Edmonton likes to call itself "the city of champions," and there's a good historical claim to it. From 1983 to 1991, the Edmonton Oilers, led by all-time greats Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, won the Stanley Cup, the National Hockey League championship, five times. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Eskimos, the city's Canadian Football League team, have won the Grey Cup championship 13 times, including an unmatched five consecutive wins between 1978 and 1982, and most recently in 2005 -- facts Edmontonians love to lord over their rivals to the south in Calgary, where sporting success has been nowhere near so frequent.
Edmonton, on a flat plain 3 1/2 hours east of the Rocky Mountains, has nowhere near the plethora of outdoor activities as Calgary, but the network of parks that run along the river valley provide ample opportunity for in-city communing with nature. The 48km (30-mile) city stretch along the North Saskatchewan River has 22 major parks, earning it the nickname "Ribbon of Green." It is also the largest expanse of urban parkland in North America, with about 100km (60 miles) of bike paths. Be warned: Dogs are NOT allowed at any of the city parks' picnic areas.
