Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, sits where the prairies meet the Rocky Mountain foothills — a young, prosperous oil city that has become one of Canada's most dynamic with a booming tech sector, excellent food scene and access to some of the world's finest mountain scenery. The city hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics and retains excellent winter sports infrastructure. The Canadian Rockies are 90 minutes west. Banff National Park, Lake Louise (the turquoise glacial lake backed by snow-covered peaks), Moraine Lake and the Icefields Parkway (the most spectacular mountain highway in North America, 230km of peaks, glaciers and wildlife) are the primary reasons to visit the Calgary region. Calgary itself has the Glenbow Museum (excellent Indigenous and Western Canadian history), the Calgary Stampede grounds, the zoo and the excellent National Music Centre. The Calgary Stampede (July) is the world's greatest rodeo — 10 days of rodeo competitions, chuck wagon races, live music, agricultural exhibitions and enormous collective enthusiasm that the entire city participates in. The Inglewood neighbourhood, SAIT, Kensington and the East Village are the most interesting areas for food and culture. The Bow River pathway system offers excellent cycling through the city. Winter temperatures can be brutal, but chinook winds warm things rapidly. The city's food scene has evolved dramatically.