Travelogue: East through the Prairies (Days 44-47)

Vast wheat fields and highways that stretch ruler-straight to a distant vanishing point were part of this leg of the trip, but there's a lot more to the prairies than those stereotypes.

We learned this most dramatically at Grasslands National Park, a majestic landscape that seemed more closely related to the badlands of Alberta that we thought we'd left behind. We had a hot (28 degrees) steep climb up Eagle Butte, and enjoyed a panoramic view from the top surrounded by blue sky and cacti. (Side note: if I ever start a country music group, dibs on the name "Blue Sky and Cacti".)

Our next stop was Moose Jaw, where we stayed with friends - a nice break from the comfy but impersonal string of hotel rooms and Airbnbs.

We've been to Moose Jaw previously and had already enjoyed its famous tunnels, so this was mostly a stop to rest and recharge in the company of friends, but my mind did also wander to the topic of prairie town nomenclature. Is it just me, or do the prairies really like their two-word town names? Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Swift Current...it feels like a theme. Some of them even fancy it up with a third word, like Portage La Prairie.

Our born-and-raised Moose Jaw friend did confirm however that most of these places go by a one-word abbreviation among locals, and the one word tends to be the second word; Moose Jaw is "The Jaw" and Medicine Hat is "The Hat" - although Swift Current goes just by "Swift."

Anyway - before crossing into Manitoba we hit up a nice little park in Regina called Horizon Station (another good band name) and enjoyed the playground's train-theming, double ziplines and bright red colours.

Then it was back on the road for another unique location that I'd been itching to visit ever since we first started planning this trip: the International Peace Garden.

This unique park and garden was the brainchild of Dr. Henry Moore, a horticulturist from Toronto who, in the 1920s, proposed a garden right on the border between the USA and Canada that would act as a symbol of friendship. A few years later his vision became a reality, and it remains one of Manitoba and North Dakota's most-visited tourist spots.

It was understandably very autumnal when we visited, but I imagine it must be an absolute fiesta of colours in the spring. However, even without its full complement of flowers there's still lots to see; walking trails, memorials, sculptures, and a nice natural playground that is themed around local animals.

We stayed the night in Brandon, Manitoba (nice town name, but would be better with a second word..."Brandon Breezes" maybe?) and rose nice and early the next day to make our final push out of the prairies and back into Ontario.

But before we get there...if you believe in the power of play (and if you're here you probably do) please consider donating to our cross-Canada road trip by clicking here. It would mean a lot!