This weekend I was one of the very fortunate, and excited, Calgarians to go to the Calgary Stampede. But on the down side, I missed the parade this year (summer school). Nonetheless, the Stampede was extremely fun. Except for the fact that I’m now short on money. By a lot.
You couldn’t possibly do everything there was offered without staying the entire day the park was open. For me, I got in free on Sunday! The first thing I did was purchase coupons for midway rides. Although there was an accident last year injuring about 10 people, there was nothing stopping me from going on almost all of them. (But my friend wanted to get off after hearing that her seat kept creaking.) And luckily, I am still alive, writing this blog.
While taking a break from the midway rides, we went to go see some cows, chickens and pigs. We then planted some seeds and are currently waiting for germination to occur. You know at Chinook it costs $4 or $5 for photo booths. Well, I took pictures for free! (And the pictures printed right away, unlike Chinook where it takes ages.) There was also a map of the world, on which we stuck pins onto the place we were born. (Someone had placed one in the middle of the Ocean. Cruise, perhaps?)
And of course, the food. It didn’t bother me at all (okay, maybe a smidge) that bubble tea was no longer available this year because of all the other amazing foods. My friends and I wanted to try foods we’ve never had. I ended up having a samosa, which I believe is an Indian pastry. My friends tried a funnel cake for the first time and found that it was excessively sugary (and that’s saying something because my friends love sweet things.)
The 10 a.m. Ice Show was packed full by the time I arrived, but there was another one at 2 p.m. It was great that they combined live music, skating, and acrobatics into one show. (Confession: I nearly fell asleep near the end of the show, not because I was bored to sleep but because I was so tired from running around prior to the show.)
I have always pictured myself with a giant stuffed animal placed on my shoulders when I was little and played the games. But today, I ended up playing none of them. Why? They’re set up in such a way that we can’t win easily. Of course, right? Yes, you do play for the fun of it and you can get a cute, but tiny, furry friend you carry in your hands. But is it really worth spending $5 time and time again?
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Stampede. But it’s costly. Should that prevent you from having a lively, enjoyable day that leaves your feet sore by the end of the day? Your call.
But as for me, I’ll be at Calaway Park.
