Quote:
Originally Posted by Riise
While I understand where you are coming from and realize that Calgary may not have as much going on as ‘World Class’ cities, I also see where Rusty is going. As someone that does a fair bit of travelling, I think you are placing too much of an emphasis on distinct tourist destinations. When I travel to other cities I do visit the distinct tourist destinations but it is the regular amenities that keep me occupied. For instance, visited St. James Gate, St. Stephen’s Green and Temple Bar when I was in Dublin but it was the laidback burger resto, Little Dublin Museum and cafes/shops in an area beside Grafton that keep me busy. While Calgary may not have as many of these amenities and as part of a continuous urban fabric like London and New York or even Amsterdam and Melbourne, it does exist and is worth the effort it takes to explore.
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Quoted for truth.
In my experience, the "unique distinct tourist destinations" are more truthfully called overcrowded tourist traps crawling with locals looking to exploit and gouge said tourists out of all the money they possible can. Overcrowded, uncomfortable, and not all that interesting or entertaining.
When I travel, I have long abandoned the pretension of needing to visit every location's "unique and special snowflakes" of landmarks. The real thrill of travelling for me is really exploring a new place, meeting some local people there, and following the philosophy of "when in Rome..." by blending in and experiencing the unique cultures of the world. That is entirely something that you can do in Calgary, because we do have our own vibe our own culture and our own distinct twist on day to day life. Sure, no one is going to fly halfway across the world for Analog Coffee or the Ship and Anchor, but it isn't about the places themselves, it's about experiencing those places in Calgary surrounded by Calgarians in the unique and distinct Calgary culture. Now THAT is something I think is worth flying half way around the world for, and if people really embrace that philosophy of travel, I think they would largely agree.
Truth be told, it isn't worth flying half way around the world to see the Eiffel Tower or the Coliseum or the Pyramids of Egypt either. Experiencing Parisian, Italian and Egyptian culture however, makes it worthwhile.