Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger
  • ~ Home ~
  • ~ What I Think ~
  • ~ What I See ~
    • Events
    • Food
    • People
    • Places
  • ~ What I Make ~
  • Blog Series
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

Calgary | DAY 2: (Pt. 1) Calgary Tower

2/4/2023

0 Comments

 
The first night was spent in restlessness. Bloating and waking at odd hours throughout the night made for nonexistent sleep that cascaded into the next morning.
Picture
​The sleepy polar bear had woken before me, rustling, coughing, and exuding all sorts of noises while I desperately tried to ease myself back into the darkness. But, when the desk lamp flickered on for the clamorous consumption of tuna tartare from the night before, I could withstand no more. Jumping up, I furiously turned off the light and hushed the room's other occupant.
Alas, I was fully awake by this point.
Picture
​In spite of a late night with little rest, I resolved to readying myself for the day instead of undertaking further attempts at slumber. Tugging away the curtains, I gazed outside at the snow-covered grounds, spotting the airport to the left and mountains to the right. A few lonely vehicles graced the road at the early hour of 8 AM.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Element's Iced Americano and Coffee Cake assumed my breakfast. The slice was a surprisingly thick slab for three dollars, taking into consideration that cookies were priced at $4.50 apiece. It was rigid and dry on its own, but decent after microwaving for about 10-15 seconds. The Iced Americano was mild yet potent enough to serve its purpose of caffeination.
Picture
Tickets to the Calgary Tower Observation Deck had been reserved for 11 AM. With a bit of time to spare, I suggested stopping by T&T before continuing onwards.
Picture
We pulled into the slushiest parking lot I had ever witnessed in above zero temperatures. As with our hotel lot, it hadn't been ploughed at all! And although the atmosphere was warm, ground conditions were atrocious, resolutely resisting dissolution.
The same plaza housed a CoCo outpost, as well as Xing Fu Tang and Chicko Chicken, revealing shared franchises with BC.

In we prodded for a gander. The ceilings were taller than the ones back home, while the corridor housed additional kiosks like Galleria in North York (or the newer T&T at Lansdowne).
Picture
Navigating to the produce section, I found large Envy apples on display. My grandmother had raved about this breed on countless occasions, yet we had failed to find any sweet enough to warrant her extravagant review on the east end of the nation. (Ambrosia and Gala were the prominent yields of autumn in Ontario.)

On a penchant to quench my curiosity, I took to two of the warm-fleshed apples. They rang in at the extremely affordable price of $4.32 for two! I placed these into my handy dumpling print eco bag, which I had slipped into my backpack in preparation for the odd, plastic bag-banned excursion. This was one of them.
Picture
We then slid back towards the car over icy curbs and muddy sludge. The apples would come along with us for the trip.
​Downtown Calgary was a breezy drive from Harvest Hills.
Picture
​Traffic was minimal, skies were blue, and main arterials were dry and clear.
Picture
Picture
​I had investigated parking options leading up to the trip, and eventually selected a garage with a flat rate of three dollars until 7 PM - what a steal! Three loops led us to the 5th floor, from where we descended down the elevator to 10th Avenue.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​As we began our trek to Calgary Tower, it dawned on us that closer metred spots were priced identically. The sleepy polar bear cast a side-eyed glance in my direction; we proceeded along the concrete sidewalk until eventually reaching our trip's one-and-only scheduled tourist attraction.
Picture
​It was with mixed confusion and surprise to witness such a low volume of visitors at the Tower. Only two families hovered about the check-in desk - a number unfathomable at the CN Tower or Ripley's on a gorgeous weekend morning.
Picture
Picture
​With e-tickets secured beforehand, we were advised to head directly to the elevators.
Picture
Picture
One would service the Observation Deck (denoted as "OB") as well as the Sky 360 Restaurant (denoted as "R"); the other was labelled as serving the OB only.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​An introductory video played on the LED panels affixed to the elevator walls throughout our gentle ascent. At arrival, the doors pulled away to reveal a 360-degree view of the city, as well as a glass-bottom lookout for maximum enthrallment.
Picture
Observation Deck - Lower Level
Picture
​In the distance, we spotted snow-capped mountains. For flat-landers such as ourselves, their persistent presence was truly a sight to behold.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
View the full album HERE !
Picture
​The Observation Deck comprised of two floors, separated by short flights of stairs.
Picture
Observation Desk - Beyond The Hall
Picture
Picture
On the upper level were installations paying homage to Canadian athletes and Olympic achievements. It also enabled a view of the city from a higher elevation, though one that was arguably less profound.
Picture
​On the lower level, a short segment displaying the breathtaking wonders of the Rockies played in a hidden theatre room. I barely caught thirty seconds of the clip before dashing off to the highlight of the visit.
Observation Deck (Standing)
Picture
​​The glass panel flooring was filthy. Each section was separated by stanchions with red retractable belts, likely for crowd control. However, there were, once again, a distinctly lower quantity of visitors than anticipated. With that said, there were no crowd control problems, nor issues with spending centuries to obtain the perfect shot.
Observation Deck (Floor Level)
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Countless outtakes emerged before a handful were confirmed acceptable. The sleepy polar bear's reluctance to step on the glass panels resulted in odd angles, often grainy due to digital zoom or awkward framing with an elongated head.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​When I had finally approved the photos (and had my fair share of jumping and running about), we retreated back to the ground floor to peruse the gift shop.
Picture
​Infographic- and collage-style shot glasses were spotted first. Next was a medallion press - an extremely nostalgic fixture conjuring childhood memories at Disneyland, and many pressed tokens.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Many of the souvenirs were geared towards tourists of Canada, rather than domestic visitors travelling across provincial boundaries. The array spanned stationery, magnets, and the quintessential maple syrup - encased in Calgary Tower-shaped bottle for additional kitschiness.

​Admittedly, the canned plushies were quite cute, themed after popular packaging with a northern twist.
Picture
Picture
From the overpriced souvenir selection, I took to two keychains and two magnets. Dismissing an $11.99 inflatable horse contraption, I took to two rulers from the kids' section. The white and green straight edge listed major Canadian cities from east to west along its length, even featuring a smiling maple leaf that could travel between the destinations in a zigzag motion under the influence of gravity. One of these was bestowed upon my travel partner, who is still being familiarized with the cardinal directions.
Picture
Picture
​The checkout process was facilitated by the implementation of Square, a touchless technology I hadn't expected to be adopted by the tourist spot. Apparently, the system had been introduced just one month ago, with only one technological hiccup experienced thus far.
Picture
Picture
"Did you still want a photo with the moose?"
"Of course!"

I rushed over the minute two young children had cleared the area and inserted my dominance.
Picture
Read Part 2 HERE !
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    Categories

    All
    Ahgabond Adventures
    Ahgase
    Arctic Aquarium
    Atlantic Canada 2018
    Barrie
    Beauty
    Birthday Buddy
    Calgary 2023
    Chinese New Year
    Conquering COVID 19
    Daily Randoms
    Eyes On You World Tour 2018
    Food
    Friends
    Hallyucon
    Hamilton
    Hong Kong
    Iron Ring
    J Movie
    K Drama
    K-Drama
    Korean Beauty
    K Pop
    Los Angeles 2017
    Macau
    New York 2018
    Ottawa 2019
    Pilates
    Random Rant
    Restaurant Review
    Seoul
    Shopping
    SSMC
    Taiwan
    Vacation
    Vancouver 2013
    Vancouver 2014
    Vancouver 2015
    Vancouver 2016
    Vancouver 2020
    Vancouver 2022


    trazy.com

    RSS Feed


WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

Contact ME

​Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now
© Quirky Aesthetics. All rights reserved. Last modified: August 10, 2015.