Back to Calgary…

 Monday, September 1, 2025

Happy Labor Day! A couple of boring in-between days as we returned to Calgary today on our bus - first dropping off most of the folks at the airport before 5 of us were returned to the Palliser Hotel. We had decided to stay one more night to get reorganized in our packing for the next part of our trip. (and actually, to be honest, when I booked the extra day, I thought it was going to be in Banff - oops, read that wrong).

Anyway - said our goodbyes to our new friends and then rechecked into the hotel. Our room became ready in the early afternoon so were able to hang out there - finish up a blog or two (while Ed took a nice snooze) - and then repack our suitcases. Wanted to be able to only have one large suitcase going forward so as not to have to drag everything into our next few stops. And it worked.

We headed out of the hotel for a light dinner at a nearby pub. When leaving the hotel, noticed our Tauck bus still parked on the street so we walked to it and found our bus driver, Brenda, getting ready for the next tour (same one as ours but with a different guide). 

We met the guide briefly - he looked about 12 years old (I didn’t tell him that) but he said he was 28 (oh so young). 

Happy hour dinner with wings for me and shrimp roll for Ed before heading back to our hotel to prepare for our flight the next day.

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Up normal time and walked to a nearby coffee place for breakfast. Then back to the hotel to close up suitcases and wait for our ride to the airport at 10:15 a.m. 

Check in and customs at Calgary International was a breeze. Through security without a hitch and off to our gate. It is a very modern airport. The walkways to the gates are very wide with high ceilings and huge ceiling fans (16’ across) and the acoustics were phenomenal.  Such a quiet airport to sit in - very calming.

The United flight to Denver was uneventful on a 737 - one of my favorite planes; although a little bumpy landing in Denver, as normal - just a little white knuckling.  When we got to the luggage pick up our luggage was waiting for us! That’s never happened.

We were renting a car from Enterprise to we found the bus to take us to the lot; from there a quick check-in and off to pick out a car - and we were on our way. So ridiculously easy. (I had done the previous check in online - but still - very easy).

Found our way to The Curtis Hotel (Hilton) in Denver, with underground parking. Quick check-in  and then got a Lyft to the Rockies baseball game at Coors Field. Yes, we know the Rockies are the worst team in baseball but I bought the tickets a long time ago. Field level, 5 rows from the field for $49 each. Found out that this game would either be the 40th win for the Rockies or their 100th loss (oops!). They were playing SanFranscisco Giants. 

Second batter of the game for SF hits a home run with one man on base. As we were watching the ball leave the ballpark, the benches cleared from both teams and we turned back to see what looked like a brawl happening on the field. Turns out the batter took a little too much time admiring his home run and not getting on with running the bases. The Rockies pitcher took exception to that and some words were exchanged. Next thing - tempers all flared and the field is loaded with ballplayers. In the end the Rockies pitcher was tossed along with the SF shortstop and third baseman. And the game continued.

We stayed until after the 7th inning stretch and left in order to get a Lyft back to the hotel before everyone left the stadium. SF Giants did win the game.

Tomorrow - heading to the Denver Botanic Gardens,

Betsy