Shortly after hiking the Douglas Fir Trail I revisited the area to wander the much easier terrain of the Bow River Pathway. It was a super hot day and I’d walked a lot so I didn’t get all the way downtown as intended but I did get a couple of cool photos.
This is a nice easy walk for me to complete when the skeeters die off by at least 75% as they are currently at a 15/1 ratio to humans after all the rain we’ve been having. Sigh.
Bowness Park is one of my favourite parks in the city alongside Edworthy and Baker directly across the Bow River. I typically end up in the area around sunset and it offers a lot of photography opportunities as the park is surrounded by water and trees. During the holidays and sometimes at night they light up the trees in white Christmas lights which adds a romantic element to the evening. They rent out canoes, paddle boats etc during the day to putter around the park which makes this park fairly unique.
The Varsity neighbourhood is very picturesque. It’s home to established Calgarians and students alike. It’s close to the river, has lots of greenery and feels like a typical higher end suburb. One of my favourite local coffee shops and book chains are in the area so I wander up in that direction fairly often.
Edworthy is one of my top 3 favourite Calgary parks because of the trees. I’m nothing if not predictable in my love of the forest. Edworthy is one of those rare spots in Calgary I can feel I’m immersed in nature while inside the city. There are lots of picnic areas filled with families, groups and doggos.
This park almost always smells like campfire and offers river views and access to beautiful hiking and walking paths. It connects two of my favourite neighbourhoods in the city and brings everything together. You can often find me hanging out here with a new book and an overpriced local latte enjoying an afternoon in the park.
I’ve spent a considerable amount of time downtown in the heart of Calgary and have grown rather fond of it. Between my commutes to the office, aimless wandering adventures on the weekends and late nights with friends shopping or playing food critic at the local restaurants I find myself drawn to the energy of the busy streets.
There are lots of places to grab a late brunch or bougie coffee, devour some Alberta beef or consume more dumpings/tacos/cupcakes than is recommended by the food guide and your doctors alike. Nom. There’s even a garden in our high end downtown shopping centre, what’s not to love?
