Whatever the weather, Calgary is a seriously fun city. Here’s how to have a great day out that everyone in the family will love:
Step 1: Slide into a booth at the Glaxaxie Diner. This retro style diner has great breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, and all the usual breakfast staples. Their milkshakes are legendary too, so be sure to at least share one. Portions are generous, the ambiance is fabulous, and the staff are very friendly, so this makes for a great start to your Calgary adventure.
Step 2: Head to the amazing Calgary Zoo. If you’re visiting on a Monday, Wednesday, or Saturday, get there by 11am for the penguin walk, which allows you to get really close to the magnificent King Penguins as they walk in a loop through part of the zoo grounds. The whole zoo is pretty special, and plenty of inside enclosures mean that even if it is freezing outside, you can stay warm with the animals (and you can get really close to the hippos who swim in a massive glass tank just by the giraffes).
Step 3: Check out Inglewood, a hip neighborhood that is just a short drive from the zoo and is bustling with great places to eat, neat little stores, and galleries. Spolumbo’s, which is owned by three ex Canadian football players, is famous for their sausages and has a great deli to sit and stuff your face at. Be sure to stop at Choklat, the only chocolate maker in Alberta (they roast their own cocoa beans and really do make their delicious chocolate from scratch) to pick up glitter coated chocolate lollipops and gourmet hot chocolate topped with blue whipped cream.
Step 4: Take an elevator up the Calgary Tower and dare each other to step out on the glass floor 620ft above the street below. You’ll get a 360-degree view out over the city, and on a clear day you can even see the Rocky Mountains in the distance.
Step 5: Indulge yourself with a meal at Charcut Roast House, where you can order yourself some prime Alberta beef, charcuterie, or various other beautiful and locally sourced dishes. (Kids will love the duck fat fried poutine, which is essentially fries, cheese, and (truffle) gravy, but if they are super fussy the chefs are happy to knock up something plain like a grilled cheese sandwich upon request.)