MANITOBA ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

Summer is on its way out and there has been a dismaying lack of riding in it!  I set out to rectify that last weekend.  Last weekend!!  I can’t believe last weekend was a week ago already!  The weather was cooperative and you just can’t waste that in prairie Canada this time of year.  Saturday I headed out to “collect” roadside attractions to add to what was a meagre collection of 8 to that point. 

Saturday was supposed to be rainy and windy.  It pretended to rain when we first set out, but for the most part, Night Fury and I seemed to be riding in little pockets of sunshine for most of the day.  The wind DID materialize and tried hard to boss us around, but we scoffed at it.  After losing most of our summer to work, there was no keeping us at home. Well, sort of “home”.  I’ve been in Winnipeg on an extended contract for some time and thought this was a great opportunity to collect my attractions while I’m here! 

Saturday was a loop south of Winnipeg, collecting 11 roadside attractions while riding through rural farmland. Many crops are coming in early this year and it smelled like fall – the aroma of freshly cut crops, hay, and dust.  Wide open skies with dark, scudding clouds, threatening to send us home amidst a downpour.  Made the loop undeterred by weather and covered:  Sanford, Graysville, Roseisle, Roland, Morden, Winkler, Altona, Emerson, Dominion City, Grunthal, and Lorette – a total of just over 400 kms.

Sunday dawned clear and perfect. A north-of-Winnipeg loop was the goal for the day and a bit ambitious, as it would cover about 640 kms.  While it was a little chilly heading out at 8 degrees, the day warmed to the mid-teens fairly promptly and that is perfect for riding!  With a mission to be in Winnipeg beach at 11 a.m. for coffee with my cousin Darlene, I headed out a bit earlier to make a couple of stops to collect attractions in St. Andrews and Petersfield along the way.  The day was a gorgeous one and I was struck with how different the land was north of Winnipeg than it had been to the south. The area north of Winnipeg boasts Lake Winnipeg – an inland sea with small communities scattered along it. As you move west towards Lake Manitoba, the land becomes quite barren and marshy in areas.  Having planned the route the day before, I reversed it, knowing there was a stretch of gravel on it that would be better done while I was fresh.  After coffee and a good visit with Darlene and friends, I headed out and covered all 640 kms, landing back at home in the setting sun. Tired, but with a feeling of accomplishment, Night Fury and I collected another 14 roadside attractions, including the vital Sadie Grimm Memorial!  We covered:  St. Andrews, Petersfield, Winnipeg Beach, Komarno, Inwood, Lundar, Ashern, Poplarfield, Fisher Branch, Arborg, Meleb, Riverton, and Gimli.  Also included are pictures from Souris, Boissevain, Neepawa, Minnedosa, Arden, Glenboro, Treherne, and Holland, collected on other wind therapy days.

There’s a difference between being tired from work and being tired from doing something you love. Those couple of riding days, having nothing and no one to answer to, fed the soul for another week.  If you know, you know.  😊