The long lazy days of summer are almost here and many households are filled with the excited chatter of children dreaming about their upcoming school break. Summer is ideal for spending time together as a family and daytrips are a great way to keep kids busy and engaged during the school break.
Whether you are visiting a new attraction or spending an afternoon at an old favourite, making memories as a family is always worth the effort. The adventures and experiences you share will help bind you together and give you things to talk about for years to come. Here are a few ideas for fun family adventures to enjoy in Calgary this summer.
• Calgary Zoo: Time for an Elephant Bath — Have you ever wondered what it would be like to give a pachyderm a pedicure?
The Calgary zoo has a program that enables you to go behind-the-scenes and experience bath-time with the Asian elephant herd. As part of the experience, participants get to assist with bathing and grooming the animals – including filing the enormous toenails.
On a recent zoo visit, my daughter and I took part in the program. With the help of very experienced zoo staff, we washed and scrubbed two female elephants and an enormous bull elephant known as Spike.
The keeper explained that one of the most important areas of care for captive elephants is foot care. If feet are not well cared for, they become prone to infections, so in the case of pachyderms, pedicures are not a luxury — they are a necessity.
After the bath experience, the elephants enjoyed a snack of apple and yam slices, which we fed to them by hand. It was an experience that helped us see elephants and the zoo in a different light.
Cost: Adults $80, Children (5 years and older) $75.
Website: For more information, visit www.calgaryzoo.com.
• The Calgary Stampede — There’s a special feeling that fills the air during Stampede week. It’s almost tangible and you can feel the excitement throughout the entire City of Calgary.
With a rodeo, a mid-way, attractions, and entertainment, the Stampede can be a fun place for a family to spend a day. Once you are inside the gates, there are also plenty of free things to see and do.
To reduce the costs of a visit, consider visiting on family day or kids’ day. Suncor Energy Family Day will be held on Sunday, July 11, and will
feature special entertainment just for families, free breakfast, and free general admission if you arrive between 6 am until 9 am.
BMO Kids’ Day takes place on Wednesday, July 14, and features a free breakfast, entertainment, and free general admission from 6 until 9 a.m.
Bring along a picnic lunch, water bottles, and snacks and you will save money and eat healthier.
When: July 9 - 18, 2010 Admission: $14 (General Admission) $7 child (7-12) and seniors
Website: http://cs.calgarystampede.com.
• Heritage Park — If you haven’t visited Canada’s largest living history museum lately, you will be surprised by all the improvements that have taken place in the last few years. Although the Historical Village is only open during the summer months, there is now a year-round exhibit and a new Gasoline Alley Museum, which features an amazing collection of antique cars and gasoline pumps. Summer is still the best time to visit, providing the opportunity to tour the village and meet friendly pioneers, ride a steam train and a paddleboat, and immerse yourself in Alberta’s history. There are also some new award-winning restaurants onsite.
Admission: $19 adults, $15 seniors, $14 children (3-17) Midway rides: $3 per ticket or $10 for unlimited rides.
Website: www.heritagepark.ca
• Revolving Dinner at the Tower — You may have been to the Calgary Tower before, but have you ever eaten in the revolving restaurant called Sky 360 near the top of the tower? This new family-friendly restaurant lets you enjoy lunch, brunch or dinner and the best views of the city at the same time. The food is delicious and there is a children’s menu available with kid’s favourites. Eating at Sky 360 also gives you free admission to the Calgary Tower observation deck.
Website: www.sky360.ca or www.calgarytower.com.
• Bodyworlds and the Brain — “Ew! That looks disgusting,” exclaimed my twelve-year old daughter when she saw the blackened plastinated lung of a heavy smoker at the Body Worlds exhibition at Telus World of Science Calgary. When you compared the smoker’s lung with the healthy specimen right next to it, it wasn’t hard to see why she was turning up her nose. There was probably no better way to educate her on the hazards of smoking.
Body Worlds and the Brain is the newest visiting exhibit at Telus World of Science Calgary.
The exhibit includes hundreds of specimens and whole human bodies that have undergone a preservation process called plastination. This preservation method extracts body fluids and fat from specimens and replaces them with reactive resins and polymers. It allows you to see what a human body looks like on the inside and helps you understand how your body and organs function.
Admission: Adults: $24-$27, Youth & Seniors $22 - $24, Children under 12 $15 - $17. Be sure to purchase your tickets online in advance before your visit.
Website: www.calgaryscience.ca
• Cross Iron Mills — Five thousand seven hundred and seventy three steps: that’s what my pedometer read after spending two hours at Cross Iron Mills, the new shopping centre located just north of Calgary in Balzac. This enormous mall has 17 anchor stores and more than 20 stores that are new to Alberta. There are also over 200 outlet stores — an ideal place to find good deals for back to school items. Even if you don’t like shopping, it’s worth stopping in. If you only have a little time, stop at the 150,000 square foot Bass Pro Shop. The store has an enormous aquarium filled with fish native to Alberta and hundreds of wildlife mounts and murals with scenes depicting Alberta. The store also has the area’s largest selection of fishing, camping, boating and marine gear. It’s an amazing spectacle to see, even if you aren’t planning to make a purchase.
Website: www.crossironmills.com
• Calgary Tourism: Choose Your Shoes — According to Tourism Calgary, It doesn’t matter which shoes you choose to wear, there is an experience waiting in Calgary. You can save money and find package deals in Calgary by visiting: www.chooseyourshoes.ca. If you visit the website before June 13, you can enter an online contest to win a Calgary Escape valued at more than $2,300. For even more information on Calgary, visit the official tourism website: www.visitcalgary.com.
Debbie Olsen is a Lacombe-based freelance writer. If you have a travel story you would like to share or know someone with an interesting travel story that we might interview, please email: DOGO@telusplanet.net or write to: Debbie Olsen, c/o Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, Alta., T4R 1M9.