Saskatoon Off The Beaten Path

This provincial park is southwest of Saskatoon on Highway 60 and is good for almost any recreational activity you can think of. Swimming, hiking, boating, camping, and baseball are just a few of the many things to do at this park. Stores and facilities are available. There are trails for those who want to hike, beaches on the lake

Starting from Saskatchewan Cres. East near College Drive and ending at the Broadway Bridge are a number of homes that were built in the early 1900s to accomodate university-related professionals like presidents of the university, doctors, and professors. These homes were the first such "mansions" to be built on the riverbank. Some houses have a story behind them, including a murder mystery or two. The homes have a great view of downtown, including the Bessborough.

Another area to see these homes is located west of 8th Street on Saskatchewan Cres. West and Poplar Cres. A home in this exclusive area was once listed as a multi-million dollar home a few years ago, the first in Saskatoon. The homes on Saskatchewan Cres. West usually have backyards that face the riverbank. Some have boathouses as a result.

There is quite a bit of art along the sidewalks and street corners of downtown Saskatoon. Often it is unrecognizable chunks of rock stacked one upon another. But at least in one case, I recognized the subject when I saw the statue. I still had to read the inscription, however, because I couldn’t guess what Mahatma Gandhi was doing in Saskatoon.

The 5 biggest deer I ever saw in the wild in my life were on this trip to Kyle...they were all together, mulies and they all were atleast 10pt and huge(tall) racks..it was amazing.(this picture is not of them).

For those who enjoy art, particularily sculptures, go to the University of Saskatchewan campus and behind the Deifenbaker Canada Centre, just east of the Meewasin Trail. There are many unique and intriguing sculptures created by local artists. My favourite is the huge hand coming out of the ground!

One of the things that is often missed is visiting the University of Saskatchewan Campus. This campus is one of the most beautiful during the summer. As well, there are two interesting museums on campus: The Deifenbaker Museum, and the dinosaur/biological museum (in the Geology/Biology building).

Northern Lakes for Summer entertainment. Although most people consider Saskatchewan to be bald prairie, we that grew up there beg to differ. Only a one hour drive north of Saskatoon will prove differently as you drive into thick forests and lake country. Probably the most popular lake resort is Waskesiu (pr. Wass-kuh-soo). Other popular lakes are Candle, Angling, and Shell. Many people from Saskatchewan have a cabin/cottage at the lake and spend the long hot summers fishing and suntanning. Please visit the lakes and see the true beauty of Saskatchewan.

Batoche. An important site of Canadian history is a couple hours' drive north of Saskatoon. Learn about the Battle of Batoche, Louis Riel, and Gabriel Dumont at the relatively new Visitor's Centre. Walk around the area and breathe in the history. For more information, check out this website: <a href='http://www.parkscanada.pch.gc.ca/parks/saskatchewan/batoche'target='_none' Batoche