Searching for great retirement trips? Whether you want rest or excitement, solitude or crowds, low cost or luxury, here are some ideas for retirement travel.
Things to do in Churchill, Manitoba – Why you need to visit Churchill, Manitoba in 2021 Churchill, Manitoba is one of Manitoba’s Northernmost cities located located at the mouth of the Churchill River on the southwest shore of Hudson Bay. It has a population of just 1,000 people and is only accessible from Winnipeg by airplane or train. Churchill is world-famous for the beauty of its northern lights and for being a playground for wild Polar Bears. The tundra landscape is eerily beautiful. To get the most out of your trip, the best time to travel to Churchill is from mid-October to November. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some tour operators in Churchill stopped operations earlier than normal in 2020. Many other businesses in the tourism industry, such as hotels and restaurants, are really hurting and need tourism to pick up soon – first from Manitobans and then from other Canadians and international travellers once it is safe. Although we have yet to visit Churchill, we want to share the research we did for a planned trip to Churchill in 2020 that we cancelled due to the pandemic. Top 3 things to do in Churchill: Polar bear watching Churchill is called the polar bear capital of the world for good reason. The best months to see polar bears in the wild near Churchill is in October and November. You can sometimes see baby polar bears in March. If you want to see Polar Bears in late Summer, you will likely have to travel south of town by helicopter to the “polar bear highway’ they use to migrate towards Churchill. Beluga whale watching Whale watching boat tours occur from June to September. The best time to see whales is late Summer, when 58,000 belugas descend on Hudson Bay. You can even take a tour that includes kayaking with the beluga whales. Northern Lights watching Churchill is one of the best towns in the world from which to see the Northern Lights in the sky. Aurora Borealis are visible 300 nights a year and highly visible from late August to April. The best months to see the Northern Lights in their glorious green splendor over the Hudson’s Bay are February and March. We have been seeing amazing pictures of the Aurora Borealis from all over Norther Manitoba for the past month. Other things to do in Churchill: Most of the activities in and around Churchill are outdoors and involve a lot of walking and dealing with the elements. Make sure you bring proper attire and footwear for various weather conditions. Dog Sledding A unique activity that you won’t be able to do elsewhere is Dog Sledding. In Winter, a team of highly trained dogs will pull you along in a sled at high speeds. If you go when there is no snow on the ground, don’t worry because you can also ride in a Dog Cart on wheels. You will feel exhilarated as you whiz through beautiful scenery. You can book this experience through the tour operators listed below. Helicopter Tours Another spectacular way to get to remote locations and to admire the landscape from a unique perspective is by helicopter. Helicopter tours are available with Hudson Bay Helicopters and Custom Helicopters, among other companies. Hiking and Bird Watching Northern Manitoba has amazing hiking trails. The trees in the boreal forest at its northern edge to the expansive sub-arctic tundra only have leaves on one side. During the summer, you will see lovely wildflowers of all shapes and colours, including purple fireweed. In the fall, you will see red bearberries, yellow willows and white Arctic avens on the ground. Rocks that have been shaped by glaciers line the edge of Hudson Bay. You can go bird watching or see many other types of wildlife that are native to this region. If you are a hiker, we suggest you try the Sloop Cove hike. Learn About Aboriginal and Inuit Culture All over the region, you will marvel at Aboriginal culture and art. If you visit the Itsanitaq Museum or have a good tour guide, you will also learn about the Aboriginal traditions and history. If you take a tour, you might see some Inukshuks, which are human-like figures historically used to mark a travel route for directions. Learn About Churchill’s History Parks Canada Visitor Reception Centre in the Churchill’s VIA Rail Station houses exhibits about the human and natural history of the Churchill area. Audio-visual presentations are also available on the wildlife and history of the Churchill area. The centre also displays a collection of Hudson’s Bay Company muskets and trade goods. This is a good place to learn about the region’s Fur Trade History. Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site (Fort Churchill) is an historic defense structure that was built in the 18th Century. Paul’s Anglican Church is the first prefabricated building in North America. It was built with components made in England. This church was designated a heritage site by the Province of Manitoba and is the oldest church in the North that is still in use. Churchill Rocket Research Range was used to complete upper atmosphere research until 1985. It is now a National Historic Site. MV Ithica is a fascinating shipwreck that can be reached on foot at low tide. If you go, be sure to bring a guide/bear guard. Miss Piggy is a plane wreck from a crashed plane that provides a popular photo opportunity. Boreal Gardens is a privately owned and operated experimental Arctic research project comprised of greenhouses and gardens growing various types of produce. Tours are offered Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. during July and August. Art and Shopping The SeaWalls Churchill Murals in Churchill cover 30 kilometers along the shore of the Hudson Bay. This art was inspired by the participating artists’ own interactions with the community and environment as well as the issues facing the town of Churchill. Arctic Trading Company has a wide selection of unique aboriginal items to purchase as a keepsake or gift. Popular gifts include locally crafted moccasins, soapstone carvings, and drawings. Tour companies in Churchill: Tour operators will coordinate and simplify your experience and take care of most of the planning of activities once you get here. Most guides will take you to your destination in a “Tundra Buggy”, which is like a bus on steroids. You would not want to come face to face with a polar bear without an experienced guide. These tour operators will ensure that everything is done efficiently and safely: Beyond Boreal Expeditions (specialize in photography). Blue Sky Expeditions. Churchill Experience Tours. Churchill Nature Tours. Churchill Wild. Custom Churchill Tours. Discover Churchill. Great White Bear Tours. Frontiers North Adventures. Lazy Bear Expeditions. Nanuq Tours. Natural Habitat Adventures (based in Colorado). Nature First Tours. Sea North Tours. Wapusk Adventures (specialize in dog sledding and dog carting & bird watching). We have heard good things about Discover Churchill, Frontiers North Adventures, and Lazy Bear Expeditions. Please do your own research before booking. Where to stay in Churchill: Aurora Inn 20 rooms (2 wheelchair accessible). Reservations toll free: 888-840-1344. Email: [email protected] Churchill Hotel & Guesthouse 25 rooms (2 wheelchair accessible). Toll free: 1-877-675-8853. Email: [email protected] Lazy Bear Lodge 33 rooms (all wheelchair accessible). Toll free: 1-866-687-2327. Email: [email protected] Polar Inn & Suites 25 rooms. Toll free: 1-877-765-2733. Email: [email protected] Seaport Hotel 21 rooms. Toll Free: 1-877-558-4555. Email: [email protected] Tundra Inn 31 rooms. Toll Free: 1-800-265-8563. Email: [email protected] Where to eat in Churchill: Most hotels have a restaurant, but there are not many other restaurants in town. Be sure to order Arctic Char if it is on the menu anywhere. Also, Bison and Elk dishes are very unique and tasty. We have heard great things about these three restaurants and look forward to dining there one day: Lazy Bear Cafe (in the Lazy Bear Lodge). Tundra Inn Dining Room and Pub (in the Tundra Inn). The pub sometimes has live entertainment. Seaport Hotel Restaurant (in the Seaport Hotel). Happy Travels, Kevin & Tina Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications for new posts and other content. P.S. Here are links to our social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way: Retirestyle Travel Instagram Kevin’s LinkedIn Retirestyle Travel Facebook Page Kevin’s Pinterest Retirestyle Travel TikTok Retirestyle Travel Twitter Retirestyle Travel YouTube (Please check out our YouTube Channel for travel videos)
Things to do at Assiniboine Park – Winnipeg’s Urban Park Assiniboine Park is the 11th largest urban park in Canada and 150th largest urban park in the world. This outstanding park has endless tree-lined trails along the river for hiking or biking and large fields for playing football, soccer, ultimate Frisbee or even cricket. The largest grass field is between the Pavilion and the Assiniboine River. In the summer, you will see hundreds of people socializing, having picnics, suntanning, and playing sports in this field. Lyric Stage On some evenings, you can sit in this field and watch a movie in the park or watch a free concert on the Lyric Stage, which is beside the Pavilion. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet even offers free ballet performances on the Lyric Stage for several nights a year usually in July. Assiniboine Park Zoo Assiniboine Park has a large and impressive zoo called the Assiniboine Park Zoo (or the Winnipeg Zoo) that has over 200 species of animals over 80 acres. The Zoo was recently renovated to add a butterfly garden as well as enclosures and viewing areas for Polar Bears and other animals native to Northern Manitoba in an exhibit called Journey to Churchill. You can even go below the water and watch the Polar Bears swim above you. They are very surprisingly comfortable under water. If you can’t travel to Churchill, Manitoba, then this is a good way to get a sample of what you would see. English Garden One of my favourite places to decompress is English Garden at Assiniboine Park, which has many walking paths winding through beautiful flower gardens and large trees. The English Garden is located between the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and the Duck Pond. Leo Mol Sculpture Garden The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden offers a quiet retreat to walk through a lovely nature path and enjoy the magnificent life-sized bronze statues of master sculptor, Dr. Leo Mol. The garden is also home to the Leo Mol Gallery, a building featuring more works by the gifted artist and a second building that explains how he makes his amazing sculptures. The Duck Pond The Riley Family Duck Pond is a nice place for a walk where you can see many birds such as ducks, geese, seagulls, and even swans, especially during the Spring and Fall migration. In Winter months, the Duck Pond becomes a lovely ice skating rink with music and hanging lights in the trees. Beside the Duck Pond, you will find a building with washrooms, a water fountain, and tables for having a picnic indoors when it is raining or too sunny. That building transforms into a skating change room in Winter (closed during code red pandemic lockdowns). A unique and new concept for the park called Cargo Bar is located behind this building. It’s basically a bar in a renovated shipping container that serves liquor to be consumed nearby in the park or on their rooftop patio during the summer months. On the other side of the Duck Pond, there is a restaurant called the Park Cafe at Assiniboine Park. You can order things like coffee, hot chocolate, soft drinks, burgers, wraps, salads, and ice cream at their take out window. Inside, you can sit in comfort and enjoy items off their unique menu. The Pavilion One of Winnipeg’s most recognizable and beloved landmarks is The Assiniboine Park Pavilion, which was built in 1930 and looks a bit like a Bavarian chalet. The Pavilion is home to the largest collections of works by renowned Manitoba artists Ivan Eyre, Walter J. Phillips, and Clarence Tillenius. For tourists and kids, the best thing about The Pavilion is the gallery called “The Best Bear in All the World”: The Many Sides of Winnie-the-Pooh, which showcases objects, archives, and works of art to help understand the creation of the beloved Disney Character Winnie-the-Pooh from a small bear that was brought to England by a Winnipeg veterinarian during the First World War. Assiniboine Park Conservatory During the long, cold Winters, Winnipeg residents used to escape to a warm tropical paradise with exotic trees and flowers at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory. Due to its age, the old Conservatory was torn down and a new larger indoor greenhouse facility called The Leaf is currently under construction that will be the first and only garden attraction in North America to tell Canadians’ cultural stories through the world of plants. The Leaf will be surrounded by the spectacular outdoor Canada’s Diversity Gardens. For Families With Kids Next to the Pavilion, your kids will be happy to find Nature Playground and its sand and water play area, slithering slides, a sky-high crow’s nest, willow tree tunnels, basket swings, giant robin’s nest, colourful rubber mountains with slides, and net bridges. In the Winter, this area has a large hill for toboggan/sled slides. Children will also enjoy riding the nearby miniature steam train that winds through the forest. They might even spot some wild deer. Getting Around To get around this big park, you can walk or use their free shuttle bus. If you want to get more creative and adventurous, rent a bicycle built for 1, 2, 4 or more from Bee2gether Bikes near the Duck Pond. The Perfect Ending Usually, at the end of a visit to Assiniboine Park, we cross the footbridge over the scenic Assiniboine River to buy some ice cream at Sargent Sundae and then consume it while we walk back to the car. If you have any stories or suggestions about Assiniboine Park, please comment below for all of us to enjoy. Happy Travels, Kevin & Tina Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications for new posts and other content. P.S. Here are links to our social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way: Retirestyle Travel Instagram Kevin’s LinkedIn Retirestyle Travel Facebook Page Kevin’s Pinterest Retirestyle Travel TikTok Retirestyle Travel Twitter Retirestyle Travel YouTube (Please check out our YouTube Channel for travel videos)
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