Notes from the Road: Crossing Canada (Part 4) - Back on the Prairie

Thunder Bay, ON to Rosebank, MN

We spent our 34th night on the road in Pine Tree Campground and Trailer Park, on Birch River, near Prawda, MB.  A small family owned resort, it's clear to see the attraction for the seasonal campers.  It was peaceful, clean and incredibly beautiful, along the banks of the meandering Birch River.

Pine Tree Campground, Prawda, MB

It wasn't long before we found ourselves back in Big Sky Country. Montana isn't the only place with Big Sky; when we hit the wide open prairies of Manitoba, we heaved a collective sigh of relief and commented on how good it felt to see the various shades of greens and golds set against a beautiful blue expanse.  Most of us have always classed Eric as a Maritimer but, as we basked in the pleasure of a view-shed that literally went for miles, it occurred to us both that, after some 38 years of living in Alberta, Eric is, indeed a Prairie boy at heart.

When you think of Miami, you think of  Florida, right?  Did you know there is also a Miami in Manitoba?  True, it isn't as large and it doesn't have a beach.  Located some 100km southwest of Winnipeg, it's still the hub of its local area with a K-12 school, and curling and skating rinks.  It's claim to fame came just before Christmas Day, 2005, when all but one of its 45 signs were stolen. Miami was also the focal point of a prank by one of the local radio stations, which ran a contest offering an all-expenses-paid trip to Miami.  Apparently not everyone saw the humour; there was even talk of waging a lawsuit! Geez, some people just can't take a joke! Anyway, if you are by that way, considering stopping in to visit the railway museum.

The last leg of our journey home

As is our way, we stayed off of the main thoroughfares. Our plan was to skirt along the southern borders of Manitoba and Saskatchewan before turning northward, and toward home, near Red Deer, Alberta.  Our chosen route introduced us to a sense of Manitoba whimsy that we didn't know existed.  For example, did you know that Roland, MB lays claim to the world's largest pumpkin?  This supersized replica weighs 1,684 pounds, stands 12 feet tall and is 12 feet wide. 

Roland, MB

Constructed in 1990, this Giant Pumpkin even made it into the Guinness World Book of Records in 1997! I know what you're thinking; if this is indeed the world's largest pumpkin, clearly, I lay claim to the world's strongest man!

Deloraine, MB

We shared our 35th night on the road at a lovely well-maintained municipal campground in Deloraine, where we were treated to some spectacular Manitoba sunsets.  Trust me when I tell you there no scene the can rival a Prairie sunset. 

Melita, MB

While Sunny, the Banana and Breezy, the Blue Jay may have been the drawing card for Melita, it was the local Farmers Market and all its fresh produce that kept us. The area is steeped in history, dating back to the Sourisford Prehistoric Linear Mounds, remnants of the largest concentration of ancient burial mounds in Canada. The Mounds date back to 900 AD.  While the site itself is visually unimpressive to the average Joe (being us), you have to admit, that's a pretty spectacular tidbit of history. The area is also famous as the Grassland Birds Capital of the Province.  Remember that Manitoba whimsy I mentioned?  Melita calls itself ' a town with A-peel"! 

While there is a vast beauty to a horizontal landscape, there is also the downside that comes with it.  I don't know about you but being blown about like a loose tumbleweed is not my idea of a good time.  It wasn't haven't much fun in the driver's seat of my SUV as the wind buffeted our wee Winnie Drop.  As much as we wanted to skirt Canada's southern border, we decided we would enjoy ourselves a lot more if we pointed ourselves north, travelling with the wind at our backside.  

It didn't take long for Eric to realize that we were not far from his BFF's ancestral home of McAuley so we decided to check it out too. As we meandered our way down the streets, we came across an antiques and collectibles sale. Of course, Eric had to go in.  Not only did we find ourselves in a vast collection, the owner was born and raised in McAuley.  And so began our personal history lesson.  The community's biggest pride and joy was the McAuley Blazers. I know nothing about baseball but I'm told a .599 winning percentage over 21 years is definitely something to be proud of!  The team was inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011; according to our host, it was the first and only time, she saw grown men, including her dear old dad, holding onto each other and crying.  Not only were these men incredibly proud, there was a tinge of sadness as some of their team mates were inducted posthumously.

On a side note, it's a good thing we were close to home because Eric managed to fill the last remaining spaces we had with.. . you guessed it. . . antiques and collectibles.

Somewhere in Saskatchewan

As we continued to make our way, I was more than a little insistent that we take a detour to Little Manitou Lake.  I had visited this community 8 years prior and was determined to return.  In fact, I'm still determined to return!  Eric was none too thrilled to be dragging wee Winnie through this community.  Not only are the streets incredibly narrow, they are also incredibly steep.  There were, in fact, times when I wasn't fully confident that my SUV had the power to get us up some of the hills.  And did I mention, the roads are not only gravel but deeply rutted?  I had visions of returning in the Corvette but I have a sneaking suspicion that isn't going to happen.  At any rate, what is to be found at the bottom of the valley, along Little Manitou Lake, is fully worth the angst. I'm not going to give you all the details because I'm planning on going back and spending some real time.  But, just in case you're curious, here is a promotional video.

By now, even though we were loving the scenery, we were getting a little antsy to get home.  On we went through Outlook, Rosetown, Biggar and Macklin after which we finally crossed the border into our beloved Alberta.  I would be lying if I said we weren't somewhat exhilarated to see that big Prairie Rose welcoming us home. I admit, it kind of made us both giddy!  Clearly fall was in the air and combines were in the field.   

What Alberta embraces:  Big Skies!  Fields of Gold! Vestiges of Oil & Gas

It's not that we didn't enjoy our road trip though, admittedly, I enjoyed it more than Eric. But, after a long time away, it's so nice to be able to crawl into your own bed, don't you think? All told, we spent 39 nights on the road.  Over 185.5 hours, we put on 12,539 kms at a total cost of $6,800.  We have spent that much (each) on a two week vacation at an all-inclusive resort!  

What did we learn?  Well, to begin with, it took us a bit of time to learn how to travel with each other and a dog.  We had a bit of a dog incident on our second night that not only left us scratching our heads but gave us some worries. Both having worked our entire adult lives, spending 24/7 with just each other is an adjustment. By the time we were headed home we were pretty much in sync, not only with the dog but with each other.   We are still a work in progress but, most days, I think we are almost 'there'. 

There were parts of our journey that we both immensely enjoyed. Trading in our big 5th Wheel for Wee Winnie was the right choice.  Our only complaint is the bed; one has to crawl over the other.  No surprise. We knew that when we bought it.  We did fine. We found, once we pared down our belongings, there is actually quite a bit of storage space.  We love the roomy 3/4 bath; even the shower isn't bad! The AC is noisy but we rarely need it. We went a full 5 days without services and could probably have gone a 6th.  As most of our local camping is off grid, that's good to know!

Walmart Camping! No muss, No fuss!

We relished our evenings and found ourselves stopping earlier and earlier.  It became the habit for Eric to set up the outside while I set up the inside, poured us a bourbon and got supper organized.  We soaked up long daylight hours on the way down; when the evenings became cool on the way home, we played a few hands of cards before settling into bed with a good book.  We have a TV but we never figured out how to get a local channel (who knew one has to turn on the antenna?).  We had movies but we never bothered with them either.  Being off the grid is not a bad thing. Quinn (the dog) kept us both active, another good thing when travelling.

We enjoyed our time with our people, limited though it was.  Certainly, we loved seeing familiar faces and thoroughly enjoyed the few new friends we made.  We found the sights, scenery and people of Canada spectacular, as always.  I think we may have even learned how to appreciate each other in different ways.
Would we do it again? I'm pretty sure Eric's response would be a resounding 'no'.  We both recognized at the outset that driving across the country is not his cup of tea. He did it 38 years ago, over 6 days, and that was good enough for him. So really, he made the trip for me.  We both understood that I would need to step up and do my share of the driving.  We would need many breaks throughout the day, many of which focused on Eric's interests.

I, on the other hand, would do it all over again!  Tomorrow!  Except for those very windy days, I didn't mind pulling Wee Winnie. While I was intimidated at the thought of pulling her through urban centres, once I had a couple under my belt, I was no longer afraid.  Eric took the time to show me how to set up and break down camp.  I think I could even go it alone. . . if only I could back into a camping stall. One day, I'll get there, I promise.

And here ends our journey.  I blog for me.  It helps me collect my thoughts and commit to memory, highlights of our travels and other things of import. That said, I hope it helps others in some small way, perhaps planning their own trip or just filling in time.    If you have questions, if there is something you feel is missing, if there is a way I can be better, please don't be shy.  

Until our next adventure. . . . I can hardly wait!

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Manitoba
http://www.rmofroland.com/attractions.php#1
http://www.melitamb.ca/tourism-committee
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/sourisfordmounds.shtml
http://mbhof.ca/teams/mcauley-blazers-1973-1979/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=54&v=9GUxtrHJINY