Taking up where I left off last Travel Tuesday! End of Day 2 of the #SierraDrive! (Day One)
The second half of this adventurous day saw us dropping off our GMC Sierra and checking into the fabulous Arts Hotel in downtown Calgary. It. Was. Stunning. (and I was tired…
…so so tired!) A morning of adventure and horseback riding with Cowboys can really take it out of a girl! Oh how I wanted to have a hot shower and crash for a little while in that great big bed. But no, there was too much to do. I somehow managed to find a second wind, dusted myself off, donned my “Cowboy” apparel, and we were off again!
To say Dear Hubby and I were looking forward to all the things The Calgary Stampede had to offer would be an understatement. There was no way it was going to live up to our ridiculously high expectations. You know what? It did, and then some.
We took a short walk down the street from our hotel and entered the gates with a huge crowd that was literally buzzing with excitement.
The GMC presence was strong and beautiful, here I am getting my Vanna White on!
The size of the Calgary Stampede was almost overwhelming. Where to start?! The rides, the cars, the barns or just checking out the people?
The people watching was supreme. Where else can you see a Goth girl with 14 piercings in her face holding hands with a Cowboy? Awesome!
The fair style food choices; from double bacon wrapped corn dogs, to fresh squeezed lemonade, to deep fried Oreos were obscene. (and kind of delish)
The rides were kitschy and expected.
The crowds were friendly and fabulous!
The show, The GMC Chuck Wagon Races were a riot! It really was “The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth”, and we loved every single minute of it!
The stage show featuring singers, dancers, acrobats, children and adults were surprising and thoroughly entertaining!
We cheered, gasped and sang along to the most eclectic show I’ve ever seen!
The evening allowed for time with my Husband, laughs with new friends, picking new favourite Chuck Wagon Race Teams and cheering them on, and indulging to the max. It was a night I will never forget. More than that, it was an adventure I will cherish forever.
Before we knew it, the night was coming to a close, and it was time to head back to our hotel.
Our time in Calgary was swift and action packed.
Thanks to @GMCCanada and the introduction of the brand new Sierra Truck, we had the opportunity to knock some items off our bucket list. We conquered the Calgary Stampede, we rode horses on a real working ranch, saw a cattle drive, tested a truck through some breathtaking country, and camped at the base of a mountain.
Feeling thankful, alive and blessed.
Thanks GMCCanada!
Disclosure: I was provided a trip to Alberta to test the 2014 Sierra. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please follow GMCCanada on Twitter.
Glad you had such a wonderful time! Calgary seems to have done a great job of putting the Stampede back together after the flood.
Sounds like you had loads of fun, would not mind riding with some cowboys myself!
I’m totally loving the hat!
I never been to the Stampede, hope to attend one day and take the whole family.
great, so glad the Stampede went on, after that flood. Amazing how Calgarians helped each other out
I’ve always wanted to go to the Calgary Stampede for the atmosphere of the event! How long was your trip again? You two seem like you did so much and had so many great experiences!
Our trip was only three days, but we packed a whole lot into every available moment!
Packing the day full of activities is my forte (much to my partner’s eternal dismay…)! I hope I get the chance to go next summer and I’ll be sure to put renting a truck on the list of things to do haha
Love the pics…. especially you in the truck!! Looks like you had a fantastic time!!
Great pic of you standing in the back of the GMC Sierra. Glad you had a wonderful time; you deserve it.
Love that last picture! Rick would b over the moon for the trip and to test drive the truck.
My Hubby LOVED being able to test drive the Sierra…I had to fight him to get my fair share of turns 🙂
(and thanks for the compliment on the last picture, I was trying to capture the beauty of the truck, the mountains and how truly blessed I was feeling!)
love the hat
🙂 Thanks! There were SO many to choose from!
so i can see. as an ex-Albertan i approve of this post.
Great pics! What a great trip. I would love to see the stampede one day.
It was fabulous to get to test out the Sierra and end off with a bang at the Calgary Stampede 🙂 It’s been on my Hubby’s travel bucket list forever!
What a cool trip! It looks like so much fun! Thanks for telling us about it!
So much different then my usual #TravelTuesday and yet still so much fun. Who knew pick up trucks, cowboys and horses could bring so much joy 🙂
Looks like an AWESOME time! Lucky you!
Wishing you a lovely day.
xoxo
Thank you!! It was an amazing trip, and it was incredible to see Calgary and the Stampede 🙂
Great pics! This is where I live. It was really amazing how they cleaned up after the flood. I’m glad you had a great time. I love this time of year, everyone comes alive…its like a 10 party in the city!
My Husband and I were also amazed at how things were cleaned up after the flood. We talked to one server in a restaurant who told us the Stampede put out a call for 600 volunteers to help clean up the grounds and had 10, 000 people show up to lend a hand. Goosebumps! You could feel the energy from the incredible people of your city!
ha. great last pic….and sounds like fun times…the show sounds fun….
Oh and you should see the pictures that didn’t make the post “)
It was a great trip !