112 - Western Canada Road Trip - Day 9 (Drumheller - Calgary - 172 km ) - This Is, In Fact, Our First Rodeo

In researching our stop in at the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", we came across numerous references to the term "Yahoo". Now, I don't know about you, but I was under the impression that cowboys said 'Yee-haw". Well at Stampede, apparently this is the topic of some debate.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/yahoo-or-yeehaw-you-know-the-answer

Official Stampede mascot Harry the Horse, clearly has chosen a side.

All this to say, if we were going to properly enjoy this spectacle, it was clear we'd have to settle into the appropriate lingo...

We rode into Calgary 'round mid-afternoon, our Airbnb bunkhouse weren't spick and span yet, so we moseyed on over to a patio and rustled up some drink. 

At the urging of the young'uns, we saddled up on one of them fancy rental electric scooters and took a spin 'round town. We rode tandem first, so's I could teach 'em the ropes,

 and then we let 'em loose to scoot around like a couple o' wild mustangs.

Once our Airbnb was all spruced up, we hitched up and settled in. 

Ciel channelled her inner TayTay,

before we hoofed it past the downtown core, 

over to the Stampede grounds, ready for some high-falutin' fun.

We kicked things off by checkin’ out the Indigenous exhibits, where we gawked at some grand teepees, 

and watched a dance that had more spins than a tumbleweed in a tornado.

Next stop was the agricultural building, where we laid eye on a few farm critters,

and a fine Holstein gettin’ 'er milkin'.

(a little tough to see on account of the gal wranglin' the bucket to snag the manure.)

Then we sauntered over to the motorbike jumpin’ demonstration, 

where those daredevils were flyin' higher than a prairie dog on a pogo stick.

With our stomachs rumblin', we tackled the food vendors like a pack o' hungry coyotes, chowing down on all sorts of grub—deep-fried, dipped in chocolate, and everything in between.

Deep-fried Oreos, Cookie Dough and Reese PB Cups

Lobster 'n' Truffle Dumplings

Street Corn Ice Cream

Watermelon Smoothie

Wintermelon Bubble Tea

Chicken Teryaki Perogies

I was hankerin' for a burger, but Ciel insisted I rustle up somethin' more interestin'. When we come 'cross the Double Bison Burger with Wild Boar Bacon, we found ourselves a fittin' compromise.

As the sun dipped low, we settled into the grandstand 

to take in some chuckwagon racing,

and the bareback relay, where riders without helmets jump on and off three different horses at breakneck speed 'cross three laps.

Wild as a thunderstorm on the prairie!

All the hullabaloo warranted a few more tasty vittles...

The closing grandstand show was plumb outstandin'!

First a human trapeze duo was floatin' through the sky like eagles on a canyon wind, then Saskatchewan's own Hunter Brothers hit the stage, croonin' some mighty fine tunes.

Things got real futuristic with them fancy Boston Robotics automatons dancin'.

Who knew robots could boogie? 

While the drone show had those little critters circlin' like flies on a fresh cowpie.

And, by golly, the grand finale fireworks lit up the sky brighter than a lightning bolt in a summer storm.

YA-HOO!!!