Manitoba - Day 22

It truly is the end of the road trip. We got gas and returned the rental to Enterprise. The Bronco was wonderful, the first Ford product I've experienced that was good in so many ways; most notably, the first I've ever rented that CarPlay worked flawlessly.

They were really good and dropped us at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. Unlike most I have seen, this is not a military museum but rather a commemoration of the courageous men and women who mapped Canada and created our first airlines. Years ago friends Murray, Rick and Steve piqued my interest in such places and I have been pursuing them each time one appears on my travels.

MANITOBA was an enjoyable visit. It's quite different from what I had imagined. I had only ever been to Winnipeg and the Falcon Beach Ranch near the Ontario border so did not have a lot to foster any meaningful opinion. That is exactly why we chose to visit for three weeks, much to the surprise of everyone we spoke to on the trip.

The wildfires did not affect us directly; we never even saw any smoke but we missed them by a narrow margin and it was very sad to hear of the devastation they caused especially in Whiteshell Provincial Park where we spent time in 2019 on our way to Saskatchewan.

I always thought Manitoba was just an extension of Saskatchewan in the classic misunderstood and totally wrong view of endless prairie wheat fields. Southern Manitoba leans toward that though not as fully as their neighbouring province. The surprise to me was as you head north it takes on a persona much more resembling that of Ontario. As in Saskatchewan it was a total shock to me to find a “mountain” in the guise of Riding Mountain National Park.

As always we learn so much when we travel and meet some wonderful people. It will be some time before we'll come across someone as engaging and enjoyable to talk to as RCMP Officer Richard Graham. It just supports my claim that Canada is an amazing land and you'll never run out of things to see and do...and you'll be forever grateful you took the plunge.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!...or is it?

We'll be home tomorrow then head out for a brief 5 day adventure on May 27. 

Some of you know where it will be, others probably have a solid good guess and the rest will have to wait and see. I'll advise you when the blog is up again and hope you'll continue to follow along. For now, thank you so much for joining us in Manitoba. I hope it brought you some joy. We loved it and loved having you along.

😎 

Manitoba - Day 21

With our final day in Manitoba (Tuesday) rapidly approaching, we headed out at 11AM on a beautiful sunny, clear blue sky day once again...it figures. 

We had stopped in Hilbre yesterday to have a look at the old general store but could not find the school. I remedied that on our way out this morning. The wood frame school was built in 1916 and later expanded. It occupies a tranquil rural setting and is a well-preserved example of the serviceable one-room schools that appeared throughout the Manitoba countryside in the early 1900s. 

From there it was an easy 250 km drive to Winnipeg. We were able to take our time and enjoy the last of this wonderful road trip. We haven't seen any wildlife (save a woodpecker and the pelicans) since we left Riding Mountain National Park and that streak was maintained on today's drive. A stop for lunch at the Don McEwen Memorial Park in Eriksdale was peaceful and relaxing – the gorgeous day certainly helped. 

We saw more cars today than we've seen since we left Winnipeg 3 weeks ago. Something that really helps that scenario is Manitoba's use of their railroads. They know what trains are and what they can do with them and it makes a huge difference in the amount of truck traffic on the roads – next to no trucks. Like Saskatchewan, that makes driving an absolute joy.

The closer we got to Winnipeg, the flatter it got. We also noticed that three weeks had brought the environment noticeably into spring. All the trees, bare on the drive north now wore a full coat of fresh leaves. Looks pretty sweet on this perfect day.

We are back at the Airport Hampton Inn in Winnipeg for 2 nights. Probably the last photo of this crazy road trip guy...until the next trip!

Tomorrow's our last day then we fly home mid-morning Wednesday. Will post a short one tomorrow.      😎

Manitoba - Day 20

I must say I find the artwork of our First Nations people inspiring...and I'm not even talking about anything professional. I'm sure there are plenty of immensely talented local, everyday people. Proof of that is in the samples found in this hotel lobby.

About 50 kilometres from the hotel, along some of the most atrocious roads we have yet to find in Manitoba, lies the Little Steep Rock Hiking Trail. It passes through over 350 million years of natural history, including fabulous views from atop the Steep Rock cliffs, remnants of a prehistoric sea bed. Lake Manitoba is itself an echo of a once enormous ancient lake surrounding the old Lafarge Quarry.

It was still pretty cool for May, about 2 degrees when we began our hike. It warmed up a couple of degrees but the way we were dressed probably appears pretty silly to those back home or just about anyone else we know.

We strayed off the path a few times so we could get a good look at all that was there. The cliffs were fascinating from below, rising straight out of the water and surrounded by an incredibly rocky beach. On top you have to be extra careful because you can walk right to the very edge where one misstep on the crumbling limestone could be quite disastrous.

As we returned I saw a mass of large white birds swimming in the water. At first I thought they were swans but as we quietly drew closer it was obvious they were pelicans. Excuse me, I'm no ornithologist but I thought pelicans were native to places like Florida, not central Manitoba.

All in all it was a nice day for essentially our last one exploring Manitoba. Our remaining two days will be in Winnipeg preparing to leave on Wednesday. I'm sure we'll find something to post. Hang in there, we're almost done.

Manitoba - Day 19

We left our cabin in Paint Lake with an idea of where we wanted to go but nothing booked and nothing firmly decided. All we knew for sure was Winnipeg is about 800 kms away so we're not getting that far. Those days of marathon drives are long gone for this road trip guy. It was still going to be about a 550 km day so we'd both have to drive.

As far as scenery goes it was a little different. We backtracked for over 100 kms but some slightly different things presented themselves. There are numerous lakes in northern Manitoba but this one had some pretty big rapids - big enough to provide a name, the Sasagiu Rapids.

Crumbling masses of possibly sandstone rock would have formed canyons if they'd been about ten times higher. For now it was just something a little different to watch as our journey progressed.

I don't know why people do this. Wonder what colour their neck is? A lovely tin wolf cutout perched atop the "canyon" walls riddled with bullet holes. Oh well, to each his own.

Another of the seemingly endless number of lakes - Devil's Lake here.

We're not sure what we're up to tomorrow. We're not due back in Winnipeg until Monday and this motel we found in Moosehorn seems so out of place here. We were expecting a rundown, ancient relic from the sixties but landed at this one that would be more appropriate in the city.

"I'M BACK!!!   😎

Manitoba - Day 18

We awoke to a layer of ice and heavy frost on the deck. The weather has certainly changed in the last few days. No worries. I have confidence the BBQ and deck will thaw out in time for dinner preparation.

We hope to avoid rain, though if it does anything it will snow. The temperature is zero with a wind chill of minus 6. A bit nippy for mid-May and outside my personal perfect temperature range of between 3 and 17 degrees C.

Pisew Falls is off the highway, the only highway here, about 50 kilometres from our cabin. We have heard many good things about it so today is our last chance to explore the area.

At Pisew Falls the Grass River plunges over a 13 metre drop making it Manitoba's second highest waterfall. As hilarious as that sounds it really was quite spectacular – and it came with its own snow cone formed from the constant spray of water. 

A little farther down river a suspension bridge spans 153 feet across the Grass River. It was constructed and funded by the Rotary Club and community businesses and groups in 1996.

A last photo of the cabin. It really does look nice from the outside and we adapted to the occasional crime scene views at times. All in all it was a good choice. Actually if you want to see this area it's the only place to stay outside Thompson...and apparently it's lucky we did not choose to stay there.

Time to make dinner.  

Tomorrow we head south toward Winnipeg. We'll be stopping somewhere; it's still about 750 kms away and I don't do that anymore. Hang in there - it'll be a surprise for all of us.

😎 

Manitoba - Day 17

I almost hate to mention that in a neverending cascade of unusual things that happen to me, as I was in the bathroom it seems I got lost as I tried to get out. The door to said bathroom is blocked from your vision by a bookcase used to store towels, etc, while plainly visible is another door. I might that unlike in this photo when the door id totally closed it is hidden by the bookcase. Naturally I tried to exit the second door but it was locked and sealed so would not open. As I was banging and pulling on that door the other door swung open and I realized my error. Personally I'd get rid of the door – it leads outside. Good deal if your trapped in the bathroom during a fire but I can't see any other use for it.

So, Thompson. Despite some of the awful things we have heard about Thompson, it really is not a bad looking city at all. It now serves as the “Hub of the North”, providing goods and services such as health care and retail trade to the surrounding communities. 

I am somewhat amazed given the above and the fact it is the take off point for all train trips to Churchill, the polar bear capital of the world, that people have allowed the degradation that is obviously there. It seems to be Canada's answer to the bad old Wild West of yesteryear. A lawless town from Hell. Kathy, the cabin owner, indicated it is not safe to park your car and walk the streets or trails. Any car left unattended is fair game from the local First Nation population. With that in mind I found this shot of a locked bicycle somewhat humourous.

It became known that vehicles left in the parking lot at the train station while owners journeyed to Churchill, usually for a few days, were either vandalized or stolen. The mayor owns a trailer in a park nearby and was allowing people to park there for their trip north to Churchill. How can this happen? How bad must things be that something that could generate revenue for the town has gone so far off the rails (arr arr)?

We were greeted at the city's south end by “The Miner” statue. It was erected in 1981, the year of the city's 25^th anniversary, to honour the men and women who daily toil in the service of the community's basic industry. It was re-dedicated “The King Miner” in 2010.

It doesn't take long to catch on that the wolf holds a revered status in the community. Thompson is sometimes referred to as a wolf capital due to its relatively high wolf population and unique relationship with the animals. It reflects a strong presence of wolves in the surrounding boreal forest and a degree of tolerance and cultural respect for them among locals. Indigenous traditions in the area often view wolves as equals or even brothers. There are more than 50 of these throughout the city.

The ultimate tribute is Robert Bateman's Spirit Way Wolf Mural found on the Highland Tower, the most prominent building on Thompson's skyline. The original painting on canvas was by Bateman in 1990 and this mural was created by Charlie Johnston in 2005.

What is this wet stuff? How dare it rain on my parade. Harumph!

😎

Manitoba - Day 16

We have moved on from The Pas to points north and east. The first part of the drive is a sad reminder about what's happening - you better believe climate change is having a major impact on our world.

We made a deliberate detour to Flin Flon, a northern town on the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border. Turned out to be a good idea as we needed gas and a few groceries and there was absolutely none of either for the balance of the trip today. It was a surprise to us that it was a 120 kilometre detour because we had to backtrack 60 km to get back to the highway east.

"We're where?"

CarPlay went a little berserk on the drive east. At about the 200 kilometre mark it showed the vehicle travelling backwards, sometimes sideways and the mileage countdown added kms instead of subtracting. We assumed it was a temporary quirk and it was. No problem, we could easily have found our destination without any assistance.

We're at the Paint Lake Lodge Cabins. The cabin itself is not the nicest (took forever to get the wi-fi working, missing dishes and supplies and you don't want to see the bathroom) but the view is gorgeous.

Stay with us - not sure what's on tap for tomorrow.

😎