Jim and Lyndi ZR-1 Road Trip 2019 - Back to Alaska

[QB93Z]

After the Chuck Wagon Races, the arena was changed to a high-tech, multimedia performance set. The transition took about 30 minutes and was fasinating to watch:





The show featured singing, dancing, acrobatics, with local performers and acts from around the world. A world-class fireworks show capped off the evening:











The Calary Stampede Evening Show was a wonderful event. We were completely entertained and will have some great memories. We highly that everyone attend.


Jim

[QB93Z]

On Saturday, July 6th, we remained in Calgary and attended the Calgary Stampede Rodeo Show. It was the first time I have seen a "big time" rodeo. The events included: bare back bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, cattle wrestling, junior bull riding, ladies barrel racing and bull riding. The rodeo is an invitation only event and included some of the best riders in the world. The rodeo lasts for the entire ten days of the Stampede and the winners will be splitting awards over a million dollars.
Here are some pictures of the action:





















I highly recommend going to Calgary and attending the Calgary Stampede! The Stampede is a non-profit organization and the proceeds are used to support city and provincial projects. The Stampede was very professionally run. There were hundreds of staff to ensure that went well. The entertainment was professional and enjoyable. The parking for the record attendance today was a challenge, but we avoided the problem by going on-line to ParkWiz to get advanced reserved parking adjacent to the Stampede Park.

Jim

[dandt67]

Jim
WOW!!! GREAT SHOW!!! Did you have to purchase tickets in advance or at the gate ?

[Tripler]

I am a Cannuck and will probably never see that amazing spectacle so thanks for sharing Jim and Lyndi .

;-)

[WARP TEN]

Originally Posted by QB93Z

....There was even a Dark Red C-7 Corvette being raffled. It sure was clean, I am not used to that:

.....

It's called Long Beach Red and is a great color, even if I say so myself. Even tough it is not a Z06, I would say take a chance on it! Love the pics of the Stampede show; I hope to get to go someday. Lyndi, those are spectacular photos of the rodeo action.--Bob

[QB93Z]

Originally Posted by dandt67

Jim
WOW!!! GREAT SHOW!!! Did you have to purchase tickets in advance or at the gate ?

I purchased all of the Stampede event tickets in advance using the on-line tools for seat selection. The site worked well, showing individual seat pricing and allowed selection for every day of the ten-day event.
The problem was figuring out which seats would be good for the different events. The Chuck Wagon Racing and the Evening Show were one ticket. The afternoon Rodeo ticket covered all the rodeo events for a day. The program and rodeo event tickets included Stampede general admission for the appropriate day.
I want to give a special Thank You to Nelson for his excellent advice about the seats to get. He recommended Grand Stand seats, high up, near the center and near the front of section. We enjoyed the shows and got to see all the action. Thanks Nelson!!!


Jim

[QB93Z]

Day 30: On Sunday, we drove from Calgary to East Glacier, Montana to spend the night in The Glacier Lodge. After leaving Calgary, we drove south on RT-2. The terrain in this region of Alberta is mostly flat and in agricultural use.




In the town of Nanton, AB we found the Bomber Command Mmuseum fo Canada honoring the men and women of Canadia who served in the air campaign against Germany in World War II. We were earlier than the open time but we did get some pictures of the planes:






From southern Alberta, we got our first views of the mountains of Glacier National Park:




We stopped of gas in Clarsholm, AB and Lyndi sighted people riding horses in a small fenced ring:




We investigated and discovered a Team Roping Championship event being held at the Agriplex:








We learned that Team Roping is a sport that many horseman take very seriously.

[QB93Z]

Team Roping is an demanding test of two riders and two horses. A small steer is released from a chute. The steer will run for the far end of the ring. Two riders have to start quickly and catch up to the steer. The Header has to lasso the steer. Then the Heeler has to lasso the steer's rear leg. Then the horses back up to restrain the steer and the clock stops when a judge drops his flag.




















to be continued........

[QB93Z]

The team roping was fun to watch. The event was well run and there was always a lot going on in the ring. The first section was 147 teams. Each team that had a successful run in the first section gets to compete in a subsequent section. The team with the most consistent time wins.
The audience is very close to the ring. I could have reached out to shake hands with a rider.




Men and women compete in the event, although I didn't see any woman Heelers.




The steers wear a protective harness to protect their horns. They know what is expected of them and the run to the exit very enthusiastically:
;




Although I didn't see and collisions, I think cell phones while riding should be banned:




Jim

[QB93Z]

We spent our night in East Glacier at the Glacier Park Lodge. This lodge was built by the Great Northern Railroad in 1912, just after Glacier National Park was dedicated. The three-story main building of the lodge required 60 Douglas Fir trunks. Each timber is 40 feet long and 36 to 42 inches in diameter. This lodge is one of the nicest historic lodges in the National Park System and is our favorite. The lodge is privately owned and is not run by the NP lodging contractor. Reservations are made directly with the lodge.






We did not go into the Glacier NP on this trip, but the snow on the mountains provided a nice view:




Day 31: We drove east on US-2 then south on US-89/ US-287, to Livingston, MT. Western Montana has a lot of acres in agriculture and a lot of mountains. It is a beautiful area:






The unique landscape of the Missouri River Canyon caught our attention. We added the area to our Bucket List:







Jim