“Let’s go for two and a juice!,” my colleague, Coach, exclaimed when I suggested we head out on some team building road trips around Calgary this spring.
The rules are simple, Coach explained. You go to the hotel named after the small town near the city and order “two and a juice” (a couple of beers and a tomato juice).
I had never heard the saying before and, after some research, I discovered it’s a uniquely prairie saying and sometimes refers to some hair of the dog to nurse a hangover. But for Coach and his friends, it’s a couple of beers for the passengers and a juice for the driver in a small town off the beaten path while talking to locals.
TWO AND A JUICE ROAD TRIP RULES
Rule 1. Drive to a nearby small town with a hotel named after small town. Going to Duchess? Visit the Duchess Hotel.
Rule 2. Sit at the bar and order ‘2 and a juice’
Rule 3. Talk to the locals and learn about life outside your bubble
Rule 4. Smile and laugh and make sure you had the juice, not the beer, and drive home. If you had the beer because you were having fun, stay longer and order dinner
What a FANTASTIC way to spend a weekend afternoon!?!
I’ll get to Coach‘s destination ideas down below, but before you head out on your spring or summer road trips, it’s important to make sure everything about your vehicle is in tip top shape to tackle the road ahead. One of the simplest things you can do before heading out on a road trip is checking your tire pressure.
Transport Canada warns that even if tires “look fine, they could be under inflated by as much as 20 per cent.”
Kal Tire reminded me the easiest way to check for proper tire pressure is not on your tire’s sidewall, but rather on the inside of the driver’s door. Here, the manufacturer will give you the proper pressure for the best tire footprint for your specific vehicle.
Under inflated tires can’t respond as quickly or accurately, compromising your handling. They increase the risks of blowouts (something we don’t want on a backroad chasing a small town experience), and they reduce your fuel efficiency.
Checking your tire pressure is quick and easy and it could save a lot of headaches later on. Now that we’re safe and checked out, let’s hit the road!
Two And A Juice Road Trip Ideas Near Calgary
The smaller the town, the better. The dirtier and seedier, the better. Remember to get a seat at the bar and talk to a local. Here are some ideas just a short hop from Calgary.
Stavely Hotel
5023 50 Ave, Stavely, AB 
Twin Cities Hotel
105 Morrison Road, Longview, AB
Vulcan Hotel
208 Centre Street, Vulcan, AB
Duchess
2 Railway Ave W, Duchess, AB
Acme Inn
610 Pacific Ave, Acme, AB
If two and a juice with friends isn’t your thing, gather up the kids and hit the road for some ice cream. Our favourites around Calgary are in Nanton. Cochrane, Canmore, and Picture Butte.
Just remember to check your tires before you go! Here’s all you need to know how to check your tire pressure, but you can always visit Kal Tire and they’ll do it for you and give you free air!
This post is sponsored by Kal Tire
Drivers heading out on road trips might think their tires are fine just by looking at them, but those tires could be under-inflated by as much as 20 per cent. For drivers heading out on road trips, under-inflation could spell sloppy handling and poor fuel economy at best, and the possibility of blowouts at worst. As warm weather and the open road beckons, Kal Tire is reminding Canadians to use more than just their eyes to check tire inflation.
Dad. Broadcaster. Writer.
Three time Guinness World Record Holder.
I run the world for Team Diabetes.