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Surprise Mom this Mother’s Day with a just-what-she-wanted gift and day trip!
As Chief Family Adventure Planner, it’s always a treat when my husband and kids take the lead to plan a trip. There’s the element of surprise, and all that time freed up to do other things (like research our next road trip). Fortunately for hubby and the girls, my dream Mother’s Day is simple: brunch at home, a mountain hike and picnic, and no cooking or cleaning. While I usually end up helping cook at some point, mostly having a day off is pretty sweet. High quality active wear or outdoor gear for my favorite activities is always appreciated too!
Here are some fun things to do on Mother’s Day as well as some great gift ideas for active moms from Sport Chek.
This post is sponsored by Sport Chek, but all words and opinions are my own.
Celebrating Mom: Mother’s Day Fun & Gift Guide
Downtown Calgary
Bike the Bow River Bike Path to Sidewalk Citizen for a delectable chocolate croissant and grab a latte at adjacent Phil & Sebastian. Biking with kids? Take them to the playgrounds in East Village and St. Patrick’s Island. Pearce Estate Park to Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is another great, centrally located bike route. More information in 10 Fun Family Bike Rides in Calgary.
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| “Bloom” Art Installation at Prince’s Island Park |
Gifts for Moms who love hiking
Light and breathable items are perfect for summer hiking! Pair the breathable adidas Running short sleeve shirt with flattering, quick dry Columbia Back Beauty Skinny Pants, and women’s specific Terrador hiking boots in your mom’s favorite color. You might want to get them for yourself too! Check out my review of the super comfortable KEEN Terradora Hiking Boots here.
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| adidas Women’s TKO Running Short Sleeve Shirt, Columbia Back Beauty Women’s Skinny Pants, and KEEN Terradora Women’s Hiking Boots |
NW Calgary
Hike the forested Douglas Fir Trail to a pretty lookout then get a coffee or ice cream cone at Angel’s Cappuccino. Look for fairy houses around the lookout (hint: there are more past the lookout). More info in: 3 NW Calgary hikes.
More Great Hiking Gifts
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| Douglas Fir Trail Lookout, Edworthy Park |
More Great Hiking Gifts
The lightweight UnderArmour Women’s Fly By Av run hat keeps sun off and lets heat and moisture out. Stretchy, unstructured material and an adjustable hook and loop closure allow for the perfect fit – even with a ponytail!
Oakley sunglasses have been a fav of mine for years for their amazing optics and robust frames. When my mother in law ran over my husband’s Oakleys, they sustained a few scratches but were otherwise fine. Good thing the lenses are replaceable! I have the Oakley Half Jacket sunglasses and my husband has the Oakley Radar Ev Path sunglasses (among others). I recommend polarized lenses for less glare and better depth perception (especially on water or snow) and vented lenses for high output activities (to prevent fogging up).
Petite women will benefit most from the shorter length and narrower frame of a women’s backpack. The Gregory Women’s Amber packpack is a high quality technical daypack with features you usually see in larger packs such as load-bearing suspension and an adjustable, ventilated back panel.
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| UnderArmour Women’s Fly By Av Run Hat, Gregory Women’s Amber Backpack, Oakley Half Jacket 2.0 Sunglasses |
South Calgary
Have a picnic at Bow Valley Ranch Day Use in Fish Creek Park, then explore the Artisan Gardens, walking trails, or paved bike path. If you would prefer to eat out, Annie’s cafe (casual) has ice cream and tasty baked goods. Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant (fine dining) serves afternoon tea from 2 pm – 4 pm as well as lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. More information in The Ice Falls and Caves of Fish Creek Park.
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| Caballo Sculpture in the Artisan Gardens, Fish Creek Park |
Gifts for Moms who love yoga (or being cute and comfy)
Active wear is perfect for the gym, yoga studio, or relaxing. For a fun, spring look, pair the Lorna Jane Radiant Active Tank with the Lorna Jane Flourish Core 7/8 tights. If you’re short like me, the 7/8 will be full length tights (no hemming required!). Complete the outfit with the quick drying, light support Under Armour Armour Shape Low Yoga Bra.
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| Lorna Jane Women’s Radiant Active Tank, Under Armour Women’s Armour Shape Low Yoga Bra, Lorna Jane Women’s Flourish Core ⅞ Tights |
Banff
Picnic at Cascade Ponds, then bike the Legacy Trail to Banff (8 km round trip, easy, mostly flat). For a longer ride, start at Valleyview Picnic Area (go 5.2 km west of the Banff park gates, pull a U-turn, and go 600 m east to the picnic area. Note that the sign only has a picnic table icon – it does NOT say Valleyview) for a 24 km round-trip ride (moderate, some hills). Get a coffee at Evelyn’s and treat the kids to something sweet from the Banff Candy Store. The docks on Vermilion Lakes Drive are the perfect place for a family photo!
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| Valleyview Picnic Area Turnoff, Banff National Park |
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| Legacy Trail, Banff National Park |
Banff Splurge
Enjoy Mother’s Day Brunch at The Bison or Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, then take the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Hike 1 km return to Sanson’s Peak, explore the Above Banff interpretive centre, then head into town to walk along the river. Central Park has a cool adventure playground with a climber.
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| Top of the Banff Gondola, Sulphur Mountain |
Bragg Creek
Prairie Mountain is a challenging spring hike with awesome views that is great training for summer scrambles. If you’d like something more moderate, try Fullerton Loop instead and picnic across the street at Allen Bill Day Use (fun place to splash in the water on a hot day). More info in: Hiking Prairie Mountain, Bragg Creek and The Best Spring and Fall Hikes in Kananaskis (Fullerton Loop included). For apres-hiking treats, stop in Bragg Creek at Frontier Candy and Ice Cream or The Cinnamon Spoon. The Italian Farmhouse is a nice dinner spot.
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| Prairie Mountain, Bragg Creek |
More Yoga Gifts
B Yoga is a Canadian company that makes 100% rubber eco-friendly, super grippy (even when you’re sweaty) yoga mats. Get the B Yoga B Mat Every Day 4 mm yoga mat for extra comfort when you’re doing that down dog position. The B Yoga B Block made of cork will help you hold a position when you can’t quite reach.
Keep your cool with a Hydro Flask 24 oz standard mouth water bottle. The double wall vaccuum insulated bottle keeps drinks icy cold for up to 24 hours! I like that it resists condensation buildup too. Get the sport top for convenient sipping throughout class/workouts.
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| Hydro Flask 24 oz standard mouth water bottle, B Yoga B Block 3 inch cork yoga block, B Yoga B Mat 4 mm yoga mat |
Canmore
Grab brunch at Summit Cafe, Communitea Cafe, or Harvest, then hit the trail! Grassi Lakes is a fun, family favorite. Take the “easy” trail as the “difficult” trail is icy/snowy until later in the season. If you’d like to try something new, hike the beautiful, unofficial trail to West Wind Pass (short, steep, easy scramble). More info at The Best Short Hikes Near Calgary (includes Grassi Lakes) and West Wind Pass Trail, Kananaskis.
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| West Wind Pass, Kananaskis |
Drumheller Dino Tour
Bike from the World’s Biggest T-Rex to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. This geographically diverse ride starts downtown, goes along the river, then passes through badlands in Midland Provincial Park. McMullen Island Park is a great place to picnic along the river. More details here.
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| Midland Provincial Park, Drumheller |
Bow Valley Provincial Park
Picnic at Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park and enjoy great views of Mount Yamnuska, then hike Flowing Water Trail (2.4 km loop) or Raven’s End (7 km return, 500 m elevation gain). More details in Family Fun in Bow Valley Provincial Park.
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| Near Raven’s End (east shoulder of Mount Yamnuska) |
How will you celebrate Mother’s Day this year?
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sport Chek, but all words and opinions are my own.
