Getting to Bowness Park is so easy; it is just a pleasant bus or car ride on Bowness Road along the Elbow River. I took my sparkling students there for a picnic this summer and what eventually turned out to be a comical canoe ride.
Bowness Park is just off of the Bow River and offers a hodgepodge of seasonal options. During winter time it offers ice skating and cross country skiing and during the summer, canoe and paddle boat rentals as well as mini golf and train rides.
We as an intrusive group of teenagers (I will include myself in this title) decided to monopolize the miniature train ride which I found out later is only for two year old and unders and their parents. Sporting our smug smiles, the train had to be delayed an extra 10 minutes so we could be escorted off the train as we did not have or buy tickets. I frequently had to hide my face from every two year old I met that day in case they would recognise me as one of "The Others".
We eventually settled on ice cream cones served at the concession stand and two $20 an hour canoe rides. My two canoe mates helped me settle my arthritic self into the center of one canoe and I relaxed immediately into place. The other canoe however did not have the luxury of a good steering or helms person and we constantly heard screams as this canoe would crash into other canoes along the way as well as crashing into tree branches hanging overhead.
Already embarrassed by our mini train antics, our canoe decided to try to lose its faithful friends by paddling forward every time our mates were stuck against a river bank edge. But we could never lose them and we would always smile innocently as they approached us with news of their "just happened collision".
Needless to say I have never laughed so much in my life as I did in Bowness Park that day. Park hours are 5am to 11pm daily.