Go West...

Whenever I visit Calgary, I make it a point to make the hour drive west to Canmore. Canmore is a small town with a population of around 10,000. It's the quintessential "mountain town". You won't find any Wal-Marts or Costcos out here. Instead, you'll find small "Mom & Pop" stores dotting the main street. Only when you get closer to the Trans-Canada Highway will you see a "chain" anything, in this case a McDonald's, a Tim Horton's, and a Holiday Inn.



Downtown Canmore, Alberta.

 The drive out isn't bad at all. Unlike the trip to Medicine Hat, this drive is almost over before you know it. But you still get some pretty majestic views along the way. I've been all over the world, and I just don't know if anything comes close to matching the Canadian Rockies:

The Canadian Rockies in the distance along the Trans-Canada Highway.

Taken at one of the many turn-outs along the way.

Once you get into the mountains, you have to be aware of where you are or, more importantly, what else is where you are. Wildlife is abundant out here, with deer and elk being the most prevalent. And Canada wants to make sure you're paying attention:

And if you hit one, you're gonna' have a really bad day.

A deer in the brush not far from the highway.

I'd decided I wouldn't spend the night in Canmore, but would drive back to Calgary this evening. My buddy Tom and I had dinner at this killer Italian restaurant in Canmore, said our goodbyes, and I was on the road.

Just outside out of Canmore, on your right, you'll see the imposing peaks of what are known as "The Three Sisters". I've been up here as late in the year as August, and these peaks always have snow on them. They're probably the single most recognizable landmarks out here:

The Three Sisters, just east of Canmore, Alberta.

While I've been up here in April before, I don't recall ever seeing the weird weather I've seen on this trip. Indeed, even the locals say it's unusual. On Thursday, when I went to Medicine Hat, I had to contend with a storm the size of Texas. Today, as I drove east back to Calgary, I saw one of the more odd cloud formations I've ever seen. It looked like something out of a science fiction flick:

I have no idea what this was, but it was really weird.

While you pass countless signs during the drive which tell you how far away from Calgary you are, after a while you become kinda' numb to them. But there's one landmark, as you enter Calgary, that is absolutely unmistakable. Calgary, you see, played host to the 1988 Winter Olympic Games (the biathlon and Nordic events were actually held in Canmore, by the way). One of the lasting features of those Olympics is Canada Olympic Park, located on the western edge of Calgary. Before you see the sign for Canada Olympic Park, though, you see this:

The Olympic ski jumps at Canada Olympic Park, including the 90 meter tower.

Not long after stopping at the Olympic Park, I was pulling into my hotel parking lot. I dig days like today. I love going to Canmore. I love being there, and I love the drive. Leaving is a bit of a downer, I guess, but I know I'll be back; hopefully for the Canmore Folk Music Festival at the end of July.

At least, if I come back in July, I know I won't have to worry about snowball fights...