On the Road-Calgary

Thursday, September 03, 2009



After I did laundry we left Canmore and started East on our way to Glacier National Park across the border in Montana, Our route took us practically into Calgary, and since we were there, I wanted to see its downtown. It is a giant and confusing city. They have numbered streets and numbered avenues and the visitor centre is listed as being at 238 11th Avenue. I kept directing David to what truned out to be either 11th street or 2nd ave. We finally got to second street and eleventh avenue and parked the car. There are pay booths located on every block or so. You enter the number of the parking zone that you are parked in-the zone number is on a sign above the sign that says 2 hour parking. So you put in the zone number and then you must put in your license plate number. Then you put in your loonies or townies or credit card and choose your time for up to two hours. The parking meter maid told me that this is a great system because no matter where you are in the city, you can go to a pay booth and put in your zone number and add time. I asked her “what about the 2 hour limit” and she said “well, you’re supposed to stay only two hours but so what.” I guess at $3.00 an hour they don’t mind you staying.

It turned out that while we had found 2nd street and 11th ave. we were in the NW 2nd and 11th and we needed the SE. We had a lovely lunch at a chophouse called Vintage. The glass of house Chardonnay that I ordered turned out to be $14. I complained that I had clearly told the waiter that I wanted the bottom price and the waitress brought me a menu to show that the $14 glass was the cheapest one. The food prices were more reasonable.