Just returned from the Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park trip and thought it would be nice to share an unexpected surprise. We arrived a day ahead of our tour. We fully expected to miss the Stampede because our tour was the same days (July 5 to 14). However, the opening parade passes in front of the Fairmont Palliser hotel. The hotel puts chairs out on the street/curb in front of the hotel. The Bell Captain told me that people reserve those chairs a year in advance. I was content to sit on the steps. However, about 30 minutes before the start of the parade, the Bell Captain offered me a chair and a container of water. The parade is very good and includes some interesting floats about the history of Canada. If your hotel room faces the street, you can see the parade from your window.
