Segway Fun: Exploring the Legislature Lights with River Valley Adventure Company

My first taste of riding a Segway came six years ago, when we partnered up with River Valley Adventure Company for our pop-up Blink: Urban Picnic event held in Louise McKinney Park. During that event, the owner of the company, Chris Szydlowski, gave our attendees mini lessons on Segways, which they were using to lead tours on the area’s trails. I was only able to try the Segway for a few minutes, but I remember not feeling all that comfortable on the vehicle.

Fast forward to now: River Valley Adventure Company is not only leading tours in green spaces, but starting last year, they also began hosting the Legislature Lights Adventure! The 60-minute tour combines a few of my favourite things – Mack and I are frequent visitors to the grounds during the holidays, as we find that the lights and music create a magical effect. Also, being that he is a very passionate Edmontonian, Chris delights in being able to share fun and interesting facts about the area throughout the journey. He invited us to experience the Adventure for ourselves last Friday.

We met him in the visitor parking lot south of the Terrace Building, where he had positioned three Segways. Because neither Mack or I were experienced Segway riders, Chris added a 30-minute introduction clinic to get us started.

Chris Szydlowski

It was the mark of a great teacher, because after that lesson, I felt surprisingly confident on the Segway. I had been afraid of tipping or losing control of the machine, but with his expert instructions, I was able to trust in using what I had learned to ride, stop, and safely disembark the Segway.

Something I should have done was listened to his advice on layering up for the conditions! He had recommended dressing like we were “headed for the mountains”, but at -8C that evening, we didn’t think it was necessary. However, at times, when we were cruising along at the top speed of 20km/hour, it was a bit more biting than what we are used to as pedestrians. Our feet, in spite of not standing directly on the cold pavement, also could have used proper snow boots.

Chris shared that in its second year, the Legislature Lights Adventure had already more than doubled its bookings when compared with the previous year. And while many who have attended the tour have been from out of town, some were playing tourist in their own home. Certainly for us, we learned many facts that we did not know – Chris took us to the spot (commemorated by a plaque) that was the home to one of the previous Fort Edmontons. In addition, we found out that the domed fountain that operates in the summer is actually an exact sized replica of the Legislature’s dome!

Holiday lights at the Legislature

Chris told us that Edmonton is one of the most Segway-friendly cities in Canada; the vehicles are permitted on city sidewalks. It so happened that our tour coincided with rush hour, so for our brief trek up Capital Boulevard to admire the public art, Chris was adept at guiding us to cross streets safely and warning pedestrians of our presence with a bike bell.

On Capital Boulevard

For those hoping to document their experience, Chris makes sure to build in a number of photo opportunities along the way. As we started in the late afternoon, the lights didn’t have as dark of a backdrop to shine against. The public tours are offered later in the evening, however, so would be adventurers needn’t worry!

Our favourite vantage point at the Legislature

Overall, the tour was a fun way to explore one of my favourite places Downtown, and one that I would highly recommend! Thanks again to Chris for the invitation to experience the Legislature grounds on a unique set of two wheels.

The Legislature Lights Adventure is available until January 31, 2019.

A New Frontier for the Telus World of Science: The Purple Pear

Last week, I was among those invited to attend the media showcase of The Purple Pear, the rebranded cafeteria-style restaurant inside the Telus World of Science. Open since September 30, 2016, the eatery has had a complete makeover, from the dining room to the menus.

The entire space has been transformed – from the herb garden lining the newly-installed windows and the much cleaner purple and white colour palette, to the subtle aurora borealis accent lights.

The Purple Pear

If you’re wondering about the name – it was generated through an internal contest. Staff were invited to submit entries and the most popular one was selected. “The Purple Pear” was chosen because it echoed TWOSE’s colour branding, and relating a theme of science, is something not found in nature. You can find the name of the staff who submitted the entry on the menu – as the winner of the contest, Mikhaiel had a pizza named after her.

Wine-poached “purple pear” appetizers

As expected, the menu features a lot of kid friendly options, but also some more interesting dishes to appeal to more adult tastes, including a prosciutto and pear salad and a tuna tataki sandwich. We had the opportunity to sample a slider version of the TWOSE stacked burger, a solid choice layered with crispy onions, cheddar, applewood smoked bacon and their house sauce.

TWOSE sliders

Without a doubt, the star of the new menu are their pizzas. Baked in the same high temperature ovens found at Urbano Pizza, they are ready in just minutes. My sister and I had the chance to sample two types: the Godfather ($11.95) and the Mikhaiel ($14.95).

The Godfather

While the Godfather, with tomato sauce, capicola ham, genoa salami, chorizo sausage, red onion and mozzarella was a fairly standard pizza, the Mikhaeil featured more unique ingredients. We really liked the combination of alfredo sauce, chicken, bacon, caramelized onion, artichokes, goat cheese, arugula and mozzarella.

The Mikhaeil

The Purple Pear is also trying to offer dishes themed for their current exhibitions. In conjunction with Angry Birds Universe, they have a “Bird Egg Pig” burger on special (unfortunately, trademark laws restrict the kitchen’s ability to name the burger). It’s a fun way for the restaurant to continue the fun to be had in the rest of the facility.

Most interesting to me, The Purple Pear hopes to appeal to area businesses and residents who are seeking different meal options. In warmer climes, they want to attract people looking for picnic lunches to take over to the underutilized Coronation Park, and perhaps in a few years when the Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium reopens, there will be even more foot traffic around TWOSE. It will take much effort on their part to increase awareness about their new offerings, as the facility has never been known as a food destination, but with some creativity and innovation, it may be possible.

Thanks to the staff for hosting the showcase, and I look forward to visiting again some time in the future!

The View from the River: Paddling the North Saskatchewan with Edmonton Canoe

Last year, my coworker’s husband worked for Edmonton Canoe over the summer, and it was from her that I first learned about an all-inclusive way to paddle down the North Saskatchewan from Devon and into the city. Mack and I have wanted to see the city from the river’s perspective for some time, and finally made plans to do so last weekend.

Edmonton Canoe is one of two local companies that provides bus transportation from Edmonton to Devon and at the boat launch, sets you up with a canoe or kayak. For the two of us, we paid $100 total.

We met the staff and the rest of the group we would be departing with at Emily Murphy Park. Full disclosure, we arrived a few minutes late, and thus missed the complete introduction from the staff member. Still, from what we gathered, it was fairly brief; she was pointing out the route on a two-sided map we would be given to guide us on our journey, along with a whistle we were told to use in case of emergency. They estimated the trip would take approximately 7-8 hours.

Before getting on the bus to Devon, we were “checked off” a list (I had pre-paid for the trip by phone), though we found it odd that they didn’t confirm our cell phone number or even note down the number of the canoe we were assigned. When we docked, we weren’t asked for our names; I’m not sure how they would have known who to look for in the event all parties weren’t accounted for by the end of the night. In some ways, this was emblematic of our experience – Edmonton Canoe seemed uninterested in anything beyond the basic provision of transportation and a canoe rental, even though there were many opportunities for them to make service less of an afterthought.

Although a map of our river course was provided to us on the bus, it was clear the document was more than ten years old. It definitely could have been more detailed, as some of the pedestrian bridges we passed under were not noted, and given the bus ride was 30 minutes in duration, there would have been enough time for either a verbal overview or to look over information about the landmarks we could watch for.

Paddles ready

At the Devon boat launch, we had time to visit restrooms before we were fitted with lifejackets and pushed off in our vessel for the day. There were a few parties ahead of us, and a large group behind us, and though we all likely set off within about 20 minutes of each other, we eventually lost sight of everyone else.

On the river

When we started our trip, the weather was more than cooperative. Sunny, clear and without much of a breeze, spending the day floating downstream seemed like it would be a pleasant experience.

Our layered valley

I had been most looking forward to getting into Edmonton, in order to observe our bridges from the water, but I actually found the Devon portion most peaceful and relaxing. Mack and I were both amazed at how shallow and clear the river was in places – only a few inches deep – and understood why some have encouraged more Edmontonians to utilize the river as a place to swim. We did observe a few small groups floating on dinghies, but most of the people by the water’s edge were dog owners, along Terwillegar and Laurier Parks.

Dogs enjoying the water

The highlight of the canoe trip was when we spotted a family of deer along the shore, just before the Anthony Henday Bridge. We’ve seen roadside wildlife before, but never riverside wildlife!

Deer!

We ended up shoring up there to stop for lunch (which we had brought with us). Although the staff had pointed out a place called Big Island on the map, without any actual signage on the water, it was clear we had overshot it by that point. Mack commented that it would have been nice if some of the Edmonton Canoe staff had been waiting for us at Big Island to flag us down so we could have lunch as a group.

Mack at our lunch break

Riverside flowers

In the city, we made some discoveries, including Hawrelak Park/Buena Vista Park Pedestrian Bridge that we didn’t know existed.

Fort Edmonton Park Footbridge

We also had a great vantage point of the End of the World attraction in Belgravia. I’m not sure if it is normally that busy on a Saturday afternoon, or if the traffic was related to the recent media attention because of a survey the City is conducting on how to make changes to improve the safety of the site.

The End of the World

That second half of the trip was also memorable for reasons not as positive. By then, the headwinds had picked up, and in three separate instances, were so strong we couldn’t manage paddling against the wind and ended up turned the wrong way. Thankfully Mack has more canoeing experience, but it was a challenge to finish that last leg.

In some ways, the winds were a reason why the nonchalant greeting of the Edmonton Canoe staff we met at Emily Murphy Park was so bewildering. Given it seemed that most folks who would choose a service like this are novices, I figured there would be some concern on their part about our wind-swept journey. But as mentioned before, they didn’t even bother to check us off a list, so it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

We survived!

Canoeheads is the other company offering transportation/rentals, and the trip would be slightly shorter, at Laurier Park. Edmonton Canoe does offer a shorter trip of its own, from Emily Murphy to Capilano Park, which Mack and I will consider on a day with no forecasted wind!

As a whole, while we’re glad we finally experienced the view of our city from the North Saskatchewan, and appreciate the convenience provided by Edmonton Canoe, we felt like it was a bit of a missed opportunity to provide a bit more awareness about our river valley and its history, sights and landmarks.

Recap: Dark Matters Nerdgasm

It’s been more than a year since Mack and I attended Dark Matters, a series of adult-only evenings at the Telus World of Science. Billed as an event where “science is served on the rocks & the adults come out to play,” Dark Matters provides a relaxed environment for learning and the opportunity to connect with an Edmonton attraction in a different way.

Thespian robot

The Dark Matters that we attended last July was centered around food, while the theme of Thursday’s event was “Nerdgasm”. Top-secret Nerd Nite Edmonton lectures were the feature of the evening.

What brought us out to this particular Dark Matters was actually the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit. We’d recently visited Jurassic Forest in Gibbons, and learned that similar animatronic dinosaurs were on display closer to home.

Mack with a juvenile t-rex

As one of our biggest complaints about Jurassic Forest was the distance between the viewing platform and the dinosaurs themselves, Dinosaurs Unearthed did deliver. The exhibition is, as expected, much more compact, with a combination of animatronic and fossil specimens on display.

Dinosaurs Unearthed

The figures also featured the most up-to-date renderings of dinosaurs, feathers and all. Though we have to say, after learning that a velociraptor was between the size of a turkey and Great Dane, that classic raptor/kitchen scene in Jurassic Park just wouldn’t be the same if based on current scientific knowledge.

I couldn’t help myself

While we enjoyed our visit with the dinosaurs, the highlight of Dark Matters did end up being the Nerd Nite lecture. Megan Evans, who plays the French horn for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, demystified the instrument for us. It was an enlightening and engaging 45 minutes, full of humour and fun facts. It was a great primer on what we could expect at a regular Nerd Nite event, which starts up again in September.

Megan Evans on the French horn

Mack and I both agreed that this Dark Matters seemed to involve more elements than the previous one we’d attended. They made the most of the space, including outside the facility, where staff were launching rockets.

Rocket launching isn’t just for kids

We ended our evening with a tour of TWOSE with long-time staff member (and now volunteer) Trevor Prentice. He is an enthusiastic ambassador of the centre, and introduced us to his favourite exhibit – an actual piece of the moon!

Trevor with the moon rock exhibit

We were granted a behind-the-scenes look at the Margaret Zeidler Star Theatre (did you know that the laser shows are not pre-programmed and are controlled by the technician?). Trevor also showed us Sophie, the star projection machine used before the transition to a digital system.

Sophie

It was a great way to spend an evening reacquainting ourselves with the Telus World of Science. The next Dark Matters is taking place on October 15, 2015, with a rock & roll theme – it should be fun!

Museum After Dark: Fun at the Royal Alberta Museum

It’s been great to see local cultural and learning institutions reach out and engage the “next gen” community, reminding us of their relevance beyond serving tourists and school groups. The Art Gallery of Alberta’s popular Refinery series is probably the best Edmonton example, though the Calgary Spark Centre’s adult-only themed nights have also been immensely successful. The Royal Alberta Museum has now joined this list with their Museum After Dark series, organized by the Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum Society (FRAMS), which launched last night.

Museum After Dark

Combining a cocktail party with an opportunity to learn more about the museum currently under construction, doors opened at 6:30. Mack and I arrived at 7:15pm, not knowing that the official program had already started at 7pm. As a result, along with several others, we missed the beginning of the presentation about the new site (for future events, organizers will be publishing program details in advance, so this won’t be a continuing issue). Neither of us knew much about the design of the new building, so we were heartened to see that elements of the current building and of the former post office are being preserved and will be showcased in the design. As well, from the photos shown, it looks like the majority of the exterior will be constructed of glass, as a better way to visually interact (and not wall itself off) with its neighbours, including Chinatown directly north of the facility. They expect the new building to open in 2017.

After the presentation, guests were invited to mix and mingle over drinks and food by Mercer’s Catering. We just had dinner prior to the event, so we didn’t end up sampling much, but I was surprised at the quantity of the spread. From a custom salad station to stir-fry served over rice in Chinese food boxes and mini grilled cheese sandwiches, organizers spared no expense to make sure attendees were well-fed, especially considering ticket prices were just $15.

Gorgeous shrimp cocktails with citrus pipettes

DJ Junior Brown provided the musical backdrop in the theatre lobby, though with 250 tickets sold, for space considerations, it was great that we were also able to explore the first floor of the museum as well.

I had too much fun in the gift shop

To encourage this, FRAMS had put together a variety of bingo cards, to be filled in by answering questions related to the ground floor exhibits. The prizes were nothing to sneeze at either, and included an iPad mini and a behind-the-scenes tour of the current and new museums. While we weren’t feeling motivated to compete, given the frenzy around us, there was no question many people were there to win. In the end, we were happy to see Brittney and Scott take home the grand prize – I’m looking forward to seeing photos of their private tour!

Our sad attempt at Museum Bingo

We were a bit disappointed that only part of the museum was open to us (Mack had been looking forward to the Bug Room on the second floor), but I understand it was an issue of volunteer/staff resources – hopefully if the event expands, this can be looked at in the future. That said, it was great to finally explore the Chop Suey on the Prairies exhibit.

Chop Suey on the Prairies

The exhibit provided a good introduction to Chinese immigration and the challenges early immigrants faced in their new communities. I liked the integration of videos amongst the artifacts and placards, though I have to say, with mouth-watering projections of several Chinese dishes, it’s a shame there isn’t a restaurant take-out window opposite the exhibit to immediately satisfy the cravings that resulted.

Good enough to eat!

Kudos to the organizers for a successful first Museum After Dark! Stay tuned for the next event to be announced on the FRAMS website, likely to take place in May 2014.

Food Through the Ages @ Fort Edmonton Park

Over the August long weekend, Mack and I were invited to attend the second annual Food Through the Ages event at Fort Edmonton Park. Though we do our best to visit the Park once every summer regardless (I love the midway!), this seemed like a great excuse to do so, all while experiencing the attraction through a particular lens.

The train!

In 2012, Fort Edmonton Park introduced Food Through the Ages as a means for visitors to sample typical dishes served in the different eras represented throughout the Park. It was a success, but this year, they tweaked the formula somewhat. Besides making it clear that only tastes (as opposed to full meals) would be offered, the Park also instigated that visitors would have to work for their food by performing period-specific tasks. The children we saw participating that day were relishing the opportunity to earn their keep (all in a wonderful learning context), but I have to say that as an adult, I had a great time as well!

Cree Camp interpreter

The Saturday of that long weekend celebrated life in the 1846 Fort (I’m a little sad I didn’t get to try the roasted pea coffee), while Sunday focused on 1885 (and tempted with rabbit stew!). Our visit highlighted tasks and tastes of 1905 and 1920.

How about some tongue toast or jellied moose nose?

The Park staff were nice enough to organize a tour guide to accompany us throughout the afternoon. Although we’ve been to Fort Edmonton countless times, our guide Shannon pointed us to several things we have overlooked in the past, such as a replica of the Avro Avian Biplane flown by Wop May.

Avro Avian Biplane

We started with mail delivery on 1905 Street. We were paid for carrying a package from the post office to one of the residences which we used to purchase a sample of jellied duck. The dominant flavour was actually the poultry stock, and the texture was better than it sounded.

Mack earns his keep

Jellied duck

Across the street in Tent City, I helped with laundry. Using the washboard reminded me of how grateful we are to have electric machines for this chore! With the money I earned, we purchased some freshly made beans on toast from the camp.

Manual laundry

Mack loves beans on toast

Over on 1920 Street, we tried our hand at the Alberta Government Telephone Exchange. Though we’ve been to the Park plenty of times, this was the first time we’ve encountered an interpreter in this building. It was neat learning about how the system worked (including the “party lines”!), and even connecting a call.

Too many switches!

For our trouble, we were rewarded with hot potato cakes and oatmeal cookies at the Mellon Farm.

Potato cakes

We saved the best for last – the 1920’s Midway! We helped clear the grass of rocks and debris, and Mack even tried out for the circus!

Hard at work

The Amazing Balance Man

The money we were paid was enough to purchase cheese sandwiches and some lemonade. Simple but appropriate for the context!

Staple food

Of course, we couldn’t leave the park without a few spins on the carousel and the Ferris wheel.

Whee!

It sounds like Food Through the Ages was again well received, so make sure to look for it again next year! Thanks to the Park for allowing us to take part, and to our enthusiastic tour guide Shannon! And though Fort Edmonton Park is now closed for the season for regular admission, check out their calendar to learn about their upoming special and holiday events.

Cycling Adventures in the Mill Creek Ravine

It only took us a year to follow through, but Mack and I finally took the time to rent bikes as a means of further exploring Edmonton’s river valley trails.

We still don’t know all that much about the bike rental scene in Edmonton, but knew that the River Valley Adventure Company would suit our needs that day, as it was situated in the perfect jumping off point for our adventures.

At $10 per hour, it was also a reasonable price to pay. The rental cost included a helmet, but we were a bit disappointed to learn that a bike lock wasn’t included. Hopefully this is something they re-evaluate, as I would imagine the lock would come in handy for those looking to make a pit stop along the way. It also wasn’t all that encouraging to hear that we were the first sale that day; it’s an unfortunate refrain that the river valley isn’t as well utilized as it could be, so it’s not a surprise that neither is the business.

And we’re off!

While we’ve often walked riverside path of Louise McKinney to as far as Cloverdale, this was the first time we’ve travelled through the Mill Creek Ravine. It’s obvious, but though the MIll Creek Adventure Walk is a wonderful way to animate the area in the winter months, nothing compares to the fall beauty of the park that surrounded us that day.

Creekside

The air started out crisp, but warmed up that afternoon as we rode down the paths lined with golden leaves.

Multi-use trail

We immediately noticed the lack of signage on the trail. Unless we deliberately went off course, we had no way of knowing where we were in relation to commuter streets. Eventually, we came across a sign that has seen better days, and realized we had made it all the way to King Edward Park. At that point, we were only a hop, skip and a jump away from Argyll – we had no idea the trails so readily connected these communities.

Outdated map

Doubling back so we could stop at the Mill Creek Café for a snack, we took the scenic route back, across the pedestrian bridge across Connors Road.

Skyline photo op!

It was a delight to explore one of Edmonton’s gems in the fall – I’d encourage you to do the same, if you’re able to before we transition into the next season!

Date Night: Birch Patio and the Devonian Botanical Garden

Though we later decided to indulge at the Hardware Grill Chef’s Table for my birthday, my initial answer to Mack’s question about what I wanted to do for my birthday was, “Date Night at the Devonian Botanical Garden”.

When it was announced that Elm Café would not only be taking over food service at the Devonian Botanical Garden, but also would be organizing a series of themed food and amusement nights every Thursday in the summer, I knew I wanted to check it out. It seemed like a great way to increase traffic to the attraction in a creative way. The evenings range from Cuban-inspired dinners with a side of rumba, pasta- and ricotta-making paired with an Italian feast and Taiko drumming lessons followed by a Japanese meal. But Mack wasn’t the least bit surprised with the date night I was most taken by: the July 4th County Fair. Hot dogs, burgers and popcorn with some live music? Count me in!

The drive out to the Gardens at rush hour wasn’t as bad as we originally anticipated, not taking much longer than the suggested Google Maps time. We paid admission ($13 for adults) and were immediately whisked away with the musical stylings of Up the Creek, a bluesgrass band.

Up the Creek

It was a gorgeous night to enjoy dinner outdoors. Elm Café’s concession stand at the Gardens is called The Birch Patio, and that night, in addition to their usual menu of daily soups and sandwiches was bison or chorizo bratwurst, beef burgers and ice cream sundaes. I ordered a chorizo bratwurst ($5) and Mack chose the burger ($7).

Al fresco dining at its best

Neither was particularly fancy, but they were tasty, and fitting for the night’s theme and atmosphere. It also meant that we had room for popcorn and ice cream afterwards!

Bratwurst, burger and lemonade

The real treat for us was the excuse this date night provided to get out to the Garden in the first place. Neither of us had been before, so we relished the opportunity to finally explore the greenery for ourselves.

Our biggest mistake was failing to remember bug spray, and again, when encountering bottles of it at the admissions counter, not recognizing that as a sign. We were literally chased off of some of the wooded trails by mosquitos, so hopefully this serves as a warning to any who follow in our footsteps – do not forget the repellant!

Into the woods

Besides the unavoidable pests, we really enjoyed wandering through the different areas, encountering wildlife, and stopping to smell the roses.

A family of geese

I found a treat!

Rose garden

More flowers

Mack even had the chance to do his best impression of Juliet!

We both looked forward to finishing our visit at the Kurimoto Japanese Gardens, and they didn’t disappoint. The soothing water feature, manicured lawns, and blossom-lined paths were even more beautiful than the pictures suggested.

Kurimoto Japanese Gardens

Waterfall

Flowers

On the bridge

Date night at the Devonian Botanical Garden was a fun way to spend a summer evening – I’d encourage you to check it out while you have the chance! Take a peek at the remaining schedule here.

Park After Dark: Tweetup at Northlands Park

Something Mack and I have wanted to do for ages in Edmonton is watch a live horse race. Though my only exposure to horse racing in general is watching the Triple Crown on television, we knew Northlands Park had a reputation for putting on a good show (and those tongue-in-cheek commercials with aptly named horses like getoffthecouch probably didn’t hurt either). Fortuitously, the Park was hosting a tweetup on a Friday night two weeks ago. We signed up through EventBrite and hoped for the best.

We rode the train over to Northlands (though I know it’s obvious, it would have been nice if transit was mentioned on the EventBrite ticket, instead of only listing the availability of free parking), and walked through some of the preliminary Capital Ex set-up on our way to the Park. Once there, we found quite a happening space.

Park After Dark

In an effort to attract a younger demographic, and to de-mystify the aura around horse racing, Northlands transforms into what they bill as “Edmonton’s largest patio party” once a week in the summer. I was really amazed at what some cushy rattan furniture and a live DJ could do to transform the uninviting pavement into a sun-drenched lounge. The Park in the Dark series, which takes place every Friday through to September, also features a free shuttle to The Pint.

The DJ was nice enough to invite us to have a photo taken

The entire patio is licensed (and also serves up a casual barbecue menu), but patrons of all ages are permitted. This translated into quite a diverse range of parties – from families with young children to the bar crowd to older couples. In many ways, Northlands has done a great job to make it a destination for almost everyone.

Lounging al fresco

They even had a few hilarious bouncy ball races down the track between races, similar to the silly competitions hosted at other sporting events at half time.

In it to win it

Of course, part of the intention behind the tweetup was to teach those of us racing neophytes how to place bets. We had missed the initial group lesson (5:30pm was much too early to begin the formal program), but it actually worked out for the best. We were hooked up with a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, who took some time to go through the rudimentary elements of a wager, as well as some of the statistics to look for (e.g., jockey’s record, horse’s lifetime record, horse’s record at Northlands Park). In the end though, he encouraged us to have fun with it – sometimes the best wagers are made on superficial elements like the names or colour of an animal (Cathy has a cheeky breakdown of more random betting schemes).

Justin was a good mentor!

All guests of the tweetup received a free $2 wager, but we were lucky enough to receive an additional $25. With that, we were able to play around quite a bit with the types of bets we made – from choosing a jockey with a winning streak that night and the horse with the best record to a horse with a memorable name (“Dream Nettie”, in our case, who reminded us of our Belua Designs creation). It was definitely hit or miss, but cheering for our horse to reach the post was made that much more exciting with money on the line!

Here they come…

Right in the action

At the end of the day, we made slightly more than what we wagered, which is all we could have hoped for our first time out – call it beginner’s luck!

Mack’s all smiles with his highest winning ticket

Thanks to Northlands for putting on a great tweetup, and for helping us get our feet wet in the world of horse racing!

Homeward Trust Volunteer Appreciation Party at Fort Edmonton Park

As far as short-term volunteer commitments go, I think Homeward Trust offers some great opportunities to give back. Whether at Homeless Connect or through the Homeless Count, being involved in their projects always feels rewarding.

That said, they also know how to appreciate their volunteers. In the past, they have treated us to baseball games, but with the Capitals out of commission this year, they had to do something different: they rented out the midway at Fort Edmonton Park!

Last Thursday, Mack and I joined at least a hundred other volunteers after hours at the Park. The sunny conditions were perfect for the festivities, which kicked off with a barbecue supper. Everything was organized to reflect a date at an old fashioned carnival, right down to the glass bottle drinks.

Picnic supper

After supper, the Park staff came out to play, and the midway came alive. Mack will tell you I was most looking forward to taking a spin on the Ferris wheel –after several failed attempts, we were finally at the Park at a time when the ride was actually running!

Ferris Wheel

The view may have been slightly more interesting if we had been facing the other side of the midway, or if the Park was fully open and filled with patrons at the train station, but it was still a big kid thrill to perch at the top of the wheel. It turns out you can see the Whitemud from the vantage point.

We also indulged in a spin on the carousel, where Mack, in spite of himself, had a really good time.

Woot!

Most of the carnival games were also open, with prizes like paddle boards, frisbees and Chinese finger traps up for grabs. Though it was fun just to play, I actually won a few things, too!

Hoop-la

After we had our fun, we took a walk down 1920 and 1905 Streets. We thought the rest of the Park would be quiet, but it turned out there was a show going on at Capitol Theatre that night! It was nice to see others enjoying the attraction that evening as well.

Capitol Theatre

Can’t you just imagine the streetcar going by?

One of my favourite places in the Park

On the swings at Gyro Park

Thanks again to Homeward Trust for a great night!

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