Fun things to do in Province of Manitoba

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After the international peace garden we trailed the Manitoba "desert" of Spirit Sands located in Spruce woods provincial park. This is the only place qualified to be called a desert in Canada actually. It's not like the desert in the middle east but millions of years ago it could possibly look like one. They said there's a lot more open sand before than today because of the original 6,500 sq. km. of delta sand, only four sq. km. remain expose and the rest are now covered with some plants and grass because of the abundant rainfall received by the region.I never thought that there's actually a desert in Canada until I've seen it.
There are a couple of trails there but we took the one possible for us to make. We took the 1.6 km trail. The trail has an average level of difficulty for me because of the level stretches and a few steep slopes and walking on the sand is not easy. There are some stairs and platforms along the way that helped us out a bit. I was very tired because I had barely enough sleep before this trip so I made numerous stops to rest that made me always left behind. We reached a platform where we had a better view of the green vegetation now growing around the area and from here we saw part of the dunes.
Along the way ,I read a sign post that there's a non-poisonous desert snake that lives in the area and someone showed us a baby one on our way back.
This is actually a wonder of nature , a rare and unusual part of Manitoba.

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We had a weekend long drive to see this colorful botanical garden than lies between US-Canada border specifically North Dakota-Manitoba devoted for world peace.It was created in 1932.
It took 4 hours to get there from Winnipeg. We are not able to cross the border yet because as permanent resident card holders, we need a US visa to get there which we are planning to have very soon.
The peace tower reminds me of Quezon memorial shrine in Quezon City in the Philippines but the International peace tower is more robust and bigger. There's a vast open green space which I don't know if it's a golf coarse. I thought the Peace chapel that lies directly in front of the Peace tower is a place where you can offer prayer but it's actually a small room with famous quotes engraved on its wall with the US and Canada flag in front. It's more like a meeting room for me.
The big garden adorned with colorful flowers is very beautiful and well maintained. I've never seen those kind of flowers before and it amazed me a lot. Some looks more like a vegetable to me like the one that looks like a broccoli. There's a fountain at the center and a smaller one at the entrance. From the garden, the giant the peace tower seems like a guardian overlooking the entire garden. I personally like the floral Canada flag over the US flag because it's more distinct maybe because the US flag is more intricate to make. I also like the floral clock.
They have this new building called Interpretive Center and Conservatory where you can find a variety of cactus which some are taller than me. It also houses a souvenir shop.
There are also campsites and picnic tables if you want to stay overnight. We had our lunch on a spot overlooking a small lake. I think it's not just a garden but a forest as well because of the abundance of trees all over the place.

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It can be your side trip when going to Kenora, Ontario like what we did. We had our breakfast here when we went to Rushing river for a weekend camping. There are campsites near the lake and the clear water was inviting to take a plunge. The lake shapes like a cove with grainy sands. I also read that it was the site of an alleged UFO siting.

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Largest congregation of wintering snakes in the world! Tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes from up to 20 km away come to these dens to spend the winter months. Visiting the dens requires good planning because the snakes emerge, mate in a frenzy, and disperse all within a few short weeks in late April to early May (weather dependent). The website provides a status update every few days or so for prospective visitors to keep track of the activity. We missed the peak activity by a few days and encountered unseasonally cool temperatures, so activity at the dens was lower than we hoped for, but we still saw a few hundred snakes, as well as several "mating balls" (female snake emerging from the den being mobbed by several males desperate to mate with her!).

There are five dens along an easy, looped 3-km walking trail. Interpretive signs are located at the den sites and entrance. There are also picnic tables and restrooms along the route. Access to the dens is free and there is a gravel parking lot at the entrance. Aniticipate staying 1-3 hours.

Birdwatching is wonderful in Manitoba. We were there in summer and there were birds everywhere! So many species that I hadn't seen before. Is it because the air is so clean there? Or because the province in general is very "natural"? You would quite often see aerial battles of several small birds attacking a raptor.

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Several organisations teamed up to protect a portion of Manitoba's remnant tallgrass prairie (of which less than 1% remains across North America). There are two self-guided interpretive trails you can stroll down. Spring and fall are good times to visit for migratory birds. Spring is good for breeding birds. Late spring and summer for the flowers. There are restrooms on site, but apart from that, there are no services. Entry is free. Interpretive pamphlets are available at the entrance to each trail. I recommend the north trail in particular, though both can easily be done in a day.

While in the area, there are also some historical sites that can be visited, such as St. Michael's Church - the oldest Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada. The stroll through the cemetary was interesting. There is also a Ukrainian museum in the neighbouring town of Gardenton, though we didn't visit it during our trip down.

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Oak Hammock Marsh is a major stopover for migrating birds, particularly waterfowl and the like. It has been designated as a wetland of international importance to wildlife. Visitors can hike the multiple trails of various lengths. There is also a trail through tallgrass prairie (of which less than 1% remains in Canada) and an Artesian spring down the road from the Interpretive Centre. In the summer, canoeing is an optional activity. In the winter, snowshoeing. Other daily activities and tours can be found on the website, as well as events and workshops.

The Interpretive Centre charges a modest admission fee (adults $5 in 2008), but is great for kids, somewhat interesting for adults. One visit was enough for us. It features a variety of exhibits about wetlands and a nice lookout onto the marshes.

Interpretive Centre open 10-8 (May-Oct); 10-4 (Nov-Apr), but Wildlife Management Area (i.e. the outdoor portions of Oak Hammock Marsh) has free public access year-round, around the clock.

RMNP is a forested oasis in the middle of a prairie landscape. Over 400km of trails are waiting to be explored. Variety of accomodation options, several campsites. The town of Wasagaming is situated in the park and offers most facilities in the summer. Water activites (swimming, boating, fishing) on Clear Lake. Bison enclosure. Bike trails. Visit the Parks Canada website for detailed descriptions of the trails, accomodation options, and other activities. More photos of RMNP are on my Wasagaming page.