Calgary | July 7

Stampede
I got up at 3:45am and have been traveling for 15 hours. We've just arrived in Canada for Stampede, what they call "The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth." I was told it was a combination of a Rodeo and Mardi Gras. In reality, it's mostly a large group of people dressed in cowboy costumes (fake hats and plaid shirts) getting drunk, with a few rodeo cowboys thrown in for good measure.

On the day we arrived we went to the Stampede Grounds and had a nice infield suite to watch the Chuck Wagon Races. Now this is a dangerous sport. I saw an accident on the back stretch where a rear horse went down and had to be euthanized right there on the track, behind a curtain of blue tarps.

Then we went to a place called Cowboys. It was like a large warehouse with two levels of bars and a stage. Mostly young people, the highlight are young, well-proportioned girls who serve shots in interesting ways. They are definitely not hiring for brains.