Late afternoon on July 4, the guys had arrived in Calgary. With the opportunity to have a leisurely morning, they took full advantage of the free time. Ron and Fred spent the morning chasing down the rental cars. Stu took his bike to the local Harley Davidson dealer for a 5,000 mile service. Not being able to stand having filthy motorcycles any longer, Joe and David headed for a wash bay. The Calgary Stampede officially began at 9:00 a.m., with the Opening Parade. Mike opted to experience the pageantry that begins the Stampede by heading downtown to see the parade.
Just two weeks ago, part of the downtown district of Calgary was flooded. This included the area where most of the Stampede activities were to be held. The Calgary Stampede gives a huge economic boost to the city. The local government and businesses knew that Come Hell or High Water, the show must go on! Everyone pulled together, cleaned up all of that mess and they were ready for the business of tourism.
Most of the girls were due to arrive on the same flight around 1:30 p.m. Pat landed earlier in the morning thanks to creative schedule changes by the airlines. Ron and Fred were at the airport to pick them all up.
Joe, David, Stu and Mike found a nearby florist. All six of the men purchased this beautiful arrangement for Bonnie to thank her for the work on this blog. It was a huge arrangement. The gift was not necessary, but thank you very much. I am enjoying them! In addition to this arrangement, they purchased flowers for their wives too. Nine days on the road has a way of making a guy miss his best friend.
On the first night of their arrival, the fellas had dinner a block or two away from their hotel at Ric's Grille.
They met this lovely young lady, Carrielyn, who matched them quip for quip. (Actually, she probably upped that game by leaps and bounds. She was extremely witty.)
Feeling a little jet lagged from the early start to their day, and hungry, the girls were in need of a snack and hydration. Here they are at the nearby Ric's Grille. The food is very, very good. The staff is extremely friendly. You've met Carrielyn!
David, Lori, Pam and Joe had dinner at a Sushi Restaurant then went to Ric's for a special desert - Cappucino Ice Cream with a cookie crust.
Everyone in Calgary wears cowboy hats during the Stampede. Boots and hats is where it's at!
Pam is fitting right in.
Ron and Bonnie
Stu and Jill
Everyone was on different schedules this afternoon. Fred and Pat explored the area on foot. They stopped at a couple of local establishments for nourishment along the way. They were both caught in a major thunderstorm and were soaked to the skin. No photos of Pat, I promised.
Mike and Pam were missing in action. We did not run into them last evening.
Following dinner, everybody headed in early for a good night's sleep. They wanted to be in good form for a busy day tomorrow.
