Cloudy skies, rainy days, bright green trees, and “thank yous” and “eh’s” left, right and centre – we were definitely in Canada.
It was in Edmonton, our first destination, when I realised the “Canadians are so polite” belief is not a myth – seriously, this nation of people were so lovely.
Everyone would smile at you, say “hello there” when walking down the street, and help you out if you needed it – without even asking.
It was also in Edmonton that I fell head over heels in love with Canada.
I could feel it then – I’m going to have a long, intimate relationship with this country.
The trip I was on was only two weeks in length, but even so, I knew I would be back.
Many times, hopefully.
One of our big activities while in the Capitol of Alberta was a visit to the West Edmonton Mall – the largest mall in North America, and the 10th largest in the world.
It’s not just a mall, it’s a destination in itself.
Seriously, it has a theme park, a water park, a sea life cavern, a sea lion show (of which I do not support), putt putt golf, an ice hockey rink, a hotel, and a massive freaking pirate ship in the middle of it.
Oh, and heaps of shops and food outlets, of course.
It’s safe to say you need a whole day to explore it.
If you’re looking for a fun activity for children in Edmonton, head to the Telus World of Science.
No, neither my mother or I are children, but my mum is a school teacher and I am a kid-at-heart, so hey, this was a fantastic rainy-day activity for us.
If you’re from eastern Australia, you may have taken a school trip to Questacon in Canberra or somewhere similar, well the Telus World of Science is kind of like that.
Heaps of hands-on activities – and a bit of learning – make for a fun time.
Check it out if you’re looking for a cute date, or to entertain some kiddies.
Also, I must make a mention of the fantastic public transport they have in Alberta.
From Day 1 in Edmonton we were blown away by how efficient, polite, easy-to use, and cheap!
Massive props to Canada for having such an awesome transit system!
I would definitely recommend using public transport – it’s really easy to use and will be cheaper than hiring a car or getting taxis around.
Edmonton
Where we stayed: HI Edmonton Hostel
Where we went: West Edmonton Mall. Telus World of Science
Where we ate: Chianti, Edmonton Old Strathcona
How we got around: Edmonton Transit
Note: I am not partnered with any of the above mentioned companies, nor was I paid to mention them, it just turns out that when I organised this holiday I went with these.