Some very good luncheon faire - but get there a little before noon because its absolutely packed - is Memory Lane Ice Cream Parlor in High River . . . . the murals on all of the buildings in town are also interesting. There is also a rail car restaurant there for lunch which would be pretty unique although the menu is fairly short.
She might like the autographed pictures from guys like Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, etc on the walls of Memories Inn in Longview, a little out of the way place that gets good reviews. She can probably get a beer in a cowboy boot glass as well. The ranching crowd dines there. The Longview Hotel bar gets pretty "authentic" at times.
On a hill overlooking Okotoks is the Boot Hill Gallery at Bernie Brown's place . . . . . nice view and he's a good artist.
Marvs Soda Shop in Black Diamond is a little out of the way place for a milk shake and some memories shopping. Black Diamond used to be a real hole in the ground but you find quite a few art galleries and what not there these days . . . . its sprucing up as money flows out of Calgary.
If you can follow the directions, as you leave Black Diamond heading to Turner Valley, take the first right over the bridge then an immediate right again. Follow that road to a t-intersection, turn right and . . . . . you can drive her across a frozen river sans any bridge. Locals know this as "River Ford." There's a concrete pad under the water for summer crossing and a nice place to hang out with a lawn chair in the middle of the stream in the summer or go for a walk up the river. You'll come out on Highway 549. The risk in the winter, of course, is that you'll go through the ice but it was supporting my Durango last weekend.
Take her to Brown-Lowery Park on Plummers Road southwest of the city on a sunny morning. Keep taking rights on the path through a genuine pine forest and you'll end up at a spectacular viewpoint in about half an hour. When you get back to the car, keep taking the road and you can eventually end up in Bragg Creek.
For something a bit different, I was down at Chain Lakes last weekend and the ice is polished like glass . . . . you could skate for miles and miles. Bring the sticks and it would make for quite a pick-up game.
Chain Lakes last weekend with Abby patrolling the shore.
The lookout at Brown-Lowery . . . .
Cowperson
