Best Pubs in Canmore
What’s better than a crisp, cool pint on a patio on a hot summer’s day? I can’t think of anything else. And you don’t need to either. Just live in the moment, and come taste some of the best designer drinks and local beers Canmore has to offer. After your guzzle fest, crash in blackstone canmore mountain lodge.
The Grizzly Paw: This pub was established in 1996 after owner and found Naill returned to Canada after living in Australia. In Sydney he fell in love with “The Rocks”, a brewery and bar situated on a pile of granite. He was set on making his dream come true and opening up his own version in Canada. After a short visit to Canmore, he found the perfect spot, and made Alberta his new home.
Since its first doors opened, The Grizzly Paw has been a fixture of Canmore’s nightlight scene. It’s always packed on a Friday night, and guaranteed to be the pub of the party. Itss wood interior and three fireplaces (upstairs, downstairs, and on the patio) make it feel like your home away from home. Or should I say, your party away from party. The patio is always sunny, and is in the perfect location to people watch on Main Street or catch the spectacular mountain views. Go for the beer. Stay for the laughs.
The Iron Goat Pub & Grill: What’s up with all the pubs having animal names? Not sure, but one thing for sure is, this place is another winner. It’s designed to honor Canmore’s mining legacy. This is tactfully accomplished through the design of the restaurant. It is made up of multi-level timber frames, and features two-story windows, and two large patios. You are guaranteed stunning mountain views of the iconic Three Sisters Peaks. If you don’t feel like watching the mountains, switch your view and ooh and ahh over their 12 large screen televisions. Sport Enthusiasts….this is your place!
Stoney’s Bar & Grill: If you are looking for a little more class, go to Stoney’s Bar & Grill. This is where the golfers like to mingle. If you don’t play golf, they will slam the doors in your face. Just joking! Stoney’s located in Silvertip Resort Clubhouse, which is known for its beautiful wrap-around cobble stone patio. The high top bar is made of rich marble. Feature drinks are also what the doctor ordered, so make sure to ask what new innovation the baristas have created.
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Business Travel
I travel a lot on business and let me tell you it can be a tiring and frustrating experience at times. Being away from my family is of course difficult as I miss them a lot when I’m on the road. I have to admit that I don’t have a lot of patience when it comes to waiting around whether its for planes, taxis, meetings to begin or whatever. I should really learn to relax more!
I guess I’m the kind of person who likes things to be organised maybe I’m even a little bit of a control freak, I mean if I could fly the plane myself I would!. I cant stand public transport so normally I will opt for car hire comparison deal At least then I am firmly in control of my own schedule.
Another aspect of being on the road all the time is finding the time to eat healthily (Boy, is this a challenge). The temptation to just snack on junk food between meetings is always there as a fast and simple option but what it does to my physique is not good at all. I try to force myself to take time out to eat a proper meal at a nice restaurant but sometimes the stress of the day means the idea goes out of my head.
I don’t know what I would do without my morning coffee. It really keeps me going. I drink way too much but its like fuel to get me through a long day.
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Love it
There is nowhere as comfortable as your own home and this is something that is abundantly clear when you are on the road as much as I am. I must have stayed at hundreds of different hotels at this stage, some of which were great and others that still make me shudder at the mere thought.
I could certainly tell some nightmare hotel stories that would have you looking under the bed, the closet and elsewhere else in your hotel room before settling down for the night however on occasions you may well be surprised by the standard of hotel room you receive. I have been lucky enough to be put up in some luxurious suites in my time with fantastic Italian leather sofas, fully stacked mini bar, splendid balcony with amazing city views as as well as reclining leather sofas and various other luxury items on which to relax.
If at times you find that you have some surplus cash then you remember things like this and may consider treating yourself to the finer things in life for your home. I don’t often get to experience this kind of living so the idea of having items like leather sofa beds to lay out on in your home can be quite appealing.
Most of the time being on the road is a hard slog but when you get lucky sometimes you can actually get really lucky. I don’t get to stay in hotel suites too often but when I do I make sure to make the most of it.
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about stuff
Ah home at last….that was a long one I must say…I’m exhausted at this stage. Stepping inside my front door after a long trip like this and I think my neighbours 5 miles away are probably able to hear the sigh of relief. I gotta say I did have some fun on this trip though.
I flew into London Stansted for a couple of meetings which went off without a hitch. London was sweltering in the summer heat though which meant the underground was like a sauna at certain times, I’m talking about you Northern Line! so back to my hotel and yet another change of shirt and I was on my way to see my beloved football team Tranmere Rovers. I got a cheap people carrier hire deal meaning I could fly home from Liverpool rather than have to head back to London so I was on my way to my beloved Prenton Park.
The match was a drab affair in which we were easily beaten however it was great to get back as it had been almost 6 months since I last saw a game. Not much ever changes at Tranmere as they sit in the shadows of their famed neighbours Liverpool and Everton but they will always have a place in my heart.
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Rare Records
I am a man of many hobbies and have accumulated quite a few collections of various items over the years much to my wife’s annoyance but hey that a whole other blogpost. Occasionally when I travel to various cities, meetings will get cancelled or other circumstances will intervene meaning I get some free time to walk around the city I am in and see whats on offers.
One of my biggest joys in life is collecting rare records. I have done this for many years now and have built up quite a substantial collection. My collection ranges from old jazz 78s to all the great sixties acts such as the Beatles and Beach Boys right up to alternative eighties groups when vinyl was still strong and the CD had yet to take over.
I must say it really is quite a thrill for me to walk into a record shop and start leafing through all the items, I’m like a kid in a sweetshop. When I find something that I have been looking out for well then it really makes my day. There is something special about vinyl.
When you lay down the needle for the first time and hear the warmth coming from the speakers its a great moment. Then you have the covers which offer so much more than your small CD inlay cards particularly when you get a gatefold LP.
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Free Time
When I get home for a few days I sometimes find it difficult to wind down from work thoughts and just relax into home life. I have a lot of restless energy at times which I think is down to not fully forgetting about work issues and letting them sit in the back of my mind when they should be far away.
I was never really one for gardening but we moved a couple of years back to a new place which has quite a big garden. It seemed a shame not to make at least some use of it so my wife and I decided to get stuck in last year and really start cleaning it up. We bought three garden benches so as to make it a place that we would feel that we could come out and relax in when the mood takes.
We also bought garden dining sets which means that when we get some decent weather we can go out and fire up our recently purchased barbeque. Ive gotta say that gardens are something that have never really appealed to me. I’m the kinda guy you will find with headphones on listening to music or watching TV.
The kids love it too and we have thrown quite a few birthday parties by now which have proved to be a lot of fun. Its also great for a kickaround.
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Geneva
Woah, Geneva is quite a city, my wallet took a beating but I had a lot of fun there last month. I had to attend a few conferences while I was there which were rather boring but once I got them out of the way I could explore the city. It was my 1st time here so its always good when I get sent somewhere now rather than the same old.
There is a hell of a lot of culture to soak up in this city and even though Id been arranged a rental car deal I really didn’t need it as I mainly walked and used public transport. It is of course the best way of getting to know a city as you can see exactly how everything works. I found the locals very friendly and quite helpful the one time where I went astray. The transportation system is easy to understand which is also a great help.
I got home late at night, tired but happy that I had experienced a new city. I guess traveling for work does have its perks at times. There are many cities in the world that I never would have seen were it not for my job. I should complain less 
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Past
In the past people got married and had children a lot earlier than they do these days. It can be quite strange to think that your mother already had three kids while you’re still in college or just messing about going out every weekend, renting and living a carefree lifestyle. I guess it takes some discipline to step back and take a good look at where your life is heading. It is also can be difficult to afford items such as baby prams and other essentials like high chairs and baby car seats.
For women the biological clock is ticking and this makes some women quite anxious when they get to thirty or so. I guess this happened a lot less back in our parents days when it was not uncommon to be married and already have a baby in your very early twenties.
Of course we have a lot more choices these days when it comes to starting a family. Religion played a major role for many families when it came to the whole family planning part of things. These days we have a lot more choice of course which is a great thing though you do wonder if you are leaving it late to start a family sometimes.
If you wait until you are say 35 to have your first child that means you will be 56 when they are 21. I guess its not so bad but being a younger parent seems tempting too.
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Pronto Trip
I’m visiting Ireland again next week which should be a lot of fun. Its a while since I have been but I always enjoy my time there. I have lots of family scattered around the island so have no shortage of accommodation options however I do like to spend some time on my own as well and just muddle my way through things.
My relatives love to show me all the sights but I think i will get a rentacar deal this time round as I’m arriving in to Cork Airport and I think it would be handy for my trip If I had a car at my disposal from the get go. I want to see as much as possible this time and having the car will make it easy.
I still have plenty of time to spend with my relations as well so I’m hoping to enjoy the best of both worlds. I have about 10 days so I reckon that’s plenty of time to squeeze in everything I want to do.
Just need to get everything packed now and make sure I have all the essentials with me. I cant wait…time is ticking….bring it on!
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Dublin Airport Car Rental
Ive gotta go to Ireland for work this week. Its absolutely freezing here in the UK but apparently in Ireland its actually not that bad at the moment. Ive even heard it mentioned as the warmest place in Europe at the moment (really?).
I booked my flight with Ryanair. I noticed they have a new thing where you get to choose if you want travel insurance or not. Instead of just saying no, it now says something along the lines of take the risk or something. A new cunning marketing plan from Mr O Leary to panic travelers maybe?. Ive booked ahead and arranged a Dublin Airport car rental deal with the guys I usually use – http://www.dublinairportcarrental.co.uk. Hate using public transport in Dublin.
I’m gonna try enjoy this trip a little more and try and get out of the hotel room a bit. There’s lots of places I have been meaning to visit in Dublin so I should really take the chance. Its been a reasonably good business year so I think I can afford to treat myself at least a little bit.
Got a few old buddies that I should really catch up with as well. Looking forward to the trip now the more I think about it.
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