Length of stay: 3 days
Visited: September 2024
Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba and is located near the longitudinal centre of Canada. It sits at the junction where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers join, also known as The Forks. It has long been an important meeting place for Indigenous people and has a rich history and culture. It’s also known for its cold and long winters, is home to the Winnipeg Jets and has a thriving arts scene.
Day 1: Sites Outside the City
Out of all the Canadian provinces, Manitoba probably gets picked on the most. It’s commonly seen as boring. And the cold and snowy winters definitely don’t help with its reputation. But when we were brainstorming places to visit this fall, we decided to give Manitoba a chance. With an abundance of parks, we were curious to explore the trails. And hey, it was a relatively short flight from home and there wasn’t much of a time change, which were all important considerations when traveling with our little one these days.
We landed in Winnipeg early in the morning. Despite having to get up a bit earlier than usual, we were off to a great start as we got upgraded to business class which meant more leg space and a free breakfast. Once we picked up our rental car we decided to go on a bit of a drive as baby M was due for a nap. So we drove to the Longitudinal Centre of Canada, which is located about 30 minutes southeast of Winnipeg in Taché. There’s not much around besides the giant sign. So we took a few pictures and hit the road again.
As we were approaching Winnipeg, the baby finally fell asleep in the car. We were planning on visiting the Fort La Reine Museum the following day on our way to Riding Mountain National Park, but we decided to just head there now to let the baby nap for as long as possible.
The Fort La Reine Museum is located just outside Portage la Prairie. It’s an open air museum that features 25 historic buildings and helps illustrate the lifestyle of a prairie community from 1738 to 1950. Examples include a general store, school, several houses, including the childhood house from Douglas Campbell, the former premier of Manitoba, a Ukrainian church, a barn and a driving shed with an impressive display of farming equipment.
Most of the buildings were open and fully furnished with various artifacts on display. Some looked like a hoarder’s paradise and others like they needed quite a bit of maintenance. And some were completely taken over by flies, both dead and alive. Either way, it was interesting to see how much things have changed.
After spending a few hours exploring the grounds, we returned to Winnipeg to catch the last tour of the day at the Royal Canadian Mint. There are actually two mint facilities in Canada, the original one in Ottawa (that now specializes in commemorative and collector coins) and the other in Winnipeg (that manufactures circulation coins for Canada and other countries around the world). As we drove to the main parking lot we passed several flags. There are about 80 of them, which represent all the countries who have had coins made at the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg. Some examples include Barbados, the Philippines and Norway.
After checking in we waited in the lobby for a few minutes for our tour to start. This gave us a chance to admire the architecture of the building, which was quite beautiful. As part of our 45 minute tour we learned more about the history of the Winnipeg facility and about the coin production process. We got to see inside the production floor which contained all the fancy equipment used to make and destroy coins. Photography was not permitted.
We got to see some of the unique Canadian coins produced at the facility, including a glow-in-the-dark coloured toonie and a silver dollar. Our guide also shared some fun stories, including how our dollar, the loonie, got its design. The coin was meant to phase out the $1 bank note and it was initially supposed to feature a voyageur and an Indigenous guide paddling in a canoe. But the plates or master dies were “lost” when shipped from Ottawa to Winnipeg. Worried that the coins could be counterfeited, they ended up using a different design that featured a common loon floating in the water, which was actually designed for a competition for a collector’s coin several years prior.
Once we wrapped up the tour we headed to the grocery store and then checked into our accommodations for the evening.
Day 2: History and Art
We started the day by going for a walk through the Forks National Historic Site. It’s free to visit and is located at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. People have been using this place as a meeting and trading place for at least six thousand years. Both rivers have also been used as a transportation corridor as well. There are several walking paths along and near the water, some of which are paved.
We walked towards the Esplanade Riel bridge. It’s a pedestrian bridge and named in honour of Louis Riel, the founder of Manitoba. He was a politician and leader of the Métis people and championed to protect their identity, language and culture. He led two rebellions against the Canadian government and was ultimately executed for high treason in 1885.
We walked along the Red River towards Saint Boniface Cathedral. The original cathedral was built in 1908, but was heavily damaged by a fire in 1968. The ruins of the walls are still standing though and part of the cathedral was rebuilt using the exterior portion of the facade and walls as a base.
There are several graves outside the cathedral, including Louis Riel’s.
We walked back the way we came, crossing over the Esplanade Riel bridge again towards the Forks. From there we headed to the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It is home to over 27,000 pieces of art, including the largest collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. It also showcases a few paintings from the Group of Seven and other Canadian landscape painters.
We then went to the Manitoba Museum where our visit coincided with Orange Shirt Days at the museum. To honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which honours the children who never returned home and the survivors of residential schools, the Manitoba Museum provided free admission over three days from September 28 to 30. In addition to the regular exhibits, there were also special programs focused on the history of Indian Residential Schools.
The museum’s permanent collection contains a human and natural history museum, planetarium and science gallery. Some highlights include the boreal forest gallery (a recreated landscape representative of the boreal forest complete with a display of animals and insects commonly found in the area), a replica of the Nonsuch (a merchant ship from 1650 that sailed from England to trade for furs in Hudson Bay) and the 1920 Winnipeg Cityscape (where you can explore several buildings of the time period, all of which have been furnished).
Once we wrapped up at the museum we headed to Riding Mountain National Park.
Day 3: Assiniboine Park
We spent the rest of the week exploring some of the popular parks found in southern Manitoba. Our trip was coming to an end though so we made our way back to Winnipeg. We planned to fly out early the next morning. But before heading to our accommodations, we swung by Assiniboine Park. We parked near the English Garden which contains a series of paths through beautifully manicured gardens. Many of the flowers were past their prime but there were still some bursts of colour to be found.
We made our way over to the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden which showcases several sculptures created by Leo Mol, a Ukrainian Canadian artist. He gifted them to the community in which he lived and a garden was then created to display his work. There is also a small gallery that features some of his paintings as well as molds and plaster casts of some of his major sculptures.
There are a few other attractions within the park, including a playground, zoo and conservatory. But just as we were finishing up in the gardens it started to rain. And so we headed to our accommodations to enjoy our final evening before heading home.
L
Beautiful photos and a wonderful overview of Winnipeg, Linda. We stopped there for a couple of days in late May but the weather was terrible – the rain was just bucketing down – so we weren’t able to do much walking but we did get to the art gallery which was enjoyable. I agree, Winnipeg is often unfairly skewered by people’s critical comments.
Thanks for your lovely comment. It’s too bad you had miserable weather while you were in Winnipeg earlier in the year. We really lucked out with the weather. It did cool down considerably after our first couple of days, but thankfully we didn’t get much rain. While Winnipeg isn’t a very big or lively city we enjoyed our time there. I’m glad we decided to give it a whirl.
I have to admit that Winnipeg has never been high on my bucket list, but it looks quite interesting, and pretty as well. Particularly the garden, which looks very inviting. Nice post and photos!
Winnipeg wasn’t very high on our bucket list either! But the price was right and it wasn’t a very long flight. So why not!? It definitely exceeded our expectations!
We stopped briefly in Winnipeg when we crossed Canada by train. We need to visit for longer and this post is encouragement to get on with doing that. Minnesota & Manitoba – partners in cold & snow. 🥶 We were traveling in the southern US a while back and someone asked where we were from. We said “Minnesota” and they said “That’s nice, we’ve always wanted to visit Canada.” 🙄
Ha! That’s hilarious! I was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do in Manitoba. Besides our visit to Winnipeg, we mostly explored the trails at their national and provincial parks. The fall was a fabulous time of the year as the bugs weren’t too bothersome and the weather was still pleasant. Windy. But no rain (or snow).
So many beautiful photos, Linda! It looks like the city is chock full of culture and heritage, indoor and outdoor activities, and more. It’s actually one of the places I always wanted to visit in Canada – well at least when I was a teenager – because back then I was obsessed with the history of First Nations People. Given that Winnipeg is located on Treaty 1 territory- traditional lands of the Ojibwe, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dene, and Dakota peoples, and is the Birthplace of the Métis Nation, I always felt a strong pull towards it. Hopefully, one day. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva x
Thanks!! I didn’t realize that Winnipeg has the largest urban Indigenous population of any city across Canada. It was neat to learn more about their history and culture. Our visit coincided with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation which recognize the atrocities and trauma caused by residential schools, and remembers those who never returned home. So it seemed fitting to be in Winnipeg for that and to take part in some of the programs offered. It’s interesting to hear that you were obsessed with the history of First Nations People and that Winnipeg is on your travel bucket list. It’s not a very popular place to visit. We really enjoyed our time there though and I’m sure you would as well. Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
Great description of the city. We also spent 3 days in winnipeg in nov and saw different things. I really like the artifacts with the Nonsuch ship too! Lifeafter50travel.net
Thanks for your lovely comment. We were pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do in Winnipeg. We wish we could have spent a bit more time exploring Assiniboine Park and checking out The Leaf botanical garden. Cheers. Linda
My mom and I are actually considering adding SK and MB to our Montana roadtrip next summer, so now I have the perfect itinerary for Winnipeg. Thanks for sharing the highlights!
You should also include the Human rights museum on your list. It beautiful. 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion!
No problem 🙂
Oh nice! We haven’t been to Saskatchewan yet, but we were thinking of maybe going next summer too!
Oh if you like seeing places about Canadian history then Batoche is the place to go. My brother lives in Saskatoon so I visit often and it’s a lovely city beside the river with lots to explore around it.
Good to know! Thanks for the recommendation!
WoW .. Looks like an amazing trip. The pictures are beautiful and I love your baby on the coin; that smile is worth way more than that coin.
Blessings to you all.
Thanks! It was nice to explore somewhere new. We had a wonderful time in Manitoba. The year listed on the coin was 2023, the same year our daughter was born, so it seemed rather fitting! Agreed, her smile is priceless!
Thanks for bringing back good memories, lived in Winnipeg 4 years, a few decades ago…:) For a french speaking Montrealer moving there in 1982 was quite a thing…:) first few weeks were difficult, but then I learned to love the city, never really had the occasion to return, but still have nice souvenirs of those years living there. Nice post, a few addition to the city since 1986…:)
Thanks for your lovely comment. Winnipeg wasn’t high on our list of places to visit, but I’m so glad we gave it a chance. We had a wonderful time exploring the city and some of the nearby provincial parks. I was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do. And yes, I imagine it’s changed quite a bit since the 1980s! Cheers, Linda
Winnipeg and Manitoba are the perfect places to see with a little one. Love the new coin with M’s face on it. I have many good memories of Manitoba. The one room school house in the museum looks like one I went to near Gladstone. We lived in Winnipeg f0r 5 years before moving to Alberta and I was in Assiniboine Park often. Thanks for a great tour and the memories Linda. Have a nice Thursday. Allan
You’re right, we found that Manitoba was very family friendly and the hiking wasn’t too strenuous at the parks that we visited. We couldn’t resist getting a picture of baby M with that coin, especially since it had the year 2023 on it, which is the year she was born. Seemed fitting. It must have been nice to have visited Assiniboine Park often. We wish we had a bit more time there to check out the botanical garden, but our luck with the weather finally turned. Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
I like the tour in Royal Canadian Mint. It was very interesting how they make counts and serve so many countries. Assiniboine park and garden is very beautiful , especially when everything is blooming. I would add to the intenerary the Human Rights museum. It has an amazing design and city view and of course lots of history.🙂
The tour of the Mint was super interesting. I had no idea they produced coins for so many countries. We wish we could have spent more time exploring Assiniboine Park but unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worst. The architecture of the Human Rights Museum is beautiful. The building definitely stands out!
Love the logger sculpture.
I was impressed at how detailed the sculptures were. The pathway through the gardens was a great way to display them all. Nature and art is a great combination.
My home city! Glad you got to The Mint! Cute pic!! 🥰 Hope you had a chance to see the polar bears at Assiniboine Park, and to visit The Leaf! 🤗✨🤩
Thanks for your lovely comment. It’s a shame we didn’t have more time to spend in Assiniboine Park but unfortunately the weather wasn’t the greatest. It just means we’ll have to come back someday!
Fort Gibraltar in the city is also a cool heritage site
We totally missed this site. Something to add to the list for next time!
Wow, you guys know where to find the best places to see! Great post, Linda. 🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦
Aww thanks! We weren’t sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised at how much there was to do in Winnipeg. And it helped that we mostly had nice weather to wander around.
You’re welcome! I would enjoy a trip there too. 🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️
I think you would too. Probably not in the winter though when it’s freezing cold and snowy!
You make for a great tour guide, Linda. Winnipeg being a short flight from Toronto has been on our bucket list.
You are too kind. Winnipeg wasn’t high on our travel list, but the price was right. And it helps that it was a short flight. It was perfect for a last minute getaway.
Beautiful city. Beautiful photos and post. 👏💕
Thanks! We had a fabulous time exploring Winnipeg. And it was nice to see it in the fall when it wasn’t very busy.
What a great start getting upgraded to business class. Fort La Reine Museum has preserved a lot of history between 1738 to 1950, that’s a lot of years to cover. I’d really like to see the all the flags at the Royal Canadian Mint ( in our small town, we have a street that has flags from all 50 states flying. I think it’s so neat.). I had not heard the story about the lost shipment causing the creation of the loonie. How awesome the Manitoba Museum honored Orange Shirt Day. I’m surprised when I meet people who have never heard of the Residential Schools. Walking in the English Garden, and the Sculpture Garden are perfect ways to end a day.
Oh I know! It was nice to have that extra legroom on the flight since we had our little one with us. The tour of the Royal Canadian Mint was super interesting. And the building itself, complete with all the flags is really neat. I actually had no idea Canada made coins for so many countries! I didn’t know that about the loonie either. We definitely learned a lot! The Manitoba Museum offered a bunch of programs and workshops to honour Orange Shirt Day. It was very organized.
This is inspiring me to take a trip to Canada with the family. It looks like there is so much to do in Winnipeg with its nature areas, historical sites, and museums!
I was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do in and around Winnipeg. It’s a much nicer city than I was expecting. In terms of timing, the fall worked out quite well as we had pleasant weather without having to deal with any of the bugs, which apparently can be brutal in the spring and summer.
So interesting Linda. I’d only heard of Winnipeg but knew nothing about it so this was great to read. Splendid too that you managed to get upgraded to business class with breakfast included – always a good start to a holiday. The Open Air Museum looks interesting apart from the flies etc. I’m always keen to learn about the social history of a place. I think it’s wonderful that you take baby M on all these trips. We did exactly the same with our two and that’s probably why they are like us now and want to spend all their annual leave travelling!
Even though it was a short flight, it was nice to get upgraded to business class. The extra space came in handy with our little one. Glad to hear you made travelling work with your kids as well and that it’s something they’re now passionate about. Winnipeg exceeded our expectations and we enjoyed our time exploring the sites.
When my cousins first migrated from Jamaica to Canada, they lived in Winnipeg for about 6 years. They complained about the miserable winters, so I’m afraid that’s all I knew about Winnipeg! But, beautiful photos and experiences. I would love to visit that mint. I wonder if they make Jamaican coins too. Thanks for sharing!
It seems like there’s a short window to enjoy the outdoors in Manitoba. In the winter it’s cold and snowy and in the spring and summer there’s the bugs. The tour of the Royal Canadian Mint was fascinating. I just looked it up and Jamaica is on the list of countries that have had coins made at this facility. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Linda
You certainly had lovely weather and seems like you made the most of your time in Winnipeg. I know a bit about the history of Louis Riel having been to Batoche in Saskatchewan, but I didn’t realize he was buried in Winnipeg. The Cathedral is beautiful (what’s left of it) and I can only imagine how pretty it must have bee when it was complete. Such a cute picture at the mint with your daughter. 🙂
Thanks! We really lucked out with the weather while we were visiting Manitoba. It got much colder once we left Winnipeg, but thankfully we didn’t get much rain. I remember learning about Louis Riel in school, but it was nice to get a refresher from visiting some of the historical sites in and around Winnipeg. Agreed, Saint Boniface is pretty. It would have been neat to peak inside the church that was rebuilt using the exterior portion of the cathedral, but we were visiting on a Sunday and there was a service in process.
You show a lot of Winnipeg and Saint Boniface. I was particularly interested in the traces of Canadian history that are well preserved and explained, particularly through Saint Boniface. For Francophones, there’s also a rich cultural component, such as Gabrielle Roy’s house.
It was neat to learn more about the history of the Saint Boniface Cathedral. I can only imagine how it must have looked prior to the fire. It’s impressive that they managed to rebuild another church using the exterior portion of the ruins. I just looked up Gabrielle Roy’s house. It’s too bad we missed this.
So brilliant Photos and very interesting to read dear your travel explanations 🙏🌷👍🏻🥰
Winnipeg so grace and full of blessings for its weather , the beautiful Church, lovely home
for resting and so beauty of loneliness there 👌😍I hope you two and your lovely child
enjoyed nicely 🙂🖖thank you for sharing and Best Wishes 🙏🌷💕💐
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We had a wonderful time exploring Winnipeg and couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was nice to share the experience with our little one. She’s such a good traveller!
Hi Linda
Thanks for taking us to Winnipeg. We have never been there although we always wanted to go to northern Manitoba in winter and watch polar bears. We once went to the Hudson Bay in autumn.
Wishing you a happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment. I have no interest in visiting Manitoba in the winter, but I’d make an exception to see the polar bears. It’s high on our bucket list, but we’ll have to wait a few years until our little one is a bit older. Hope you had a wonderful weekend as well. Cheers. Linda
I have read blog posts about British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, the Maritimes, and even Nunavut. But this might be the first time I read a blog post about Manitoba. It’s nice that you decided to check out some interesting sites in Winnipeg. I especially love the backstory of the loonie.
I don’t think Manitoba gets too many visitors, and if they do, it’s typically people just passing through while taking a road trip across Canada. I’m glad we decided to give it a chance as we had a wonderful time exploring the sites in and around Winnipeg. The tour of the Royal Canadian Mint was fascinating. It makes me want to get one of those glow-in-the-dark toonies!
Wow, it is so beautiful there! Thank you for sharing those beautiful blue skies and the lovely green scenery. Love seeing old classrooms! Joyful travels and a wonderful weekend to you three!
Thanks! It always helps to have beautiful weather while wandering around. It was neat to explore all the old buildings at the Fort La Reine Museum and to see how much our way of life has changed.
😊
It looks lovely, and I’d really enjoy the Manitoba Museum as I don’t know much about the area or the culture and history. It’s great to see some more areas of Canada 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment. Manitoba wasn’t high on our list of places to visit, but I’m glad we decided to give it a whirl. It was neat to learn more about its history and to explore a few of the places and parks in and around Winnipeg.
Interesting to read such detail about somewhere we’ve never even considered visiting.
Winnipeg wasn’t high on our list of places to visit, but we decided to give it a whirl as it’s a short flight and the price was right. It definitely exceeded our expectations. I would love to return to Manitoba at some point and travel further up north to see the polar bears. Someday.
I knew next to nothing about Manitoba prior to reading your blog post. The park looks lovely and really well cared for. I’m quite curious about Inuit art, I don’t believe I’d ever seen any examples of it. Baby M seems to be enjoying her travels, she’s already approaching ‘seasoned’ at this point.
Winnipeg doesn’t get too many visitors, especially in comparison to some of the other Canadian Provinces. We visited at the end of September and it was pretty quiet, which is just how we like it. I haven’t seen much Inuit art either so it was impressive to see such a huge collection of it at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. And yes, Baby M is such a good little traveller. We’re definitely making the most of her being able to fly for free until she’s two!
I gotta say I had laugh at Baby M falling asleep as you approach Winnipeg. Loves up to its boring reputation! 😂
Jokes aside, I do hope to drive through both Manitoba and Saskatchewan one day. Just on bucket list to check off these two provinces and I enjoyed your tour of Winnipeg, especially learning more about the Royal Canadian Mint.
Assiniboine Park also looked like a nice and scenic way to spend an afternoon.
Ha! We often joke that she has the worst timing when it comes to naps and will often fall asleep like 5-10min before we arrive somewhere!
I was pleasantly surprised at how nice Winnipeg is. There’s quite a bit to do. The tour of the Royal Canadian Mint was really cool and we enjoyed our time at Assiniboine Park – we probably could have spent an entire day there.
Once we left Winnipeg we spent most of our time exploring Riding Mountain and a bunch of provincial parks. The landscape reminded me a lot of southern Ontario. The hiking was pleasant enough and it was nice to enjoy the fall foliage. The timing worked out well as we didn’t get much rain (otherwise we probably would have spent a lot of time in our hotel) and there were no bugs (apparently they can be brutal in the spring and summer).
Hope you’re all ready for the holidays!! Hard to believe it’s almost Christmas! All we need is some snow!
I used to get screwed over by the car naps so I used to sometimes abruptly stop the car just so T would jolt himself awake. 😂
Fall foliage would be nice right now and I’ll definitely explore mid Canada one of these days.
Looking forward to some holiday downtime. 4 days of work to go! Hope you enjoy your second Christmas together as a family!
Hahahaha! I get it. Sometimes you just want them to stay awake in the car so they can take an even longer nap when they get home!!
Hopefully work isn’t too busy this time of the year. I’ll be heading back to work at the end of the month. I’m still in denial.
This was such a great tour of Winnipeg! I always love open air museums and seeing communities as they were. I also always love old church ruins- there is something beautiful and sad about them. The museums look really interesting. Baby M sure looks good as the face of that coin 🙂
Thanks for your kind words. I’m such a fan of open air museums as well as they’re a fantastic way to imagine what life was like back in the day. The year on the coin was 2023, which is the same year baby M was born. So it seemed rather fitting to take a picture of her with it!! Her smile is of course priceless!
Nice little trip with a mix of culture and nature. The park is lovely, I like the English garden. Looks like a nice area to discover.
For sure. We wish we could have spent more time at the Assiniboine Park. There’s also a zoo and conservatory there. The weather took a turn for the worst though and we had no interest in being outside in the rain.
I always figured Winnipeg would have things worth seeing and doing. My memory is not so positive. Back in the early 80s I was driving from Minnesota back to Oregon and went via Canada to visit a friend in Calgary. Just outside Winnipeg my car broke down – clogged fuel filter. Once resolved, there was little time or interest in exploring.
Bummer. Sorry to hear about your car problems. That would definitely put a damper on things. To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for Winnipeg, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do. It’s a much nicer city than I initially thought and I’m glad we decided to visit.
That Inuit exhibit at WAG looks worthwhile. It’s just that I’ve heard negative stuff about Winnipeg mosquitoes in summer, etc. from those who lived/studied there as a student..before coming to live in Calgary.
I haven’t seen much Inuit art, so it was nice to appreciate the extensive collection of it at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. I’ve heard the same thing about how the bugs in Manitoba can be awful. I’m so glad we visited later in the fall when the weather was still nice, but we weren’t harassed by any pesky mosquitoes. I would love to return at Manitoba to see the polar bears in Churchill. Someday.
Thanks for this close and loving look at my Mom’s city.
Thanks for your lovely comment. I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely Winnipeg is. And we couldn’t have asked for better weather to explore the sites.
During my only visit to my relatives in Winnipeg the temperature was -50 degrees C.
Oh gosh! Wow that’s cold!! I don’t think we’d be doing much hiking if we visited in the winter!
We went snowmobiling on the Red River, though the temperature climbed to -20 C that afternoon.
It seems like Manitoba has really embraced the winter, which makes sense otherwise what else do you do for half the year!? Most of the trails we hiked also doubled as cross-country ski trails in the winter. Sounds like snowmobiling is also quite popular. I love the snow, but I can’t handle the cold!
Love the pictures and the great overview of Winnipeg. It is extremely helpful!
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. Winnipeg wasn’t high on our list of places to visit, but it’s a short flight and the price was right. We had a fabulous time exploring Winnipeg and a few other parks near the city. It was nice to visit in the fall when the leaves were changing colour and the trails were quiet.
If I knew you were going I would have told you to have cinnamon buns in The Forks. You hit the highlights of Winnipeg. I lived here for many years and consider it my hometown. I don’t get back often, but when I do I like to visit Assiniboine Park, the Forks (for cinnamon buns), and a few other local spots. Mostly, I miss the tall trees in Winnipeg compared to Calgary. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Maggie
Aw man! I have such a sweet tooth and totally would have gone for a cinnamon bun if I had known they were that good!! Assiniboine Park is lovely. It’s too bad the weather took a turn for the worst otherwise we could have easily spent more time there. And you’re right, there are some impressive trees in Winnipeg. We had a wonderful time wandering around. Cheers. Linda
You found some interesting highlights in Manitoba! I always love outdoor museums and this one looks well done. That red vehicle looks out of place! I had to look up the latitudinal centre of Canada, just west of Hudson’s Bay, but way up there.
I’m such a fan of open-air and living history museums too. It’s such a fun and dynamic way to learn. It would be neat to visit the latitudinal centre of Canada someday, but I imagine it would be very hard to get to!
Who wouldn’t be happy about an upgrade to business class – a pretty good start to your visit of Winnipeg I would say 😄. Love the photo of your baby’s face in the coin – she’s just sooo cute! And visiting museums and parks in a city is always a bonus. It seems you found quite a few places of interest in Winnipeg.
Oh I know! It was a wonderful start to our trip. I couldn’t resist getting a picture of her with that coin since 2023 was the year she was born. I was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do in Winnipeg. It’s a livelier city than I initially thought.
It seems like you made the right choice in giving Winnipeg a chance. I love hiking trails and historical sites. I loved the bit with the school. It reminds me of when I went to dutch country in Lancaster with my parents and baby brother ( at the time) . I love seeing how people lived in the past. It’s so interesting 🤔
It’s such an underrated and under appreciated city. We had a fabulous time wandering around. Agreed, it’s so fascinating to catch a glimpse of the past and imagine what life must have been like. A lot has changed, but not all of it good.
lovely photos…
Thanks so much for your kind words. We had a lovely time exploring Winnipeg, especially with such beautiful weather.