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Edmonton |
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Edmonton [1] is the capital city of Alberta and home to much of that province's industry. It is well known as the cultural centre of Alberta, and has been nicknamed Festival City of Canada. Events and attractions like The Edmonton Fringe Festival (North America's Largest), West Edmonton Mall (North America's Largest Shopping and Entertainment Centre) and Fort Edmonton Park make Edmonton the largest tourist destination in the province of Alberta.
Edmonton is a northern North American city with a metro population of over 1,040,000 (2006), and one of the largest northern cities in the world. Its location makes for long winters, but the compensating rewards include sunny comfortable summers with daylight and dusk stretching as late as 11 pm in June and July.
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SEE DO EAT
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 SEE
- Alberta Legislature Building Beautiful to visit any time of the year at any time of the day. In December the grounds are lit with thousands of lights and there is a skating pond one can use. In the summer you can wade in the pools and play in the fountains that are just north of the building. There is security walking around and it is quite safe even later in the evening. [16]
- Alberta Railway Museum, 24215 34 St. [17] - 780-472-6229
- Art Gallery of Alberta, (formerly the Edmonton Art Gallery) 2 Sir Winston Churchill Square. [18] - 780-422-6223
- Devonian Botanic Garden. About 30 minutes out of downtown. Map to location: [19]. More information [20] - 780-987-3054
- Muttart Conservatories, 9626 96A St. [21] - 496-8755
- TELUS World of Science (formerly the Odyssium), 11211 142 St [22] - 780-452-9100 Edmonton's largest science museum with an architectural design that is out of this world, with lots of science exhibits, a planeterium, and an IMAX theatre.
- Royal Alberta Museum, 12845 102 Ave. [23] - 780-453-9100
- River Valley Parks, Wonderful walking, jogging and cycling paths through the River Valley. One of the most popular being Hawrelak Park which is located just off Groat Road and contains a pond home to various species of ducks and geese in summer along with a paddleboat rentals. The site of a variety of different festivals including Shakespeare in the Park and Symphony Under the Sky. In winter after the ice has frozen thick enough it is a popular venue for outdoor ice skating.
- Valley Zoo, 13315 Buena Vista Rd. [24] - 780-496-6924
- West Edmonton Mall 170 Street and 87 Avenue. [25] With the dubious distinction of being the largest indoor shopping and entertainment center in North America, this is definitely one of Edmonton's unique attractions. There are more than 900 stores and services, as well as the Galaxyland amusement park, the World Waterpark, the Fantasyland hotel, the Europa shopping district, Chinatown, an exotic flamingo wading pool, sea lion shows, a realistic replica of the Santa Maria ship, casino, nightclubs, two movie theaters and an IMAX theater, a dinner theater, two mini golf centers, a skating rink, shooting range, many restaurants, and much, much more! It's a bit tacky and tourist-y, but even its detractors can't argue its ability to serve shoppers. Particularly in winter, it provides a comfortable smorgasbord of shops and entertainment well away from the chilly outdoors.
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DO
Edmonton is a surprisingly lively city for an area covered in snow 6 months of the year. Called the "Vegas of the North" by some, due to the numerous opportunities for gambling in the area. The summer brings many festivals into the city, and with Canada's most impressive mountain parks a half-day's drive away, Edmonton is fun year-round.
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EAT
These places may not serve the best food or drink of their type, but they suit the economy-minded. If you're traveling on a tight budget, you won't be disappointed.
- Commercial Hotel - Blues on Whyte, 10329 82 Ave. Rock-bottom prices on beer, with a crowd to match. The bar serves all the low-brow beers, and has a surprisingly good selection at the opposite end of the spectrum - at the best prices in town. You can get Guinness on tap at a good price (for Edmonton), as well as Strongbow cider and several of the Big Rock brews. Live blues music on stage weekday evenings, with a locally-famous open stage on Saturday afternoons (arrive early if you want your own seat).
- The Garage Burger Bar, 10244-106 Street (downtown). Although aficianados argue about the best burger in town, this little restaurant has been appearing as one of the top two or three in city-wide reviews for years. It has a full liquor license and a good variety of inexpensive, high-quality burger meals. The prices are low and the staff friendly.
- Chicken for Lunch, 10060 Jasper Avenue NW (downtown, lower level Scotia Place). Good cheap chicken stir-fry served with a smile by Amy who will remember your name and your order the next time. Get there AT LEAST by 11:30AM, as the lines easily reach 50 people at peak. There are other empty kiosks if you run out of waiting time.
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