The Other Side of Gay Calgary (Across the River) – Keep Calm and Wander

The Other Side of Gay Calgary (Across the River) - Keep Calm and Wander

Calgary is a walkable and bike-friendly city. If you are planning to walk across the river, start early morning or late afternoon to avoid the searing heat. Also, be cautious when walking on this pathway because cyclists, skateboarders, runners, and segways use this path, too.

Gay Calgary Across the River

The trail or pathways runs from East to West along the River Bow. It is a 7.2-km loop trail that would take 2 hours to complete. However, you don’t have to make the whole trail; you can walk part of it and ride a bike for the rest. It’s nice to walk on the pathway directly opposite the city skyline – the views are spectacular. And if you have time, spend time sitting by the riverside, admire the views, and perhaps, dip your feet onto the turquoise water.

Calgary has so many bridges. Each one is unique from the others. Looking at or crossing them feels like a bridge competition in the city is ongoing. George King Bridge is one of my three favorites – for photo purposes!

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Calgary Gay Travel Resources

Canada’s Lake Louise – Keep Calm and Wander

Lake Louise - Keep Calm and Wander

Lake Louise is probably the most famous glacial lake in Canada. That’s because it’s just a bus ride away from Calgary. Thus, making it the most accessible turquoise-colored lake which graced the covers and pages of travel magazines worldwide. There’s no doubt that it’s also the most crowded place in the summer months.

Calgary to Lake Louise by Bus

Let it be known that buses that bring tourists to tourist attractions in Alberta aren’t cheap. Sometimes, taking a one-day tour (which I did) is so much better because it’s less hassle and more places to see.

Take the reliable Brewster Express that has been in the business for more than a century. From Calgary, they can connect you to Banff, and Jasper. One-way ticket costs $99 and a round trip tickets costs $169.

Remember that Banff in summer is really crowded and finding parking spaces is pain in as*. So, if you don’t want the hassle of circling around or finding parking spaces, buying the buy a Hop-On and Hop-Off Bus Day Pass ($63) is a great idea! The bus stops at Banff, Johnston Canyon, the Louise Gondola, and Morraine Lake.

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Calgary Gay Travel Resources

Banff Ecotours for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

Banff Ecotours - 2TravelDads

With more and more families choosing outdoors vacations with trips into nature, it’s become increasingly important to be thoughtful and have low-impact travel be at the forefront of planning. We discovered some incredible ecotours in Banff and Canmore, which is becoming an even more popular destination than ever before. Ecotours in Banff are a way to enjoy the unique Canadian Rockies while leaving no trace on the land.

One of the most frequent questions we get about traveling as a family is how do we find activities that are good for all of us to enjoy together. A close second is how do you find a good ecotour company. Well, we lucked out with our recent trip to Banff, Alberta. We discovered AdventureHub while looking for guided hikes and ecotours in Banff. Wow. Every destination needs a resource or tour booking site like this.

Finding Banff Ecotours through Adventure Hub

Adventure Hub is a collective tour site for ecotours in Banff and Canmore, Alberta. This means that you can go to the webpage and see what tour operators are vetted and a part of the Adventure Hub group, and then from there you can choose the activities in Banff that sound the most fun for your family.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Alberta Gay Travel Resources

The Peace Bridge in Calgary – Keep Calm and Wander

The Peace Bridge in Calgary looks like a bullet train – at least from afar. It also looks like a web, a cocoon, or something futuristic which a machine could come out of it swiftly. Or does it look like a puzzle, too? Oh yeah, it does look like that of a finger trap puzzle that we played when we were young. 

The Peace Bridge came into existence, tagging along a lot of controversies. Though its name is a tribute to the military, it is, perhaps, an attempt to calm down two opposing sides. 

Whatever their differences were, judging from the beauty of this bridge, it’s not hard for them to love it and claim it their own.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Calgary Gay Travel Resources

Stunning Lakes in the Canadian Rockies – Keep Calm and Wander

Stunning Lakes in the Canadian Rockies - Keep Calm and Wander

Last week, I visited three turquoise-colored lakes in the Canadian Rockies: Emerald Lake, Lake Louise, and Moraine Lake. The first time I laid my eyes on each of them, I was utterly stunned, swept away by their incredible beauty. These lakes and the mountains surrounding them made me realize how tiny I am as a human compared to their size, power, and magnificence.

To enjoy all of these lakes, I would recommend that you stay in the town of Banff. If you could splurge for a night, book a room at Fairmont Chateau, overlooking Lake Louise. I promise that your stay here would be as unforgettable as any birthday celebration you have somewhere luxurious.

About Banff

Banff is a resort town with beautiful mountain ranges. The skyline mainly includes the view of the mountain peaks of Mt. Rundle, Mt Cascade, and the Rocky Mountains (or The Rockies). There are hiking trails everywhere with the spectacular views of natural wonders, including glaciers that stand like Gothic cathedrals in the wild.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Alberta Gay Travel Resources

Gay Life in Canada – The Nomadic Boys

Gay life in Canada

Canada is one of our favourite places to visit. It’s not only one of the most gay friendly countries in the world, it also offers so much to LGBTQ travellers including large gay scenes, Pride events throughout the year, stunning landscapes, and of course many cute guys.

We met one particularly cute Canadian guy at the Whistler Pride event, who is not only a world famous renowned vlogger, but has since become Mr Gay Canada! Josh Rimer is proudly shining the rainbow flag around the world, so we just had to sit him down and get his word about gay life in Canada.

Hi Josh, introduce yourself:

Hi guys, I’m Josh Rimer, 41 years old. I grew up in Red Deer, Alberta, now living in Vancouver in British Colombia with my fiancé Heath. I’m a gay travel vlogger and also host travel content on our national LGBTQ television station that airs daily.

This year I was also made Mr. Gay Canada 2019!

What was it like growing up gay in a small town like Red Deer?

I’ve been out for about 20 years now and luckily it was a much easier and more accepting process than I originally thought it would be. Canada itself is a very progressive country and Canadians are generally very liberal-minded, so I was lucky in that sense.

But I grew up in the days before there was any talk about marriage equality and Red Deer was an area that was especially conservative. This was also just before the Internet so it was difficult to understand and accept that I could be gay. There were no openly gay people around me, so the only homophobia I saw or experienced was when kids would use gay slurs to put someone down, so I knew it wasn’t something there was a positive feeling towards.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Canada Gay Travel Resources

 

Jasper National Park, Alberta – Out With Ryan

Jasper National Park, Alberta - Out With Ryan

Jasper National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Canada. There I said it!

It’s one of the top places you must visit when travelling to Canada. Bucket list worthy, trust me. Plan a trip to Jasper for a few days and experience this National Park and all the best things you can do.

Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, with over 11,000 square kilometres for you to discover. So now that I’ve caught your interest to visit, here are the best things to do in Jasper National Park!

Hands down, the first best thing to do is drive around this national park. The amount of beautiful snow-capped rocky mountains and awe-inspiring natural landscapes around Jasper National Park is worth a drive.

If you have the opportunity to stay in Jasper for a few days, dedicate a day to taking a little road trip around Jasper National Park. It’s worth renting a car if you came to Jasper by the Via Rail train, girl trust me.

By Ryan – Full Story at Out With Ryan

Alberta Gay Travel Resources

 

New in Gay Calgary – Passport Magazine

Gay Calgary - pixabay

Music is liquid architecture,” wrote Goethe. “Architecture is frozen music.” It’s a pithy, oft-quoted turn of phrase that makes intuitive sense. One needn’t read music, let alone study architecture, to understand that rhythm, structure, harmony, and precise detail amid sweeping grandeur are common elements of the two artforms.

Another common factor: unlike paintings and literature, which are largely passive, requiring us to approach their frames, to open their covers, music and architecture reach out in our direction, playing inevitable parts in our daily lives.

Until last year, North America had no major music museum with a building befitting its subject. Then came the opening of the spectacular and stirring Studio Bell, home of Canada’s National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta (850 4th St. SE. Tel: 403-543-5115. www.studiobell.ca). It’s a deeply satisfying building to explore, seeming to unfold around you as you move through it. Like the best symphonies, it is at once majestically scaled and compellingly intimate.

What did we have before this? Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is, to me, Pei’s knock-off of his own Louvre Pyramid; it looks like an award-ceremony trophy, with none of music’s emotional resonance.

And while it might be argued that the Seattle edifice originally built as the Experience Music Project, Frank Gehry’s most garish major building, resembles a frozen chunk of 1970’s Moog synthesizer sounds, the design is untethered to any coherent vision. With no essential change to its appearance, the building was rechristened last year as the Museum of Pop Culture (aka MoPOP) and now houses a hodgepodge collection “spanning science fiction, fantasy, horror, fashion, sports, and video games.” Studio Bell is on another plane altogether.

By Jim Gladstone – Full Story at Passport Magazine

Alberta Gay Travel Resources

Transgender Crosswalk Hits the Streets of Calgary

Transgender Crosswalk - Calgary

Two new crosswalks have appeared in Calgary in time for pride, one rainbow and one with the transgender pride colors.

It is the first time that the city has painted a trans pride crosswalk, and becomes the third Canadian city to do so, after after Whitehorse and Lethbridge. The one in Lethbridge is the first permanent transgender crosswalk.

The crosswalks in Calgary can be found at 4 St. and 17 Ave. S.W.

“It’s quite a positive and supportive statement for our city to have that done,” Jason Kingsley, president and executive producer of Calgary Pride, said.

By Jeff Taylor – Full Story at LGBTQ Nation

Alberta Gay Travel Resources