A vacation should be a place to relax and get away from it all, but unfortunately, many vacations are stressful. There's a lot of planning involved, and regardless of how much time you spend planning, some of it can be derailed by full airplanes, late trains or overbooked hotels. During the trip, there can also be budgetary pressures. Hi! My name is Miranda, and I've dealt with all of that. However, I've also found fun strategies for avoiding those issues and hassles. In this blog, I am going to share all the travel and tourism tips I've learned through the years, and I hope they help make your next vacation more fun.
The Calgary Stampede takes place every summer in Calgary in the province of Alberta, Canada. And you can't really call yourself a true rodeo fan until you've partaken of this 10-day roping and riding extravaganza. But motels in Canada fill up fast during this annual western show so you'll want to book as far in advance as possible to catch the many exciting events that make up the Calgary Stampede.
Showdown Sunday
Every afternoon throughout the duration of the Calgary Stampede, some of the world's best rodeo competitors take to the arena to show off their skills. But only the best of the best ever make it to Showdown Sunday, touted as "rodeo's richest afternoon." On this day that winds up the competition, $2 million in prize money is given out to the world's best rodeo showman across six different competitions:
Wild Pony Racing
Kids have grit and determination too -- especially rodeo kids. And nothing proves this more than wild pony racing at the Calgary Stampede. Kids from the ages of 8 to 12 compete to tame and ride a wild pony. The ponies are real, and so is the danger. These kids are the brave forerunners of tomorrow's rodeo champions. Don't miss your chance to see them in action.
GMC Rangeland Derby
Every evening at 7:45 p.m., wagons take to the arena for the most exciting chuck wagon races you may ever experience. These drivers are vying for over $1 million, and they're playing for keeps. It's fist-pumping, heart-pounding, nail-biting good fun that's one of the most popular events of the Calgary Stampede. Catch it nightly, just before the Grandstand Show.
Transalta Grandstand Show
The Transalta Grandstand Show has been entertaining crowds of excited rodeo fans for over a century, and it's more exciting today than ever. An integral part of each year's event, the Grandstand Show takes place each night right after the GMC Rangeland Derby under the creative direction of Dave Pierce, the Emmy- and Grammy-award winning talent behind the talent. The show is different every year, but you can always count on professional-level entertainers, awe-inspiring pyrotechnics, and numbers from some of the world's best dancers, performers, and choreographers. Vegas ain't got nothing on the nightly Grandstand Show at Calgary Stampede.
Bell Adrenaline Ranch
If it's death-defying delight that keeps you coming back for more, you'll love the Bell Adrenaline Ranch at the Calgary Stampede. See stunts performed on land, air, and water -- stunts that will knock you out of your seat and leave you wondering how in the world they did it. Past performers have featured world-renowned acts EXPOGO and Evolution of Extreme performing such stunts as snowmobile flips and world-record-holding techniques performed with of all things -- pogo sticks. The pogo sticks used in Bell Adrenaline Ranch, however, are far from the sticks you used to jump on as a kid. You just have to see it to believe it.
With events likes these and more, it's vital that you book your motel in Canada far in advance if you plan on attending. The Calgary Stampede draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and competitors from around the world to Calgary for its ten-day event, and venues fill up fast. Don't be left out in the hot July sun this year when you take in "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." You'll want someplace cool and comfortable to relax after the day's adrenaline rush, and one of Calgary's best motels is the perfect solution. Book your stay today for an experience you'll never want to forget.
Share3 December 2014