Alberta

KANADA: Für viele LGBTQ+ Skifahrer_Innen und Snowboarder_Innen steht ein Skiurlaub im Champagner Powder der kanadischen Rocky Mountains ganz oben auf der Gay-Reise Bucket-Liste.

CANADA: For many LGBTQ + skiers and snowboarders, skiing in Champagne Powder in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is at the top of the Gay Travel bucket list, not only because of the vast powder snow runs.

The year of Canada’s 150th anniversary is the year of our first gay travels to the biggest North American country. Our first trip to Canada brought us to Alberta, the western Canadian province famous for the Canadian Rocky Mountains, incredibly beautiful nature, the world-famous scenic Icefields Parkway and its amazing food scene. But also for the well-known cities Edmonton, Calgary, Banff and, of course, Jasper. The goal of our 14-days Road Trip to the Canadian Rocky Mountains in March was Jasper, a small mountain town famous for its annually Jasper Pride Festival with a gay pride parade on the hills of the ski resort Marmot Basin.

CANADA: Edmonton & the North-Eastern lakes of Alberta – After visiting Calgary and the Rocky Mountains including the Icefields Parkway, and Jasper, it was time for us to see more of the beautiful West Canadian province, Alberta.

CANADA: All about our trip to Alberta’s capital city for the Gay Edmonton Pride Festival, the one-week LGBTQ+ event for queer rights, equality, and love #lovewins #loveislove #YEGpride.

The colorful story of our Highlights Jasper Pride Festival Rainbow Parade Marmot Basin 2017 in Alberta, Canada – One of our biggest destination dreams came true: Canada! we traveled to the province of Alberta to attend the 8th edition of the unique Jasper Pride Festival 2017 with a very special highlight: the gay pride parade on the ski hill of the Canadian Ski Resort Marmot Basin. It was amazing to be part of four fantastic, rainbow colored days in the middle of Jasper National Park with an unbelievable supportive (not only) LGBTQ community. We fell in love with the family-like atmosphere of Jasper during the great events all over town center and at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge with the magnificent Rocky Mountains as the perfect backdrop.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Alberta Canada gay-friendly – Over 100 years of accommodation history located right at Lake Beauvert at Jasper National Park seems to be perfect as our “home” during Jasper Pride Festival. The Jasper Park Lodge, an over 2,3 square kilometer huge mountain resort in the middle of Jasper National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), is an all-year-round 4-star lodge with restaurants, pool, and SPA area all with incredible mountain views. The gay-friendly stuff, a remarkable rustical but comfortable atmosphere and the proximity to nature and wildlife of Jasper National Park in Canada made the Fairmont Jasper Park lodge a perfect basis for a gay travel to the Rocky Mountains and Jasper town.

CANADA: Visiting a Dinosaur museum was not the first thing that came to our mind when thinking of traveling the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Alberta. But it was a great unexpected adventure.

CANADA: Thinking about Calgary, a public art scene would not be necessarily the first thing that comes to your mind, especially not in Downtown Calgary with all its huge skyscrapers and financial offices. We have been disabused. A variety of sculptures, gigantic graffitis, outdoor paintings and sunny parks with public art are scattered all around the heart of the Canadian city in the province of Alberta. Additional to the outdoor art installations, a multiplicity of public art in most of the foyers and backyards of the modern buildings showcase art pieces from all over the world. During our stay in Calgary right before our road trip through the Canadian Rocky Mountains of Alberta, we became gay city explorers.

The Telus Spark Calgary Star Trek Academy Experience – There is always time for a Star Trek Day, at least for us Trekkies. And so we made sure to visit the Science Museum Telus Spark in Calgary for its Star Trek The Starfleet Academy Experience and day full of fun with Mister Spock, Captain Kirk, Captain Picard and Kathryn Janeway. Entering a perfectly themed world, we completed a phaser training, improved our Klingon knowledge with language lessons and tried to pass the Kobayashi Maru test. But there was more to see! The museum complex just 5 minutes by car north of Calgary Zoo opened in 2011 and is since then a place for interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational demonstrations in Calgary, Alberta, and Canada. Right before our 2-week Road Trip through the Canadian Rocky Mountains of Alberta, we spend some adventurous days exploring Canada’s third-largest municipality and the surroundings sights. The exhibition around the Federation of Planets at Telus Spark is still open until May 4th. Enjoy our photos and story of our Star Trek experience and see the Canadian Science Museum Telus Spark through a couple of men’s eyes!