US and Canada in winter - Ice Pilots NWT Yellowknife geek

[Justinf]

I woke to snow in Calgary with a forecast top temperature of -8 degrees.
I had a full day to explore this city, which wasn't nearly enough. As I have said, I liked the vibe that Calgary gave off.















After a couple of hours of just walking around (I like to walk around...I'm not much of a museum person and I have the attention span of a three-week old kitten) so I like to just walk and take things in that are happening around me.
I decided that I needed to head up to the top of the Calgary Tower for a better vantage point.

 

[love_the_life]

Minua 8 - luxury after Yellowknife!
Hope you managed not to fall over (like last time).

 

[kelvedon]

Hey Justinf, you can’t leave me waiting in the cold in Calgary. When’s the next instalment?.

 

[cjd600]

Hey Justinf, you can’t leave me waiting in the cold in Calgary. When’s the next instalment?.

He'll be glued to Richmond v Carlton at the moment, so might have to wait a little longer

 

[Justinf]

Up, up into the atmosphere I went inside the Calgary Tower.
To be truthful, it was disappointing compared to most tall buildings I have been to (Empire State, Sears Tower, Toronto among many others), but it was pretty cool to get a great vantage point of the city.












This actually took lot of courage to do. Silly yeah?

 

[Justinf]

Don't you just love snow?
I spent quite a bit of time up there just walking around and around in a circle.
The guy who took this pic for me lives 15km from me. Weird huh? What a small world.

 

[Justinf]

By now it was around 4pm and with my original itinerary, I'd be flying back to LA tomorrow and then home.
But I extended my trip by two days to catch an NBA game in Denver.
Tomorrow I'd be flying at stupid o'clock (7.30am) down to LA with another flight across to Denver.
I was regretting not spending more time in Calgary. I really like being here. I went to the Wonderland Sculpture, but unfortunately no pics as my phone had died.
Finally I made it back to the hotel and I grabbed a 40 minute run on the treadmill for good measure.
I wasn't after a big night due to stupid o'clock wake up time.
I showered and headed out in search of a beer and a meal.
I found the bar that satisfied my longing the previous night. It was close to the hotel and perfectly decent.



I did take this pic on the way out though. What's the significance I hear you ask? Absolutely nothing. Just thought I'd post it.



I enj oyed a few pints, but called it quits fairly early.





I grabbed some Tater Tots (potato gems to use and yes, they were awful) and headed back to my room where my alarm was set for 4.15am. Urgh!



Although I didn't want to leave Calgary, I was still quite excited to get to Denver. I'd been to Denver a year earlier and loved it. Even better that I was going to see an NBA game involving my San Antonio Spurs.

 

[Justinf]

He'll be glued to Richmond v Carlton at the moment, so might have to wait a little longer

Indeed I was. Went to the game and got home at 1.30am and then to work this morning. urgh!

 

[RooFlyer]

Better late than never ....

This TR brought back so many memories of my very many trips to and stays in Canada, especially Calgary, which was my second home for about 5 years. Walked all those streets many times, although in winter, best to get up on the "+15" - on the first floor level, there is a network of warm & dry connectors through and between buildings and over streets, right across downtown. But for a tourist, that wouldn't be interesting at all (except that's where the downtown bars and eateries are).

Obviously no (ice) hocky on while you were there - that's the Saddledome in one of your pics, home of the Calgary Flames.

Also memories of Air Canada - few are good.

 

[Justinf]

Better late than never ....

This TR brought back so many memories of my very many trips to and stays in Canada, especially Calgary, which was my second home for about 5 years. Walked all those streets many times, although in winter, best to get up on the "+15" - on the first floor level, there is a network of warm & dry connectors through and between buildings and over streets, right across downtown. But for a tourist, that wouldn't be interesting at all (except that's where the downtown bars and eateries are).

Obviously no (ice) hocky on while you were there - that's the Saddledome in one of your pics, home of the Calgary Flames.

Also memories of Air Canada - few are good.

There was definitely hockey going on. I had already been to a few games in previous trips in Vancouver and Montreal, so wasn't that pressed on getting to another.

 

[Justinf]

Stupid o'clock is called stupid o'clock for a reason.
My alarm went off at 4.15am and I stumbled around to get myself sorted.
I wasn't sure what to expect at the airport as I knew I had to go through US customs here in Canada and not at LAX. I was paranoid about not leaving enough time so I was in an Uber at 5am.
I got to the airport at 5.30am and pretty much breezed through everything.
So much so that I was at Starbucks by 5.40am and 'enoying' a burnt milk flat white that was pretty much undrinkable.
I was interested in finding out the Air Canada J product.
There were people drinking at the bar at 5.45am. I'm not going to lie, I was tempted, but thought better of it. Nothing good can come of that at that time of day.
After a very long wait, at Calgary International, it was time to board.





This flight was on an AA320 and it became fairly obvious that it would be the standard J product that you would find in Oz.




















I was about to be treated to some incredible views of the Rockies after take off.

 

[RooFlyer]

Can't get the quotes to work, but I'm jealous at your going through YYC International. After suffering through the 'old' Calgary terminal for about 8 years, my last trip there was a month before they opened the new one!

Does AC have a Maple Leaf Lounge for USA departures in the new terminal? Was the pits before - no lounge - at all - if you flew to the USA. Domestic, yes, but not USA.

 

[Justinf]

Can't get the quotes to work, but I'm jealous at your going through YYC International. After suffering through the 'old' Calgary terminal for about 8 years, my last trip there was a month before they opened the new one!

Does AC have a Maple Leaf Lounge for USA departures in the new terminal? Was the pits before - no lounge - at all - if you flew to the USA. Domestic, yes, but not USA.

I don't think there was a Maple Leaf lounge in the US Departures terminal. There was an Aspire Lounge.

 

[Justinf]

I was quite glad to be at the front of the plane this morning.
I had nobody next to me and J was lightly loaded.
Take off from Calgary and as there was nobody behind me, I reclined a relaxed.












The J meal was breakfast, which I gleefully tucked into. I was Starvin Marvin.



Flight time on my e-ticket was around three hours, but it was actually just over two hours according to the cap'n.

 

[TomVexille]

That would be block time. As in Gate to Gate time

 

[Justinf]

That would be block time. As in Gate to Gate time

an hour's difference for gate to gate?

 

[Justinf]

What unfolded below was some of the most magnificent scenery I could imagine.
The Rockies were particularly alluring today.

 

[TomVexille]

an hour's difference for gate to gate?

You can easily be 25th in line to take off in some of the busier airports, and add a 20 minute taxi on arrival, an hour isn't that long.

 

[RooFlyer]

The Rockies were particularly alluring today

Stop it! That was my work place for over 6 years! Golden, in the middle of the Rockies, 3 hour's drive from Calgary.

 

[TomVexille]

Stop it! That way my work place for over 6 years! Golden, in the middle of the Rockies, 3 hour's drive from Calgary.

Stunning part of the world