Recap: Californian visits Edmonton!

Finally getting around to this recap post!

Over the holiday break, my friend Allie, who lives in California, came to visit me for a week + 1 day.

When she told me she wanted to stay for 8 days, I said to her, ” WHY? ” lol. Not that that meant I didn’t want her to visit me for 8 days but just that I didn’t want her to get bored! I remember spending 5 days in California two summers ago and by Day 5 I was more than ready to go home! And that was California! I couldn’t imagine how fun someone visiting Edmonton for 8 days could really be. Lol.

Well it turns out there is quite a bit to do in Edmonton!! Quite a bit of wintry, Canadian activities too! There were lots of things we didn’t get around to doing because it was just too cold and we just didn’t have a huge budget, but we definitely fit in a lot during her stay!

While Allie was here we went:

  • Snowboarding at Rabbit Hill Snow Resort.
  • Sledding and snow tubing at Gallagher Hill.
  • Ice skating at West Edmonton Mall.
  • Celebrated New Years Eve at Lucky 13.
  • Went to our first live hockey game at Rexall Place (Oilers vs. Avalanche).
  • Meals and hangouts at Urban Diner, The Druid, Blue Plater Diner, Mikado, Chiantis, my Restaurant (King Noodle House), Tim Hortons, a movie (TRON) at North Common, and multiple DVD movie viewings at my place throughout the week. We also gave Allie chocolates on her pillows (for the first few days, then we forgot to continue doing it, lol) and continental breakfast (bacon and egg omelettes) a couple times.
  • We also probably did a bunch of other things that I can’t remember now because I’m writing this recap almost a month after she left!

I thought we had a lot of fun though I feel I was probably a pretty boring hostess. I tried taking her out as much as we could but based on my limited funds and my personality that makes me more keen on staying home and sleeping than going out and partying, I’m not sure if Allie’s trip was as exciting as it could have been! (Seriously though, as a notice to all my friends/acquaintances-on-the-verge-of-being-my-friends, I am a very into staying in, watching TV and generally just “chilling” lol. Which can sometimes translate into boring lol. It’s not boring for me but it might be boring for those “chilling” with me. Haha!)

Still she assured me she had a ton of fun. I even got her to mail me a Likes and Dislikes list of her trip! Here it is:

Allie Likes List:

  • Your city has good public transportation.
  • I liked Whyte Ave.
  • The team spirit for the Oilers!!
  • The drinking age.
  • The airport! It was nice inside! hahahahha.
  • The big mall. The fact that it had the Chinatown and ice skating rink inside was so cool. And the water park was cool too!!
  • Tim Hortons (This is what I liked about Canada). It was cool that there is a fast food place that has a coffee included in the meal. It was cool.
  • Those little portable credit card swipey things. Everywhere had them and it was cool that they took them to your table at some restaurants.
  • The view of downtown from that park we went sledding at.
  • Downtown in general was small but cute! :)

Allie Dislikes List:

  • The temperature.
  • That Tim Hortons didn’t take Visa.
  • So I would say if her Dislikes list only included those 2 things than the trip was a success!! I felt I gave her a good taste of Canadiana. I brought her to a fair bit of varying-genre restaurants and we did at least ONE main thing each day :) It was Allie’s first time in Canada and I say it was a success!

    SIDENOTE: that Tim Hortons no Visa thing is really just geared towards American Visa/Debit-combo cards. They definitely take normal Visa credit cards. lol Allie’s card was just weird!

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