Daytrip to the US

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by arsenal

I know there is an outlet mall in post falls (about 10 minutes east of spokane).

When I went to that outlet mall in 2004 I found it to be quite a let down. There really wasn't much there, and everything was about the same price as you would pay in a retail store. Not sure if maybe the outlet malls I've been to in California were that much above average.

Overall I really liked Spokane; small town feel to it but still big enough to have any American store you are looking for.

I have to agree with getting a hotel and spending the night. When I lived in Grande Prairie we would sometimes try and do a day trip to Edmonton; which is about the same distance as here to Great Falls. It's just too hurried at that point. You can get a cheap hotel for $70 and enjoy yourself that much more.

[JerzeeGirl]

Depending on what you're going for, you could take a trip down to Havre. It's fairly easily to do in a day from Calgary. It's about 2hrs from Medicine Hat (so about a 5hr trip from Calgary) and while quite small, has a brand new casino that's quite nice (and will exchange Cdn $$ at par up to $500/day), some decent shopping (big Wal-Mart, big K-Mart, shopping center) and is a quick trip to Great Falls if you want to head on thru. I got a really nice room there 2wks ago for $80 USD for the night (including a really good breakfast too).

Don't think I'd go for longer than a day or 2 tops, but it wasn't bad for what it was. Just a reminder - check your duty-free allowances before heading back across the border. I got tagged for $30 cuz I thought I was allowed more than I actually was.