Spring Activities in Montgomery

Due to the incessant rain that has been pelting down on our little Boutique Motel for the last few days I have decided that spring is here. Overall, it's good news. Even though Spring is by far the most horrible time of year here in Calgary, it does mean that Summer is right around the corner. Although it can get pretty soggy here in the Springtime, there's still plenty to do here in Montgomery.

Frisbee

There's plenty of parks here in Montgomery, and now that the ground has some moisture in it the grass is turning green faster than a College Student's tongue on St. Patrick's Day. It's still a little too chilly out for sun-bathing, but it's still nice to get out and enjoy some fresh air. An easy way to get outside and relax while still staying active enough to keep warm is enjoy yourself some Frisbee. Or, of course you can play catch the old-fashioned with a baseball.

Window Shopping

Some people may groan a little bit at this one. I mean, what's so great about window shopping? Well, just like everything else there are good places to do it and bad places to do it. Montgomery is an interesting place to take a stroll through because of all the little boutique shops, cafe's, and hobby shops that dwell down side streets and in tiny little cul-de-sacs. In one cul-de-sac alone I've found a knitting store, an excellent cafe (The Lazy Loaf and Kettle), and a vintage country clothing store. You might still think that's kinda dull, but my sweet plaid shirt and this delicious sandwich I'm eating disagree with you.

Cage Batting Range

This might be kind of a 'guy' thing. But, once you go to a Batting Range once, it's hard not to want go again. The Cage is a few blocks from The Centro Motel, and it's a great place to take a few swings, hang out in the park, play catch, and do some people watching. I've even seen a handful of folks fishing from the river banks here, but that's more of a summer thing, the fish don't really come around until July-ish.

3 Things To Do On A Snowy Day in Calgary

Oh, Winter. You started off so good this year! It was cold, it was snowy... it was everything Winter was supposed to be and more! What happened to that? There's no more snow... it's barely even -10 out there... Winter, I just want you to know that your friends are here for you. We're worried about you, and we just want you to go back to doing what makes you happy.

Sigh.

Well, I'm sure at some point we'll get more snow this winter. At least we'd better. And when that snow arrives it's good to have some ways to enjoy it. Because, as this season is proving, those good, snowy Winter days may not last very long at all.

Zoo Lights

Every year, the Calgary Zoo puts on Zoo Lights, a magical display of twinkly Christmas pageantry. Although you can go pretty much any time, the Zoo Lights are best appreciated on a dark, snowy night. Somehow, it's never the same 'Winter Wonderland' feeling in the daytime. Also, Hot Chocolate is pretty much required.

Tobogganing on Nose Hill

Going sledding is pretty much a given for a snowy day. But, going sledding on Nose Hill is only for the brave and foolhardy. It's the highest, steepest point of land from here to the Rockies, and you're going to need that extra snow to serve as a shock absorber for your butt. For extra points on the GNAR scale (Gaffney's Numerical Assesment of Radness), you can build yourself a jump there, too. Assuming it snows again, sometime.

Come ON Winter! Fernie's getting dumped on! Why do you love them and not us?

Cross-Country Skiing at Nose Hill

There's a lot to be said for going DOWN snowy hills as fast as you can, but (as the National Women's Biathlon Team proves) there's also a lot to be said for going as fast as you can going UP snowy hills.

You're just going to have to trust me on this one.

Conveniently enough for us here at Centro Motel, there's some great Cross-Country skiing to be had just up the street at Canada Olympic Park. I've already written about most of the stuff you can do there, and you can view that article by following THIS LINK.

The Centro Motel is Calgary’s first, and most Winter-tacular, Boutique Motel. Located in the Montgomery neighbourhood, just south of Calgary’s Motel Village, The Centro offers stylish, trendy rooms at competitive prices, as well as a great place to hold an Intervention with Winter. Because we love you, and we're all worried about you, Winter. For more information on booking, rooms and rates, check out the home page, or Contact Us.



Top 3 Things To Do In Montgomery

Canada Olympic Park Zipline:

            This can be quite a thrill, even for the more adventurous guests of Calgary’s first boutique motel. The zipline costs $55/person, and if you feel like you need to take a bit of a learner course you can pay $35 to spend some time on the zipline trainer plaza. In case you’re wondering what kind of speed you can achieve doing this, well it’s in the vicinity of 140 kilometres an hour. And in case you want to see it...

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Bow River Multi-Use Trails:

            As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, the City of Calgary has somewhere in the vicinity of 650 kms of trails wending their way through its green areas. A good portion of these trails are concentrated along the shores of the Bow River as it lazily flows through the middle of the city. Some of the trails are truly beautiful, and they require a minimal amount of equipment and training to enjoy them. If you do want to rent some bikes, there is a sports rental shop just a block down from the Centro Motel.

Canoe or Raft down the Bow River:

            Speaking of the sports rental shop, you can also rent rafts there. Taking a few hours to drift down the river is a great way to get to see the prettier side of Calgary and, as long as the weather is nice, it’s a great, easy way to spend an afternoon. The only catch is you need some way to get yourself and your rental raft back up to the Centro, but a pre-emptive cab drop-off, or a friend with a vehicle can easily overcome those challenges. Here’s a link to a previous article where you can get a detailed guide to rafting the river.