Visiting Calgary

[Chr1s]

Hey Calgarians,

my name is Chris and im a hockey fan from germany. Im a silent reader of these forums for quite some time now.
Im planing a trip to Alberta next spring and i have some questions i hope some "insiders" can help me out here =).

Tickets :

I want to visit as many games as possible in March / End of March start of April there 2 posible options for me starting with Islanders - Ducks or CBJ - Vegas.
What is the best option to secure tickets for those games? Ticketmaster? Are there options to get something like a game package?


Trips:

i want to see some parts of the Rockies , where to go / what to do?
Do you have some proposals for things that are a must see?

Hotel/ Room :

Some insider infos here?


Thanks for your help,

Chris

[burn_this_city]

1) Stub hub
2) Lake Louise, Banff
3) Depends on budget

How long will your trip be?

[OMG!WTF!]

Must do in the Rockies....

http://mountengadine.com/

Stay there or just go for dinner. Underline and highlight "must".

[Fuzz]

How long are you coming for? I'd rent a car, for sure. Do you ski? It's a great time of year for that.

[Chr1s]

Thanks for the replies!

The trip is planned for ~ 2weeks. For now im looking forward to be western canada from 28.03.18 - 09.04.18 .

So i can get the last 4 games of the season and one game against the oil.


Yes im a snowboarder , but sad my girl isnt into ski /snowboard , so perhaps i can rent a board for one day and feel the legendary powder of the rockies =)

[Fuzz]

You can go to Louise and drop her at the Chateau to blow all your money at the spa while you board for the day! It's a really nice place actually. Or she can get a Gondola only pass at Sunshine, I think. If she likes to lounge around reading and such, she might enjoy it up there. Or do a mid-week overnight on the hill. I'm sure you can figure something out!

[burn_this_city]

Double post

[Chr1s]

What is the best way to get to Lake Louise ? rent a car?

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Chr1s

What is the best way to get to Lake Louise ? rent a car?

I would say yes, but be prepared to be crushingly disappointed in our highways versus the Autobahn's of your country.

[octothorp]

The hot springs in banff are pretty good, especially during the winter. (There's actually better hot springs deeper into the mountains, but if you plan to just do a short trip, Banff is on your way to LL).

Snowshoeing is a good time, if your girl wants to get out and get some of that winter experience without skiing/snowboarding. As well, you can also do sled-dog tour rentals in Canmore (between Calgary/Banff). I've never done it, but I've heard it's a great time.

The Banff townsite is really touristy, which may or may not be your thing. Cave & Basin national historic site (where Canada's first national park was founded) is a nice site to visit if you're going to the hot springs in Banff, but not necessarily worth going out of your way for.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Must do in the Rockies....

http://mountengadine.com/

Stay there or just go for dinner. Underline and highlight "must".

Engadine is superb, but maybe not ideal for a visitor to get to in a rental car.

For a similar experience accessible from pavement:
http://www.stormmountainlodge.com/

Good for a stay, for dinner, or just for afternoon tea by the fireplace after going for a winter adventure (short options nearby would be Marble Canyon and Johnston Canyon - touristy/busy).


I've never been dog sledding, but I hear it's amazing! Some tours run out near Engadine (though I imagine van transport from town is included)

[Sliver]

Don't miss Banff. Touristy, yes, but beautiful nonetheless. Make a reservation for fondue dinner at The Grizzly House. It's super fun and has a great rustic rocky-mountain authenticity and vibe that I think are lacking in some of the newer/chain restaurants in Banff.

Have a great trip and thanks for coming to Calgary!

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Don't miss Banff. Touristy, yes, but beautiful nonetheless. Make a reservation for fondue dinner at The Grizzly House. It's super fun and has a great rustic rocky-mountain authenticity and vibe that I think are lacking in some of the newer/chain restaurants in Banff.

Have a great trip and thanks for coming to Calgary!

I find the Grizzly house over priced and surviving on a faded memory.

You could poke around here:

https://banffdiningguide.com/front/banff/

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I find the Grizzly house over priced and surviving on a faded memory.

You could poke around here:

https://banffdiningguide.com/front/banff/

I disagree. We love it. Food is awesome, ambiance is awesome, pricing is super reasonable ($50 a head or something for salad, dinner and dessert). Better than Earl's, Ye Ole Spaghetti Factory, etc.

I like Park, but it doesn't have a mountain vibe - feels like I'm in Kelowna or something. Elk and Oarsman has so-so food. Banff Avenue Brewing Company has a great patio overlooking the avenue, but the food is just okay as well.

[lazypucker]

If possible, you should time your visit to be at the same time as CalgaryBoy:

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=164636

[puckedoff]

Best food in Banff is 'Three Ravens', hands down. A bit more expensive but that just keeps schlubs like Sliver out. Great views too.

[edslunch]

For something different visit the Royal Terrell Museum in Drumheller, about a 90 minute drive northeast. It is one of world’s foremost Dinosaur museums/research centres. Very impressive if that’s your interest.

[mikephoen]

Canmore has some really good restaurants in my opinion. Trough is excellent, and I also highly recommend Tapas. If you have 2 weeks, you can take a few different trips into the mountains and Canmore is close enough that you can spend a day in and around Canmore, get a great meal, and still make it back to Calgary if you don't want to overnight it (assuming you're using Calgary as your base). Agree with everyone else that renting a car for the trip is a must.

If you're looking for something other than mountains that is a day trip from Calgary, I would consider the Royal Tyrell Museum as well.

Edit: Beaten by edslunch!

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

Canmore has some really good restaurants in my opinion. Trough is excellent, and I also highly recommend Tapas. If you have 2 weeks, you can take a few different trips into the mountains and Canmore is close enough that you can spend a day in and around Canmore, get a great meal, and still make it back to Calgary if you don't want to overnight it (assuming you're using Calgary as your base). Agree with everyone else that renting a car for the trip is a must.

If you're looking for something other than mountains that is a day trip from Calgary, I would consider the Royal Tyrell Museum as well.

Edit: Beaten by edslunch!

I will second the recommendation for both of these restaurants. As well, the girlfriend and I will often drive to Banff for lunch at the Bear Street Tavern (a pizza joint). The Big Bird pizza is a favourite.

[Sliver]

All the way to Banff for pizza and it's not Aardvark? wtf