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.
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.
Alas, I was fully awake by this point.
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.
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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.
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.
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).
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).
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.
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.
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.
Traffic was minimal, skies were blue, and main arterials were dry and clear.
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.
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.
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.
With e-tickets secured beforehand, we were advised to head directly to the elevators.
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.
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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.
Observation Deck - Lower Level
In the distance, we spotted snow-capped mountains. For flat-landers such as ourselves, their persistent presence was truly a sight to behold.
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View the full album HERE !
The Observation Deck comprised of two floors, separated by short flights of stairs.
Observation Desk - Beyond The Hall
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.
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)
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)
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
Admittedly, the canned plushies were quite cute, themed after popular packaging with a northern twist.
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.
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.
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"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.
"Of course!"
I rushed over the minute two young children had cleared the area and inserted my dominance.
Read Part 2 HERE !
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