Where should I vacation the week of July 8?

June 28, 2007 6:21 PM

Where should I vacation the week of July 8?

I had plans for the week of July 8, but they fell through. Still I want to use my week of vacation time. So I'm looking for suggestions of any last minute vacation ideas. Anything happening that week worth checking out? Any favorite corner of the world you go to relax and recharge? Is your home town having a ____ no one should miss?

For reference, I'm a 35 y/o male, single, speak English and Spanish, and live in Los Angeles. I figure I can budget max around $1500.

Thanks

posted by fernando to travel & transportation (3 comments total)

That's the week of San Fermín.
posted by yeti at 6:45 PM on June 28, 2007

Let me suggest the Calgary Stampede, "The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth". This city goes positively apeshit for ten days in early July and your week off is the full week of Stampede mania here. Aside from the rodeo and the midway and the exhibition grounds (think quarter horses and llamas being judged), much more importantly it's a gigantic semi-cowboy-themed party for everyone and anyone in town. There are, literally, hundreds of parties per night (official ones staged at venues, besides the zillion house parties), two hours of fireworks at the grounds, people wearing shitkickers everywhere, windows painted and fake-corral-wood-beams at all the bank machines. Every morning there are free (totally free) flapjack breakfasts all over town: that means pancakes, syrup, sausage, juice, coffee, and sometimes more (i.e. downtown the corporate breakfasts get bananas with the buffets of... everything).

Now, I can hear you thinking: dude, I have no interest in being a cowboy and I don't know anyone in Calgary. Aha, fear not.

1. None of us are really cowboys. It's a theme, y'see? Like a costume. You're not a pirate, right? But you'd dress up as one for Halloween. Same thing.

2. You won't know anyone until you get here, but it shouldn't take long after that -- the majority of Calgary is single, employed, new to the city, and out to have a good time. Being an American I wouldn't expect you to have heard anything about Calgary's boom, but if you were Canadian you'd be sitting there saying Okay Okay Shaddap Already We've Heard Quite Enough, Every Day, About Booming Calgary. Basically it's a giant "hurray for everything" fest - corporate, local, farmers, politicians, the arts scene... everyone gets involved. Everyone has reduced hours - people don't work in the afternoons during Stampede as a general rule. It's all about the party.

And if you've never been to Canada, I do have to mention that there are all kinds of things to recommend it as a destination - particularly in the summertime.
posted by Mrs Hilksom at 8:12 PM on June 28, 2007

For your further information...

http://calgarystampede.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary_Stampede
posted by Mrs Hilksom at 8:14 PM on June 28, 2007