The hotel is situated on the beautiful Swiftcurrent Lake, but we give the operators

of the lake cruises a 'thumbs down' after we are queue jumped by a tour group

Day 11: after spotting a coyote and a bear with her cubs, we cross the border into Canada and drive across Alberta to Calgary

After making a short break at the small town of Fort Macleod, we arrive at Calgary during a heavy rainstorm. Our accommodation is at the Prince Royal Inn, where our suite is on the 19th floor.

 

Day 12: we visit the Calgary Tower, which provides extensive views from its Observation Deck, before walking to the Stampede Showground

Our front row seats in the glass-enclosed and air-conditioned Clubhouse section of the grandstand provide us with excellent views of the rodeo events.

After two days of record-breaking amounts of rain, the contestants compete not only against bucking broncos etc, but also against the glutinously muddy surface