Fam Trip – Icelandair to Iceland and Edmonton (part 2 of 2)
The next visit was to Rogers Place and the new home of the Edmonton Oilers ice hockey team. I was very impressed by the ‘behind the scenes’ tour of this impressive new stadium and the planned development of the Ice District area of Edmonton. In the evening I was off to the races, Northland Park is the centre for horse racing and it is a great evening’s entertainment with another great meal – this time in Colours Restaurant. Unfortunately lady luck was not on my side when it came to picking a winner, but overall I had a super time.
The next morning I planned a walking tour to see as much of downtown Edmonton as I could. After a hearty breakfast I headed up to Sir Winston Churchill Square before heading over to City Market Downtown. This farmers market on 104th Street is vibrant, welcoming and with a great atmosphere. I then walked toward the impressive Alberta Legislative Building (known locally as “the Leg”). It was great to see so many people enjoying this area (including young children playing with the dancing fountains). I then took the High Level Bridge Streetcar (or tram) across the river to Old Strathcona. The streetcar I took had originally plied its trade in Melbourne, Australia and was completely preserved with original Australian adverts inside. Incidentally the conductor on-board hailed originally from Coleraine.
After arriving in Old Strathcona I first of all explored the Old Strathcona Framers market, full of food, fun and again a wonderful atmosphere for visitor and residents alike. I then explored the quirky shops on Whytes Avenue – you do not find your chain stores here. Then working up a thirst I visited the busy and popular Situation Brewery where I was able to enjoy a few samples as well as a great chat with the owner about particular beers that he was developing.
I enjoyed my walk back across the river to the Chateau Lacombe before heading out for an early dinner at the luxury Fairmont MacDonald. Dinner was on the patio outside, which has a super atmosphere, especially with a wedding reception taking place nearby. After dinner it was off to the Citadel Theatre for an Improvisation Comedy Show – great fun! A few drinks in a local bar ended a great day.
On Sunday morning I was off to get a demonstration on how to make the perfect brunch (whilst getting to sample the wares) at Get Cooking hosted by Kathryn Joel and Doreen Prei. Not only did they conjure up this amazing brunch but I then got to sample it fully – yum, yum!
Next it was off to Fort Edmonton Park, this park portrays Edmonton through the years, from its early beginning as a fur trading centre to the 1880’s, 1900’s and finally the 1920’s. Interacting with staff in period costume lets you know exactly how life was like in these times. A great fun day out for the whole family. After this it was ‘back to the future’ with a visit to West Edmonton Mall described as the Everest of indoor entertainment, shopping and attractions. Our host met my group on a full scale replica of Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria, and this was dwarfed by the sheer scale of this place. It is absolutely massive and not only includes over 800 shops but ice rink, casino, movie theatres, an indoor theme park, the world’s largest indoor wave pool, an aquarium and lots of places to eat and drink!
Finally it was off for another wonderful dinner this time at Kitchen by Brad where a wonderful tasting menu was prepared in front of my eyes, and it was simply amazing.
On my last morning before returning home I had a great breakfast at Little Brick followed by competitive axe throwing at the Rec Room (a great indoor amusement park) – unfortunately I did not win – there are far better axe throwers than me. This was followed by yet another amazing meal with my lunch at Chartier. All too soon it was time to head to the airport for my flights home.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Edmonton and found there is loads to see and do in this great city. It really is a ‘foodie paradise’ with loads of amazing restaurants using fantastic local produce to really create a vibrant and exciting restaurant scene. So I would really recommend you include the city in your Canada itinerary.
My return flight via Kefvlavik was straightforward with a great connection onto Belfast, luggage being checked straight through. One surprise was that by flying so far North my overnight flight was entirely in daylight - the first time I have ever experienced this returning across the Atlantic.