th Ave. SW, or Uptown 17th, offers some of Calgary’s best shopping, with some very unique and intriguing boutiques.  My favourite – hands down – was Gravity Pope, an amazing shoe store where I was actually tempted by a pair of knee high, brown leather cowboy heels by Frye.  I resisted though, but quite likely because they just didn’t fit.  Oh well!

Inglewood is Calgary’s original main street, and has been revitalized with shops, restaurants and pubs.  There are a great many design, decor and furniture stores, ranging from the eclectic Leo’s Secondhand Store to the high end and established Montauk. As usual though, I was most at home in the vintage consignment store The Pendulum, where I could have spent much more time and money than I actually had.