Alberta Trip 2023 Day 3 Wednesday June 7 Calgary to Edmonton

LAST UPDATED: January 2, 2026 

This is the 3^rd of a series of posts dealing with my 2023 trip to Calgary, Edmonton, and vicinity. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification. These are indicated by “NOW”.

 Most days I won't bother with morning editions but I'm trying to pace myself for the first part of the day.

 Last night I determined where the bus stop is given the construction. A block away. I had partial insomnia due to fatigue poisons but managed to fall asleep around midnight.

 At 4:30ish the same musical alarm went off. Something like "Be a be a be a [illegible word], [illegible phrase], be a be a be a [same illegible word] DAHL-ing!" It turned out not to be from the person above me but a Private room next door. I knocked; no answer. Wasn't able to reach a worker. I finally checked the door. It was unlocked and turned out to be a lost and found. I found the phone making the music. I tried turning it off. Instead that took a picture but also turned off the alarm.

[NOW: I was staying at the Calgary Hub hostel.]

Too awake, I rested in bed until almost 6 and then walked to the same A&W as day 1 (on McKnight). Also the way I passed a house with staircase to the entrance with railings. On top of each railing was a magpie. A&W didn't fully open until 7 but I got breakfast via drive through and then walked back to the hostel. Along the way I saw likely the same rabbit as Monday.

[NOW: The above was written in the morning. The rest was written in the evening.]

I chatted with someone at Calgary Hub hostel and then headed to the bus. I just missed a bus and had to wait half an hour for the next one (4 Calgary Transit). Downtown, I saw a group of people with luggage at the stop the Rider Express would stop at if not for construction. Correctly guessing they were waiting for the next bus, I told them where the temporary stop was. Probably due to construction the Rider Express bus was late but finally arrived. A ten minute pause at a later Calgary stop as the driver worked on his work phone further delayed things. The bus worked its way to Red Deer, where there was a 15 minute rest stop at a Tim Horton's. To make up some lost time I bought a sandwich there. 

The bus finally made it to Southgate Station in Edmonton and I bought a daypass. All remaining transit today Edmonton Transit. A woman gave me wrong info as to which train to catch but I noticed in time. I took a Capital Line train to Health Sciences/Jubilee Station and worked my way to the hostel, HI Edmonton. I was going to get an upper bunk but I asked to give me a lower bunk instead despite the lower headroom; things tend to fall from upper bunks. That arranged, I dropped off some stuff and headed east. One guy gave me a minor hassle re: the camera.

 After a bit of a wait I took a 523 bus down south. I found where Page Turners Bookshop was supposed to be but only saw a Farmers Market not open today. I arrived back at the next 523 bus stop just as it arrived and took it to Mill Woods Transit Centre. Inside Mill Woods Town Centre I visited Warp 3 Comics & Games and Revolver (DVDs), and snapped a few statue photos. Back at the transit centre I took a 56 bus west.

[NOW: Page Turners was likely inside the market. Regardless, it’s now closed but may reopen at another location later.]

I grabbed a Slurpee at a 7-11 and then visited Rolling Tales. I took another 56 bus to West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre. I needed to shave things off to make up for earlier delays and already planned to do a longer visit to the mall Saturday, so that's what I dropped from today.

[NOW: Rolling Tales has closed.] 

I took a 915 bus to Jasper Place Transit Centre. As I was exiting a guy asked me what I was taking photos of. I explained I photograph my vacation but I sensed he didn't believe me. As I arrived at Just For Fun Video games a police car pulled up at the same strip mall and was still there when I left. Might be a coincidence but either way I wasn't approached about my photography.

 I walked to Variant Editions Comics & Games, which was in a construction zone. Rather than tempt fate by returning to Jasper Place, I instead walked to Record Collectors Paradise. I took a 901 bus downtown. I thought I found an active light rail station but it was actually a testing area for an upcoming new route. I walked a ways further to Churchill Station and took a Capital train back to Health Services/Jubilee Station. I think it was after that that I saw a seagull despite the sea being a long ways away. At a McDonald's at 80 and Gateway I overheard a guy with his daughter(?) mention (on the phone I think) that he was sick. I finished the rest of my dinner quickly and returned to the hostel.

[NOW: The new light rail line, now open is Valley Line. 

Alberta Trip 2023 Day 2 Tuesday June 6 Calgary

LAST UPDATED: January 2, 2026 

This is the 2^nd of a series of posts dealing with my 2023 trip to Calgary, Edmonton, and vicinity. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification. These are indicated by “NOW”.

I slept a lot better until around 4:30. There was a couple in the room and it appears they left but the woman left her cell, and its alarm started playing the same part of the same tune over and over. I went outside and took some photos, but then couldn't find the code. Fortunately someone let me in and showed me where the code screen was.

[NOW: I was staying at Calgary Hub hostel. I later found out that there’s a room beside the one I was in where lost items are kept; the cell phone was actually in there.]

I went back to bed but the cell was still at it so I finally gave up and walked east along McKnight. I Had to cross over a highway below but finally reached a McDonald's for breakfast. I returned the same way and walked south down Edmonton Trail to downtown. Along the way I saw a sleeping doggy in the window that I don't think is for sale. I tried to find the Rider Express bus for tomorrow. but at that point couldn't find it. I decided to head south since I had lots of time to kill before anything opened. I saw a small park by Bow River (Bow Island Park?) and worked my way to Stanley Park, getting some nice aerial views of the park along the way. By the way, I saw lots of magpies throughout the day. Pretty common in Vernon but not Victoria.

[NOW: Actually Elbow River and Elbow Island Park.]

Calgary's Stanley Park is pretty small, way smaller than Vancouver's. I worked my way north, having to climb a hill at one point. I made my way to Daily Globe News Shop, then went north and found the probable Rider Express stop. I visited Sanktjuri-buks in Eau Claire Market. Due to a volunteer being away the worker couldn't access the DVD area but that's an easy enough place to revisit later. I worked my way south to 17th, visited Achieve Pawns, and got a fountain pop at Circle K. I walked up a very steep hill to Phoenix Comics which had Melodiya Records inside. I walked back downhill (both ways the street passed over another road well below).

[NOW: The pawn shop was actually Active Pawn Broker, now closed.]

I visited Sloth Records before having lunch at A&W. By this point two serious problems with Calgary were apparent: a lack of drinking water fountains anywhere, and a lack of public washrooms, even for customers at fast food places. Both took a toll on my health as the day went on. Those are serious flaws and will likely stop me from vacationing in Calgary again once this trip ends.

I couldn't find Blackbyrd Myoozik. I visited Sigla Books. In an Asian mall I visited Super Video but couldn't find One to Ninety Records. I crossed Bow River to the area just north of downtown. I visited Pages on Kensington but couldn't find World of Books. I visited Hot Wax Records, A Rare Bookstore by DJ, and Another Dimension Comics (the lady gave me a free comic. It was one I already read but I took it to be polite. I can always reread it (Batman: The 10c Adventure).

[NOW: I later figured out that I had left out a digit on the address for Blackbyrd Myoozik. World of Books and Another Dimension Comics have closed.]

 I walked up a steep hill and gradually made my way, after visiting a convenience store close to it, Redd Skull Comics (sic, though the entrance does show the Red Skull). I visited Turn it Up! Records but forgot about another Phoenix Comics, being dehydrated and not having used the bathroom since this morning. I try to shoot around people but a biker said, "I hope you weren't taking pictures of me you f--king..." and then tried to knock me down with his bike before going on. In my tired state I don't know how I got the energy to dodge.

I went to a Shoppers Drug Mart on Centre St but drinks were too much. I did get a drink at a Safeway. I continued north and had dinner at a DQ. No public washroom there either. Continuing on I saw a cop pull a guy over. Tired and needing to use the bathroom since this morning, I ended the day early and returned to the hostel. Between that and the dehydration at times, I think that was partly why I didn't buy anything. My eyes just glazed over. So due to a lack of public washrooms even for fast food customers, as well as drinking fountains, they are probably losing tourist dollars due to people not being able to look after themselves well enough to shop properly.

There was also a free transit area downtown but I hadn't done a enough research to know the range.

Alberta Trip 2023 Days 0-1 Sunday June 4-Monday June 5: Victoria to Sidney then to Calgary

LAST UPDATED: January 2, 2026 

This is the 1^st of a series of posts dealing with my 2023 trip to Calgary, Edmonton, and vicinity. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification. These are indicated by “NOW”.

 Day 0:

With no airport shuttle running early morning anymore, Sunday eve I took a 70 bus (Victoria Regional Transit) from Victoria to Sidney (still Greater Victoria) and stayed with my friend Diana. We chatted on the balcony and then I turned in but had insomnia and couldn't sleep at all.

 [NOW: I wouldn’t have made my flight without staying at a friend’s place or would have had to spend quite a bit on cab fare.]

Day 1:

We got up early and Diana drove me to the airport. Thankfully full service check in was possible because in my sleepy state, self-service check-in would have been difficult. I went through security with no problem. Because my camera has been giving me problems occasionally, I switched to my new backup camera (same make). I accidentally sat in the wrong seat but that was an easy fix. The Westjet flight to Calgary was good. I think I saw Lake Country where two lakes meet. Very little clouds. At Calgary International Airport, I got a fairly tiny day pass from the vending machine (at the airport, one use passes and daypasses cost the same). I took a 300 bus (all transportation upon arriving in Calgary is Calgary Transit) southwest. I had breakfast at A&W and walked the rest of the way to Calgary Hub hostel. En route I saw a large rabbit ahead of me and not for the last time walked around a household watering their sidewalk.

[NOW: What I thought was Lake Country was actually Penticton.]

I took a 38 bus to Brentwood Centre. CD Trader didn't open until noon so I continued on. A couple people seemed confused when I asked where the light rail station was, like they didn't think Calgary had one. I finally found Brentwood Station and took a 201/Red Line train to Southland Station. Imaginary Wars Gaming & Hobbies didn't open for another 15 minutes. Decided to skip. I walked to Buy & Sell Store (maybe because I was sleepy but the music seemed too loud) then had lunch at KFC. I took a 99 bus to the Lake Bonavista area. While some buses announced stops, this was one off the ones that didn't. Worse, a screen made taking photos and seeing street signs hard. So almost randomly I rang the bell when things looked close enough and it proved to be the right stop anyway.

[NOW: I later learned that locals call the light rail the CTrain.]

I got some horror DVDs at Video Game Trader but I had overlooked that Comic Traders was closed on Mondays. I overlooked Lake Bonavista itself, but didn't know where if at all the public lake access was. Realizing I had just missed a bus, I walked instead to Anderson Station, getting some nice shots on overpasses. I took another 201 train to Chinook Station. I walk to Comic-Kaze and then Owl's Nest Books. I took a 3 bus to the downtown area, visiting Shelf Life Books. I got on a 24 bus and realized midway that Alpha Comics is also closed on Mondays. It's out of the way so I decided to just shoot the exterior and leave it at that for the trip. I did get a Slushie at Circle K. I took another 24 bus. On 9th Ave SE I visited The Next Page and that street's branch of Fair's Fair Books.

[NOW: Comic Traders.ca has moved to High Prairie.] 

I walked to the Saddledome but had to get photos from a slight distance due to construction on a few new Green Line. I had dinner at the McDonald's on 8th St. By then I was a bit disoriented due to sleepiness but finally found Prince Island's Park. After I finished my burger there, a flock of Canadian geese, looking larger than the BC and Washington ones came over wanting food. I took a 3 bus north and returned to the hostel. I'm using a new Chromebook so it asked me a ton of questions before finally letting me in.