PicaJet Blog

Harley Davidson

Albertans have an extreme passion - they love their wheels.

Car wheels, motorcycle wheels, train wheels, farm machinery wheels - as long as it rolls - Albertans will pay tribute.

Here is a quick look at just a few of the events and museums in the province that might be intriguing to all those wheel fanatics out there.

• Reynolds-Alberta Museum (Wetaskiwin)
• Rockin’ August Show ‘n Shine (St. Albert - This 50s-themed event is a blast and great fun for the whole family.)
• Monster Madness Castrol Raceway (Edmonton)
• Rexall Edmonton Indy
• Northern Mopars “Year of the Challenger” (Calgary)
• Mainstreet Cruisers Show ‘n Shine (Edmonton)
• Alberta Railway Museum (Edmonton - The museum is just past Namao and just off Highway 37)
• Wetaskiwin Airshow (Well, planes have wheels, too)
• There’s even a Show ‘N Shine for Star Trek fans held in Vulcan, Alberta. (Comes complete with a demolition derby and antique trailer pulls - no word on whether Spock attends, though.)
• Northwest Cruise Calendar (complete list for Alberta and area car shows)

Wishing you safe and happy travels,
Sheree Zielke

You are welcome to comment.  Let me know if my blog has helped you.  Or add a comment if you feel I have missed an important point.  I don’t mind correction.  A “dig” on a social networking site would be appreciated, too.  Just use the handy links below.  Subscribe to the Picajet Blog to receive notices of replies to your comments, and new blog postings.) 

Okay, count me in.  I’m hooked. 

When I began my initial research into Philadelphia, I wasn’t expecting to find, of all things, pirates.  But lo and behold, yes, indeedy, matey, I am on my way to see pirates. 

Or rather what is left of them. This July.  On a day trip from New York City. 

I have decided to ignore pre-arranged babysitting tour company all-in-one tours, and arrange the trip myself on the Amtrak train.  It’ll save my husband and I a bundle of money.  And I am a sucker for the unexpected.

So, the pirate exhibit in Philly was a most delightful unexpected surprise.  I can hardly keep my timbers from shivering. 

Read on . . .  (more…)

We are off to New York City in a few weeks, but we’ve been there lots of times.  And, while we LOVE the Big Apple, we are adventurous travelers.  So, it’s time to step out of our comfort zone once more. 

The “City of Brotherly Love,” - that’s Philly, for those of you not in the know, is just under 2 hours away, by train.  This historical hub of the USA sounds very intriguing. 

But how to get there?  And what to do?  And how long do you have to do it? 

Read on . . . (more…)

Look Ma, No Hands!

As Edmonton, Alberta prepares for its first Edmonton Indy this July 24-26, here’s a look back at some of the entertainment provided at the city’s last Grand Prix events.

(more…)

Horses and Wagon

Alberta embraces the simpler life, and some farms (like Sprout Farms) offer wooden wagon rides pulled by draft horses.   It’s one way to spend a summer day in Alberta, but the Edmonton area has so much more to offer.  Here are some suggestions of things to do, when you travel to Alberta’s capital city, Edmonton.

(more…)

Rocky Mountain Sheep

Alberta is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I should know. I live here. Yes, I travel to other parts of the world, and I do so frequently; I would go nuts if I didn’t. But I love traveling in Alberta, too.

Alberta is home to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Two of the most visited ski towns are located here, too: Jasper and Banff.

Travelers along the mountain highways will often be treated to the sight of flocks Rocky Mountain sheep (yes, they look like goats - but they are sheep).

(more…)

The stingray deaths at the Calgary Zoo have continued to baffle authorities.  The cownosed rays began dying en masse this past Sunday in a new exhibit that opened just a few months ago, in mid-February.  Toxins or poisons are suspected in the rays’ deaths although recent water tests have come up as clean.  Zoo veterinarians have eliminated the possibility of moisture lotions or sunblock creams as the source of any contamination of the touch pools.

As sad as the stingray deaths are, the Calgary’s Zoo, Botanical Garden, and Prehistoric Park, with over 290 species of animals, has so much more to offer its patrons.  Opened in 1929, The Calgary Zoo celebrates its 80^th birthday next year.

If you’re planning a trip to western Canada, be sure to include the Calgary Zoo in your plans.  And here’s why you should do that . . .

(more…)

Looking for drugs?  Do you need a tooth fixed?  Or maybe you just have a yen for a darn good taco.

A visit to Brownsville, Texas is great but you must spend at least one day in a foreign country when in the area.   And that’s so easy to do, because Mexico is just a short drive, or walk, away.

You can choose from a variety of entry points (International Bridges), but double your fun with a drive up Hwy 281, the “Old Military” highway, and hang a left at Progresso.

Read on . . .

(more…)

There are some things you must do when visiting New Orleans:  Take a Hurricane Katrina bus tour; eat seafood gumbo from a tiny deli on Royal Street; ride a streetcar to the huge St. Patrick cemeteries at the end of Canal Street; and visit haunted houses in the French Quarter.  Above all, take a walk along Bourbon Street, but do it in the morning.

Bourbon Street is a magnet for the young and lecherous among us, at night, but a morning walk in the bright sunshine, devoid of the nighttime debauchery, can be a truly pleasant experience.  Especially if you are a photographer.

Read on . . .

(more…)