Well, it’s Tourism Week in Saskatchewan, and if you didn’t know that before this week, you maybe discovered that as many different communities across the province held events for the occasion.  I joined Watrous and Manitou Beach for a double celebration as the Manitou Springs Hotel was also celebrating its 25th anniversary.  It all started off with a BBQ in the centre of Watrous.  A few representatives from Tourism Saskatchewan were there, with Brendan Manz, who heads up community development in the town.

Local artist Gabrielle Faludi showing a few of her works. She also curates the local art gallery in the summer.

Many local artists came out to show their various works with the public, and included glass-blown vases by Heather Konschuh (www.konschuh.com), incredible life-like clay figurines by Sandy Christensen, and awesome landscape paintings by Frank Wilson, to name a few.

One of the combines from the film "Twister"

Brendan and I walked over to the local art gallery, which is actually quite something to have in a town of around 2500 people.  Again, seeing the work on display helped me feel an appreciation for the town and the support it obviously gives to local culture.

Next, we headed to this place everybody is raving about: Danceland!  I was wondering what all the hype was, but as I walked in it immediately hit me. A huge hardwood dance floor, large lighting and open windows overlooking the lake.  The atmosphere is truly something out of the 50′s! Even though we were the only ones in the building I couldn’t help but imagine a full floor of swing dancing, people laughing and having a good time, and the lights and music.  Built in 1928, it was and is still one of the few dance halls in the world with with a thick layer of horsehair under the hardwood flooring that gives it an added spring to your step.  80 years of dancing, and still running; rumor has it, the owner Arnold Strueby tells me, that Elvis has even taken to the stage here!

One of the main attractions of Manitou Beach is definitely the Manitou Springs Hotel and Mineral Spa, and I had to check it out for myself.  You wouldn’t blame me!  It’s not hard to see why people come from all over to experience the great things about the establishment, boasting a heated mineral pool with water coming straight from the lake itself.

It also has a full spa with massage and a great in-house restaurant.  Once I had my room key, it didn’t take much convincing to head to the pool, where the water is five times more salty than the ocean!  I was eager to see if I too would actually float.  I wasn’t disappointed, though, and it really was a bizarre feeling to just lay back on the water and stare at the ceiling, with no effort at all!  The water is chalk full of revitalizing minerals, supposedly good for your health, too.

I had made up my mind to take a dip in the lake, too!  I’m much more excited about swimming in lakes, for some reason, than pools, and this one’s unique; I couldn’t pass it up! But, it was cold. And windy.  In the morning (after a fantastic mochaccino at the local coffee shop, The Village Perk - which had a lovely view of the lake), I decided that it was now or never.  I could always jump into a hot shower back in my room, either way! As promised, it was cold, very cold, but refreshing, too!

Before and after!

Golfing – I haven’t done it in years, but my game at Manitou Beach Golf Club was surprisingly not terrible.  I did hit a shot that bounced off the highway once (in my defence it was very windy) and lost about 5 or maybe more of my companions’ golf balls, but it was GREAT.  The sun came out, and everybody had fun.  The course itself was in beautiful shape, was quite challenging, and today as I sit and write, I wish I was back out there.

Oh, and one more thing: the town even has a drive-in movie theatre! So make sure to stop by there if you do make it to Watrous and Manitou Beach.  Just another thing that makes this a great summer destination with so much to do!

Bill travelled and lived in many different parts of the globe, and you can see from his collection that each place he has lived holds a dear place in his heart.  From Canada to Hong Kong, the collection constantly made me go WOW!!  I couldn’t believe all of the pieces that he had in there.  He’s one of those people that has lived an incredible life, and the artwork he collects testifies to that.  We also had lunch at the café in the gallery: croissants with ham, turkey, or egg salad, and soup with fresh cheese biscuits.  It was so good.

The next morning, our tour guide Tillie from Coronach Badlands Tours took us through the Big Muddy Badlands.  The sky gave us some awesome sunshine, and for all I knew I could have been in a Clint Eastwood western film.

As we approached Castle Butte, a 70 metre high mound of sandstone and compressed clay, the land became uneven, and various shaped hills and cliffs emerged from the flatland.  A few curious horses ran up to meet us as we disembarked the bus, and I got close enough to them to take a few pictures!

Castle Butte itself was a true marvel, poking its lofty head out of the terrain below.  The 230 foot climb to the top isn’t difficult; the top rewards the climber with a commanding view of the landscape in all directions.  I’m the kind of person that can spend quite a bit of time just sitting and enjoying the view, so I was quite content with spending my time relaxing at the top while the others walked around the base.  It’s cool to think that the area was a hideout to various outlaws in the early 20th Century as Station #1 of the Outlaw Trail – people like Sam Kelly, Frank Carlyle and Butch Cassidy.

After jumping back into the bus, we headed to a point of historical and cultural interest: a Prayer Pole and a Buffalo Effigy – a pattern of stones laid out like a buffalo.  It is a ceremonial site still used today by the First Nations people and stands on a point high enough to offer superb views of the surrounding country.

So ended our tour of the Big Muddy Badlands. The place is full of history and sights to see.  Make sure to check out Andrew’s video from last year, which features Big Muddy and Castle Butte!

The train ride ended with a deliciously unique supper - Merv’s Pitchfork Fondue.  Yeah, you’ve heard correctly – it’s a full 12 ounce steak, poked onto a pitchfork, and submerged in hot oil.  As the website says, you have to see it to believe it – or eat it to believe it, in this case!

I couldn’t be more excited, privileged, eager, and ready to hit the road and meet you all… it’s going to be a great ride. Things have already started happening here in Regina with the first few days of settling in and planning some of the awesome things that this summer will hold.  I even picked up my new ride today from Bennett-Dunlop Ford – I can now talk to my car!  I’ll be riding in style this summer.

I really hope you’ll follow along with me on my adventures this summer, follow me on Facebook and Twitter, and check out my blog as I head across the beautiful province of Saskatchewan. I know it will be a great time!

The places I’ve been are calling for you. Go zipline! Go wakeboarding! Get out there, and find some fun. Saskatchewan is all about discovery – so go and find all the things that I didn’t do, and share them in the comments, on my Facebook page, or on Twitter.

I think I’ve made some great friends this summer, so thank you so much for following along and helping make this the best summer job ever.

Cheers,
Andrew Konoff
Your Saskatchewanderer

1. That only Saskatchewan people enjoy Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan skeptics are out there, let me tell you – but there’s a healthy chunk of the world that views the Sask as a place more exotic than Timbuktu. That’s a fascination stoked by more than just small town events – just check out Robert Reid’s top 10 in Regina. As a Lonely Planet travel guide editor, he’s been across the world, but the mix of history, sports, and the RCMP depot kept him engaged and wanting more. Oh, and he visited the Regina Liver Lovers Luncheon Club – that’s something I didn’t even know happened, and I’ve lived my whole life five blocks from it.

By the Box Mine near Uranium City

2. That Saskatchewan is flat, empty prairie (or: that you can see your dog running for days).

It’s an oft-repeated fact that the trees in Regina weren’t there when it was first settled – but the trees in Saskatchewan’s north most definitely were. Most of our lakes and forest appear north of Prince Albert, and the landscape gets more unbelievable the further north you get. I can tell you with certainty that there are places in Saskatchewan where not a single sheaf of wheat can be seen for miles. The thing is: Saskatchewan rewards the adventurous. You won’t be disappointed when you get off the beaten track – so get off the #1 highway! Seriously, did you know that Cypress Hills is twenty minutes from the Trans-Canada? It’s a forest oasis in a field of wheat, and that’s what you’ll find everywhere if you take a risk and really treat Saskatchewan as a destination in itself.

3. That there’s barely anything happening in Saskatchewan (or: that all we have is Rider games).

Saskatchewan seems synonymous, for lots of Canadians, with green and white – but I like to think that I showed what else is happening in our fair province. From the rocky terrain of Uranium City, to our countless music festivals (including the Saskatchewan Jazz Fest), to the oft-unheard history of the province’s south, Saskatchewan’s true nature is just now being uncovered.

Is it bad to text and kayak at the same time?

4. That Saskatchewan is dry, arid, otherwise waterless.

I saw no shortage of sand dunes this summer – but there was no shortage of lakes either. I wakeboarded and wakesurfed at Blackstrap Provincial Park, and there’s kiteboarding and paddleboarding going on at Emma Lake. The one thing I didn’t get to do was fish – but I’m betting the fish are happy about that one.

5. That no one would ever read a blog about SK.

I’ll take my 173,000 page views to be evidence against that – but what do you think? Have you found something you cared about this summer? As always, comment here, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Wildlife encounters. From bears in Meadow Lake Provincial Park, to the sole stag running across the Grasslands, to the most adorable animal pal I’ve ever had, Saskatchewan is teeming with hairy, four-legged life. Don’t go sneaking up on them, though – always be noisy when hiking to avoid unwanted surprises.

Wakeboarding and wakesurfing. Two fun facts here: 1) Saskatchewan is home to several world-class pros, and two huge wakeboarding events: Wakeride in Saskatoon, and the Sasktel Summer Invasion in Regina. 2) If you’re discouraged by your lack of wakeboarding success, you can choose – like I did – to do wakesurfing instead. You let go of the rope and follow the wave behind the boat. No one tells you that you can surf in Saskatchewan, do they?

Ziplining. Ever wanted to go flying through a forest canopy at high speeds over 40 feet from the ground? Ever wanted to do it in Saskatchewan? Not only are there trees tall enough to do it, but the Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures zipline tours will show you a great view of one of the province’s most beautiful ecosystems. This isn’t quite like bird-watching, though – the longest zipline there is over 600 feet long.

Flying. North of Saskatoon, things start to spread out a lot. The extensive boreal forest means roads are few, drives are long, and gas bills are large. To get up to the Athabasca Sand Dunes, I had to hitch a ride with some of the pilots of the Century Flight Club – and one of them was awesome enough to let me try my hand at flying! I wonder what’ll happen if I put a propellor and wings on my Ford Escape…

The Sheepdogs. Back on Canada Day, I interviewed Saskatoon-based rockers The Sheepdogs. That was the day that the contest to get on the cover of the Rolling Stone was ending – and it would be a month before the public would find out if the hometown heroes had bested a Californian pop singer. On August 1st, it was official: The Sheepdogs had won, and you can see them on this month’s cover of the Rolling Stone. Better yet, I can now happily welcome them to the Club of Saskatchewanian Social Media Contest Winners – that’s right. I’m in a club with The Sheepdogs.