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Post by Mr. Pooka on Dec 14, 2011 17:47:49 GMT -5
Next summer Pooka and I are planning on going to the Calgary Stampede again and its gonna be a big one... its the 100th anniversary of the Stampede! Its July 6th to 15th. We don't actually have $2 to rub together at the moment, but we're gonna figure it out, (-8
Why I'm posting here is not just as a way to vent excitement, but cuz we were wondering if anyone else had plans or wanted to make plans to go as well! Nothing is set in stone atm, but were making plans to meet jeanstarwind there (then take her back halfway across Canada with us, (-8, super road trip!)... We are just now starting to figure out some dates ect, a half year is not as long as you think when coordinating this kind of thing!
If anyone is interested at all, just post here! If there is anyone else, we can make communal plans like reservations, saving on camp sites, arranging rides ect... there is all kinds of potential ways we can help each other out (-8 (like we have a decent sized van, and while packed with camping gear, we might be able to pick up a couple more people on the way for example...)
either way, there will be more info to come and other possibilities. For example, Calgary is near Drummheller which Pooka loves (its got a ginormous dinosaur museum!) so if we camped near calgary we could always fill a van full of people and take a day trip up there, (-8 (you can climb up the inside of a giant T-rex!)
There is tons and tons of stuff to do at the stampede, like concerts (both free and paid), cool shows (last year we watched a free rock ice show!).... either way I'm getting ahead of myself, (-8
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Post by jeanstarwind on Dec 14, 2011 20:53:50 GMT -5
CANADA!
*waves little Maple leaf flags*
So ridiculously excited, you guys have no idea. :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
ETA: So excited I can't even spell, omg. ^^;
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Post by moonlily on Dec 15, 2011 13:16:02 GMT -5
A 13 hour drive for us. Man, I am sooo soooooo tempted to try to talk hubby into this. XD
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Post by PookaWitch on Dec 15, 2011 13:46:05 GMT -5
CANADA! *waves little Maple leaf flags* So ridiculously excited, you guys have no idea. :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD ETA: So excited I can't even spell, omg. ^^; I'm so freakin' excited!!  Then we'll drag you home and make you roleplay with us every day! Muah ha! A 13 hour drive for us. Man, I am sooo soooooo tempted to try to talk hubby into this. XD Wow, that's not far at all! It's like, a 5 day drive for us (hard driving, we don't really stop all day. ^^; ) We're going to pre-book camping spots at Callaway Park, so if you can make it you could come up there and camp with us, taking the bus that goes from the park to the Stampede (and back). |
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Post by Ariya Eretsee on Jan 2, 2012 16:57:34 GMT -5
... simple answer ...
I wish[/b
haha, I wish you all loads of fun. In the meanwhile ill be camping out on the other side of the big blue!
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Post by PookaWitch on May 8, 2012 12:11:18 GMT -5
Okay, some Stampede planning here.... (We've been making plans with Jean who's joining us at the Stampede this year, but it's much easier to have a spot where all three of us can talk, rather then my constantly translating PMs to Mr. Pooka. >.> ) If anybody else plans to come up and join us at the Stampede and need to reserve anything let us know right away, spots and tickets are going to go quickly since it's the Stampedes Centennial.We're looking at seats in either the North or South Centre. Ones on the top or bottom don't matter much to us, so if the ones on the bottom are mostly sold we can get the ones on the top. Costs for the daytime rodeo in the North/South Centre is $53-79 (evening show $71-93) We would also be happy with the North/South End $36-50 (evening show $52-65) Access to the park is free if you pre-bought a rodeo ticket. The extravaganza you really only need to see once, it's the same show every night. Chuckwagon races are a part of it, but you need to pay the full price for both the races and extravganza with that ticket, so it's best to just see that once. We can go to the daytime rodeo on either or both of the days. When we went the first time it was the last day and the rodeo was magnificent to watch with all of the top contestants. I'm up for the rodeo for two days, and the races/extravaganza on one day.. but I don't care which day for that. If you would rather see the rodeo just once I'm fine with that too... so long as I see the rodeo and sexy cowboys darn it! XD We'll call ahead to Callaway Park and reserve two camping sites side by side. (more if others are planning on coming) The other years renting the spots at the park are around $30 a day and it's just camping on a lawn, but the site has flush toilets, showers, a corner store, etc.. and they have bus transit to and from the Stampede. The price may be higher this year just because of the anniversary. Not planning on any of the pay concerts. There are TONS of amazing, free, BIG NAME concerts at the Coca Cola stage though (I'm talking groups like Barenaked Ladies, Down with Webster, Finger Eleven, Marianas Trench, Mother Mother and such in the past. The planner isn't out yet, but since this is the 100 year anniversary there should be some really famous bands there.) There is also Nashville North beer tent that has big name Country Singers who do free concerts there. So music wise we'll have more then enough to do. (eta) Apparently the names showing up to perform for free on the Coca Cola stage are kept secret until a special reveal on May 24th. We'll know then, but for those who don't know the Stampede I'm sure you'll be surprised at how big the names are showing up. ^_^ The planner comes out sometime at the end of this month, then we'll be able to plan out days, since so much happens at once that we'll actually need to figure out the order to do things in just to not miss other nifty events. (I cannot express enough how amazing and huge the Stampede is.) I know that there were some people who lived under Alberta in the states somewhere who thought of coming up to join us, and I don't know if LD can go but she did express interest in the past (and since we're not far apart we would be happy to caravan across Canada with her if her family joined. ^_^ ) Out of everything (for us) gas it the most expensive part, costing aprox $100 a day. We save up what we can just for this, and most of the time just sleep in our van, or find cheap camping. (there are actually some free camping places we've found as well. Some amazing ones in BC, but we don't plan on going that far this year.) We're hoping to get up to Drumheller that's about a day's drive north of Calgary. |
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Post by PookaWitch on May 8, 2012 12:31:27 GMT -5
Okay, the stampede is July 6-15
Jean's plane arrives on the 12th, so we shouldn't go to the Stampede that day. We need to plan the exact days, if we're going the two or one (or even three? Couldn't afford the rodeo three times, possibly not even twice. O.o )
And, which days to go, the 13th and 14th? Or the 14th and 15th to catch the amazing top contestants?
Pat needs to double check days he can get off of work and see if one day actually makes a huge difference or not.
We want to 'try' and get to Drumheller, but may not have time or money for that, but are trying to plan that in since that museum is AMAZING!!
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Post by jeanstarwind on May 8, 2012 12:42:13 GMT -5
Definitely the Rodeo on the 15th, I think! Sounds like they save all the best stuff for last. Maybe we could do the North/South Centre tickets for that day and then for a second rodeo day get cheaper seats in one of the sections farther out? 14th or 13th wouldn't matter to me. I sure wish they would post their planner soon! It would make picking days a bit easier. XD
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Post by PookaWitch on May 8, 2012 12:49:43 GMT -5
Okay, Pat was suggesting getting the good seat tickets for the 15th, and if we're going twice we could even get 'day tickets' that are on those FAR ends (not the end, but the far end), or pre-pay for the N/S End seating.
Man, I wish they were releasing the planner earlier too! I was just reading that they even build up to it, it's released during a special concert on the 24th May 24 is a holiday in Canada, fireworks and such, usually concerts, etc. So it makes sense that it's being released during a special prize concert on May 24. We call it May Two Four here. XD
There is a midway that I can't go to, but the tickets for that are cheaper at Macs stores.. maybe just in Alberta, I don't think we could pre-buy midway tickets in Ontario. ;P Rowan likes to go to the Midway.
Again, I can't stress how large the Stampede is, even just physically. They have a HUGE midway (roller coasters, giant rides, ferris wheels, etc) and that's just in one section of the place, not even 1/4 of the grounds.
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Post by jeanstarwind on May 8, 2012 12:59:40 GMT -5
*nod nod* I'd say get the pre-pay seating in the N/S End for a day. Getting them the day of would be nice because we'd have full knowledge of the schedule and could choose 13/14 based on that, but then we wouldn't get the discount of not having to pay fairground admission.
Although! You think there will still be plenty of End seating after the schedule is released? We could always buy the N/S Centre tickets now and then pre-pay for the N/S End tickets after May 24th.
Woo, I could keep you company on the midway! LOL. I am a big roller coaster/ride chicken. Actually Ferris wheels probably terrify me more than coasters just because they're slow and they go really high. XD
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Post by PookaWitch on May 8, 2012 13:31:42 GMT -5
Okay, this is sounding great! So the plan is.... We reserve callaway park sites for the 11-15 Pre-pay for 4 adjacent rodeo and evening show seats in the N Centre or S Centre (doesn't matter which side) Wait for the planner to be released after May 24 Decide if we want to pre-get End seats (if they still exist) or just pay park entry and get (much cheaper) day seats. Which are cheap, the view isn't bad, but it's very 'to the side'. Tonight Pat has a staff meeting, and he's double checking what days he can get off of work. We think that it will take us around 5 days to drive to Calgary. We'll bring an extra tent, sleeping bag, blankets, get you a new pillow and such so no worries about plane baggage. Let us know if there is anything else important to bring along for you that would be a bother with the plane. If we have the time and can afford it we'll drive north to Drumheller on the 16th (or maybe go to the Calgary zoo then north? There's cougars there.  ) My mother offered to pay for a hotel room for one night, she meant in Calgary during the Stampede, but with so many days in Calgary one hotel day would be inconvenient. I'll see if she wouldn't mind one hotel room one other day, such as in Drumheller would be nice. And again, my mother is NOT RELIABLE with these things. So if we plan to do that we'll plan ahead in case she suddenly changes her mind (which she does occasionally, often after you're in a tight spot from thinking she's told the truth this time). Pat works one day a week, so he's taking off the 12th and 19th. So we'll leave on the 6th (he works on the 5th) and we usually can make it to Calgary in 4 days, so we're giving ourselves an extra day and a bit... just in case. We'll be there in time to pick you up (or meet you from taxi), have the 13-15 for Stampede. Have the 16th, maybe even 17th or 18th for Drumheller and/or Zoo and/or Edmonton Mall. We have to leave to head home by the 20th at the latest.. and that would be hard driving if we leave that late, but an option. (Hard for people who don't like driving, we love driving all day though. ) |
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Post by jeanstarwind on May 8, 2012 15:02:01 GMT -5
Out of curiosity, how late does the Stampede/rodeo go on the 15th? Will we be staying overnight at the campsite then? And if we do, will we have to pay to reserve the campsite on the 16th, since technically we'll be there in the morning? I need to start up a packing list. The only things I've got on it right now are shower flip-flops and my phone/phone cord charger. XD Will you be bringing a hair dryer? If so, I'll leave mine at home. My straightener isn't near as bulky and should fit in my suitcase without a problem. WOOOOO...So EXCITED! Cowboys and cougars and dinosaurs, oh my! |
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Post by PookaWitch on May 8, 2012 15:11:33 GMT -5
We don't need it for the 16th since we'll have it for the 15th and would be expected to clear out by noonish the next day. It's how most camping sites work, like hotels where you get it for the day but checkout time is at 11 am.
I can bring a hair dryer. I'll be bringing my straightner as well but it's a thin one because I just have my bangs to iron (and may buy an even smaller, purse sized, travel one for this.) I had a larger one but it broke a few weeks ago and I needed to get a new one, and opted for small size for my small bangs.
Oh yeah, I want to get some shower crocs, or new flip flops (from the dollar store) before we go. Ugh, I don't like my feet touching public showers.
Okay, so Pat has his staff meeting tonight, and tomorrow lets get the tickets for the 15th.
When Rowan came in the door I was telling him about the Stampede plans and he's excited. He's hoping to squeeze in time for the Edmonton mall. The largest mall in.. the world I think. It has a water park, aquarium, roller coaster rides etc all inside a giant (but overpriced) mall.
(eta) Double checked.. largest in North America, 5th largest in the world.
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Then we'll drag you home and make you roleplay with us every day! Muah ha!
)