51°03′N 114°04′W
ATL ✈️ YYC
Calgary, Alberta. A perfect place for a sisters’ trip—our first sisters’ trip.
My sister, Stacie, came along for this jaunt. It’s always more fun to have a travel partner, especially when it’s your built-in BFF. Before our flight out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s International Terminal, we ate at Ecco, a wood-fired grill known for its fresh ingredients. We had the Prosciutto Flatbread, and oh my gosh, it was delicious. Every international trip since then has started with this flatbread.
We then joined the waitlist for “The Club” lounge and were able to spend about an hour enjoying snacks and plane-watching before heading to the gate to catch our flight. Truthfully, it’s not the greatest lounge, but it’s a lounge. I will never NOT enter a lounge if I’m allowed in.
Time to go to Calgary.
We flew into Calgary International Airport. Calgary is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and stretches of untouched land. The air is cool, crisp, and clean. LOL. It is!!! Temperatures have dropped as low as -35°C, but the people could not have been warmer.
We arrived at our hotel, the Hyatt Regency, located downtown in the heart of the city, just one block from the Calgary Tower. We were welcomed warmly by the reception staff after a long flight on WestJet, made slightly longer by the fact that there were no TVs and I hadn’t downloaded any shows to my phone.
My first experience with WestJet was definitely a learning experience, lol, but that’s okay! It was just fine.
The hotel was exceptionally cozy, and all of our needs were met beyond expectation. The water is so clean in Calgary that you can drink it straight from the tap. There was even a separate faucet in the bathroom reserved for drinking water, making it easy to stay hydrated.
I called the front desk and asked for hot water to make tea, since I’m not a coffee drinker, and they sent me a tea kettle. If this had been the only good thing that happened to me on the entire trip, I would have considered the trip a complete success. It was a full-sized tea kettle! I was so happy.
I digress.
The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel restaurant, Thomson’s Kitchen & Bar. The hostess seated us at a table toward the back of the restaurant near the fireplace—a perfect spot to warm up with a cup of tea before heading out. I had an omelet with fruit, and Stacie had steak and eggs. We shared a plate of pancakes. We had a big day ahead at Banff National Park, so we needed a hearty breakfast to brave the cold. For more on our Banff day trip, check out the Banff blog post.
The experience in Banff was breathtaking. I am not typically a national parks person, but this changed everything for me. I cannot wait to return and spend more time in this majestic part of Canada. Absolutely stunning.
We returned to the hotel around 7:00 p.m. and ordered food from Milestones, our favorite restaurant during our stay. The food was consistently delicious. We slept like babies. The air is so clean that you sleep like a rock.
The next morning, we attended the 9:00 a.m. Mass at St. Benedict Catholic Church. The priest was so anointed, and the homily was very powerful.
Afterward, we Ubered over to the Calgary Tower. After stopping in the lobby gift shop to pick up a gift for our little niece, we took the elevator to the top of the tower for our reservation at Sky 360 Restaurant.
It was one of those revolving restaurants. Unfortunately, my sister started to feel light-headed from the motion, and we ended up leaving. I was planning to order a burger that looked amazing, but of course, I didn’t want my sister to feel sick. Even though brunch didn’t work out here, the views were incredible.
We ended up back at Milestones, the restaurant right next to our hotel. We loved this place. Every item we tried was delicious. Since it was brunch time, we ordered meatballs with bread, potstickers, and chicken and waffles.
Potstickers—or dumplings—are one of my favorite foods. We ate so many of them during the trip. They came topped with chili oil and, oh my gosh, they were so good. We ended up having quite the feast, and everything turned out perfectly. We didn’t skip a beat.
The next day, I completed bike ride #3 of Downtown Calgary. I rode with a lovely woman named Heather from Denver. She was in town on a business trip and decided the tour would be a great way to see the city. For more on my Calgary bike tour, visit the E-Bike Tours blog post.
We were nearing the end of our time in Calgary, and that called for a final dinner. We desperately wanted to be adventurous and try other restaurants, but we were hooked on Milestones. We ordered a burger, bruschetta, spare ribs, and, of course, my beloved potstickers. We also tried the chocolate cake, which I didn’t care for. The waiter was kind enough to bring us another dessert—the key lime pie. That was divine.
Stuffed and ready for a good night’s sleep, we prepared to say goodbye to Calgary.
From start to finish, we loved this place. You can visit the most beautiful destination in the world, but if the service is bad and the people are unkind, the beauty fades almost instantly. Calgary could not have been more beautiful, inside and out. From the mountain backdrop visible from nearly every angle to the kindness of the people, the clean air, and the overall way of life, everything felt well above average.
I am certain that if I moved to Calgary, I would live longer and be happier. There are very few places I would rush to visit again, though many of them are wonderful. Calgary is one I would return to in a heartbeat, especially considering that one of the most gorgeous national parks in the world is just a short drive away.
To one of the coldest cities in North America, Calgary, Alberta, I offer my warmest regards. Thank you for having us.
Until next time,
Jennelle