She Says: That’s It! Back to Winnipeg!

Jul 28

Jul 28 She Says: That’s It! Back to Winnipeg!

We have officially made it to the Prairies. And that’s about all there is to say about that, the driving is boring as shit. Nothing but straight roads and overtaking trailers… wheat fields and canola as far as the eye can see!

Pretty fields of canola. The name canola is a contraction of Canada and ola, meaning oil. Betcha didn’t know that one! — Pretty fields of canola. The name ***canola*** is a contraction of Canada and ola, meaning oil. Betcha didn’t know that one!

Luckily we stumbled across Winnipeg, otherwise we’d be in real tough shape. Most people we talk to either love or hate Peg City, but we really had a good time. It’s actually the perfect place to spend a long weekend – the food and beer scene is excellent, throw in a trip to the Canadian Human Rights Museum to sober you up a bit, head to the beach, and you’re golden. Which is exactly what we did.

For a baptism of fire into Winnipeg’s foodie scene, head straight to The Forks. It’s an historic site and downtown green space, that’s been redeveloped from an abandoned rail-yard into a trendy marketplace. Locals have been meeting at this intersection of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers for six thousand years, only now you can enjoy company with a beer in one hand and a burger in the other. We enjoyed the jerk chicken from Bindy’s Caribbean Delights and a Philly Cheese-steak from Simon’s Steaks.

The Forks Marketplace on a busy Friday evening

Near the entrance to the Forks is the Canadian Human Rights Museum. You can’t miss it, really. It’s massive. With 7 floors of exhibits, it took us a full morning to get around. A very intense morning that reminds you how awful people can be to people that aren’t like them. A highlight was the Mandela exhibit, containing many artefacts (including letters from an imprisoned Mandela to his daughters) on loan from the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. It’s important to be reminded of these terrible times in history, so that hopefully we can be more kind to each other… no matter how similar or otherwise we are.

The Canadian Human Rights Museum - an eye-catching building on the riverfront

Heading to Grand Beach on Lake Winnipeg was a bit of a hike, but it was shaping up to be a hot day so we wanted to get out of the city. It was so lovely there, although as the day went on (and the mercury went up and up!) more and more folks arrived. It’s a very popular spot! To help stay cool I brought a couple cheeky brews from the Trans-Canada Brewery in Winnipeg – probably my favourite beer of the trip so far. Out of a fairly large sample size too, I have to say.

White sandy beaches and a nice cold one… what more could a girl ask for?!

And if you’re ever in Winnipeg in the summer – we really recommend stopping at Bridge Drive-In for some insane ice-cream sundae goodness. It is soft-serve, but the good stuff, and when they serve it with all kinds of delicious sauces and toppings, it’s certainly something special!