The Fabulous Calgary Stampede

This past week we have been attending the Region 10 WBCCI Airstream Rally being held near Calgary, Alberta. Each day has been filled with sumptuous group meals, evening western entertainment, magnificent mountain drives, and a bus tour of downtown Calgary. During one drive we saw two huge grizzlies climbing the slope of a mountain that had lots of green grass mixed with patches of snow and ice.

The highpoint of the week was the Calgary Stampede; our tickets for two days were provided as a part of our rally fee. This may be the biggest rodeo in North America. On the final night, we were thrilled by the national chuck wagon races. The winners of each event (national champions) took home $100,000. The final show was an all-star event that included a couple hundred swelt, young dancers/ singers wearing several changes of bright costumes and a set that would rival anything produced in Hollywood during the golden age of musicals. The evening ended with a huge array of fireworks that rocked the stadium.

This is indeed cowboy country or the New West as the people of Alberta call it. Of all Canadian provinces, Alberta is most like Texas. We attended a cowboy church service with fellow Airstreamers on Sunday and liked it so much that we went back to their Tuesday evening service.

Today we are leaving Calgary and heading west toward the Canadian Rockies.