Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Here it is the end of March and we're supposed to get a few inches of snow today. My calendar says it is spring already. I don't really believe we'll get snow so let's go up north to a place that has a better chance than we do here. This week's post takes us to my first non-U.S. city...Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The closest I've been to Canada is Niagara Falls. We stayed on the U.S. side but I could see Canada from there.

Edmonton is in the Alberta province in the western half of Canada. It is about 560 miles due north of Missoula, Montana, and about 3 hours north of Calgary. Calgary was the host city for the 1988 Winter Olympics. The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver which is about 12 hours southwest of Edmonton. This should be proof enough that Edmonton is far enough north to get more snow during the winter and early spring months than we do in the central United States. In fact, Google Maps doesn't show much north of Edmonton as far as roads and towns.

Edmonton's Valley Zoo is home to Lucy the painting elephant. The zoo has a tiered admission price plan based on your age. They also have a family pass that covers two adults and all children living in the same household. This pass will cost $29.25 during the summer months (May 9 - October 12). For the same price you can get a grandparent pass that covers two grandparents and up to 4 grandchildren.

Fort Edmonton Park is a living history museum. These are my favorite types of museums. A living history museum is one in which the employees dress up in period costumes and pretend to be from that time period. According to their web page, it looks like the museum plans special activities for people to enjoy. They have Mother's Day and Father's Day brunches and murder mystery weekends. The family/grandparent passes at the Fort are $40.50 CAD ($32 USD). In September, they have guided wagon tours that cost $28.00 CAD ($22 USD) for the family. To really immerse yourself in the time period, you can book a stay at Hotel Selkirk located within the Fort.

For you shopping aficionados, you can visit the West Edmonton Mall. They claim to be the "Greatest Indoor Show on Earth". I think I believe it after seeing everything they have to offer. They have a Putt 'n Glow miniature golf, an ice skating rink and an indoor waterpark! For the budget conscious, you can pick up a Super Savings Coupon Book for $7.95 CAD ($6.42 USD).

This leads me to this week's lodging pick. Fantasyland Hotel is located within the West Edmonton Mall. They have themed rooms that are spectacularly decorated. The Igloo themed room has a jacuzzi and bunkbeds. The jacuzzi in the Roman room is surrounded by marble columns. The jacuzzi in the Polynesian room is filled via a waterfall.

I can't forget about you sports fans. Edmonton is home to several sports teams. There is the Edmonton Oilers which is a National Hockey League team. They are home to the Canadian Football League Edmonton Eskimos. The Edmonton Rush is a National Lacrosse League team.

Now I'm ready to pack my bags and head north for my summer vacation!

Official Edmonton website