Wednesday, August 30

Our first order of business in Calgary was to get the motorcycle tuned up. We dropped it off at Rocky Mountain Honda Powerhouse and they promised they’d call when they finished the next day. We headed over to a nearby casino and parked in an out-of-the-way location.

Right as we got settled, we noticed that our water pump was activating on its own every 5 minutes or so. Surprise: every time that it cycles it leaks. I started to freak out and look at the RV’s insurance policies and Brandon started calling around to RV shops. All the shops were booked up in preparation for Labor Day. Luckily, Wild Mountain RV told us to come in promising that they’d take a look and try to diagnose the problem, but might not be able to fix it immediately. Fine. That’s a start.

Long story short, Wild Mountain RV was wonderful and stepped away from what they were working on to diagnose and fix our (very minor) issue at no cost. He explained that a few of the connections on the pump were lose and that the filter on the kitchen faucet was backed-up, giving the water no place else to go.

Lougheed House

After appeasing my worries about the water pump exploding and leaving massive water damage (I know that’s an unreasonable thought, but still), we took a car into downtown Calgary. We explored Prince’s Island Park, passed by Lougheed House (couldn’t tell you anything about it because it was closed for the day), and eventually ended up by the Wonderland Sculpture, which is basically a giant bent-wire sculpture of a little girl’s head.

We got our beer fix at Kawa Espresso Bar and Beer Revolution. Kawa had a great selection of specialty coffees and bottled beers. Beer Revolution had a lot of beer on tap, but we were less than impressed.

Thursday, August 31

We spent most of Thursday in frustration waiting for Rocky Mountain Honda Powerhouse to call and tell us the motorcycle was fixed (they are bad at calling us; it was finished early). We spent the day shopping for necessities (groceries). I tried to withdraw money from an ATM in the grocery store, and made a fool of myself. Always remember to tell your bank when you are traveling.

We spent the night at Stoney Nakoda (another casino), which is halfway to Banff National Park. It was a great stopover location and the entire parking lot was basically filled with other RV-friends.

Calgary Roundup

Where We Slept:

• Lethbridge Walmart // In the middle of a shopping center, so a bit noisy. Park in front of the Garden Center side.
• Grey Eagle Resort & Casino // Check in and register with security directly at the entrance. Great location to stay at. Very quiet and security is always patrolling.
• Stoney Nakoda Resort // Register at the hotel check-in. Nice halfway point between Calgary and Banff National Park.

Where We Ate:

• Kawa Espresso Bar // One of our favorite places while traveling to work, get coffee, and beer! The only electrical outlets are near the back.
• Beer Revolution // Lots of beer on tap, but none that were any good. The pizza all sounded great, but we are on a budget and had to pass it up.

Where We Sightsaw:

• Prince Island Park // Cute park in downtown Calgary
• Wonderland Sculpture // We never take selfies, but took one here!

Where We Got Mechanical Assistance:

• Rocky Mountain Honda Powerhouse // Best place to order motorcycle parts (in our experience) in Calgary. Very fast ordering and shipping.
• Wild Mountain RV // They were kind and wonderful! Didn’t charge us for diagnostic and helping us get the water pump running smoothly again!