Last night was another late night. I was up until 3 AM, and with a wake-up call of 6:45 AM today, there was not much sleep to be had. Nespresso will be my best friend today I'd say. Speaking of, I started off with a nice coffee to perk me right up.
Today I'll be saying goodbye to my Winnie pals and driving to Moose Jaw. But before I get into the happenings of the day, I'd like to say thank you again to Matthew and Nola from the bottom of my heart. These two were such gracious hosts who made me feel completely at home, looking out for me with such care and love.
I am so fortunate to have such incredible friends, both Matthew and Nola and the whole group of friends who came over to their house on Saturday night. It's no small thing to create such a strong friendship that withstands the test of time. I know I can count on any one of these friends, no matter how long it has been since we last saw each other. Because every time we meet it's as if no time has passed at all, and we fall back into our beautiful friendships as if we'd seen each other just yesterday.
I'm so lucky to have such an amazing group of kind, loving, smart and warm people who I call my friends - Beth and Bobby, Kim and Jerry, Nadine, Rina, Jeff and Leslie, and Joe, and many other friends who I didn't get a chance to see this time around but who I feel close to. We will definitely have to meet again for a class reunion with everyone.
It's incredible how you can be friends with people for years and constantly learn new things about them. I learned that Nola Lazar is a master chef griller! How have I never had her tasty BBQ delicacies before?? I learned that Matthew Lazar is a walking encyclopedia of trivia and that for every year I haven't seen him he has managed to absorb mountains of information and trivia about every part of the world. I loved staying up late talking and hearing him share his knowledge with passion.
It's Not Goodbye, it's See You Soon!
I prepped some of my usual grub for the road. I ended up with 12 sandwiched filled with butter, sliced cheese, tomato and lettuce, and also a few PB&Js.
Then, all too soon, it was time to say goodbye. Nola was off to work at 8:30, so I gave her a big hug. And at 9:00 the sandwiches were all prepared, the car was packed and the coffee was ready to go. I said my final farewell to Matthew. It was one of the hardest things to say goodbye to those two after one of the best visits. But it's not goodbye! Just see you later. 😉
Back in the car after a bit of a driving break, I was ready to go buy some ice and fuel up the car before the day's drive. I thought today would be the most boring blog yet since I had planned to limit the hidden trails of the day in an effort to quickly get to my destination and get a bit of rest. The goal being to get to my final destination by 3:00 PM. But the day ended up being anything but boring! Hold on to your seats!
Miniature Horses
So you know my motto, "Must stop for dogs"? Yea well, maybe we need to expand that...
There I was, on a mission to get to my destination ASAP. Just enjoying the road, minding my own business, when out of the corner of my eye, I see two very small horses on the side. of the road. So of course I did one of my famous U-Turns and went back to investigate.
I stopped on the side of the road to say hello to two of the friendliest miniature horses! They were so small, no more than 2 feet tall! And they weren't shy at all, in fact, they happily came up to greet me. Who doesn't love miniature animals.. they were absolutely gorgeous!
The Great Plains
Well folks, we have arrived at the great plains it would seem! As I was driving on Route 2 headed west, there were suddenly miles and miles of fields as far as the eye can see. It seems this is the main farming region. There are hardly any trees around, just the vastness of the plains.
Starbuck (No, not Starbucks!)
It was ice o'clock and I needed to fill up on gas, so I stopped in a little town called Starbuck! No, not Starbucks coffee, Starbuck, singular. As I have encountered several times on this trip, this small town like a lot of others didn't have 91-octane gasoline. After searching around, I gave up and moved on hoping I'd find a gas station soon to fill up.
We are following the "red coat trail" today, along Highway 2. This is the route the red coats (North-West Mounted Police) took in 1874 in their March West from Fort Dufferin to Fort Whoop-Up. This route was also used by the pioneers at the time to travel across the grasslands during the 19th century. What is the grassland area today was not always this flat, in fact, it used to be forested. But when the pioneers came in they needed to clear the trees in the area to create agricultural homesteads and roads. That explains why its suddenly so flat!
Octane 91, Anyone? Anyone at all??
At this point, I'm down to less than a quarter tank. I come up on another town with several gas stations and was hopeful I'd find some 91. However, it seems that many gas stations here are closed Sundays and the rest..? Well, they don't have 91-Octane. At this point I'm starting to sweat...where is 91??
St Claude's Serious Farming Equipment
I'm no farmer but driving by St Claude and just looking at all these white towers and all these agriculture buildings, it seems like farming is pretty serious here. I cannot recall seeing such a big farm area with so many stacks of containers or granaries. And I live in Texas...
The good news is St Claude has 91! I'm filling up as much as I can because who knows where I'll next find some of the very sought-after 91 Octane. 😉 The bad news is there is no dice on the ice. Their ice machine has stopped working. Can't win them all I guess... But I hope the next station has some because I need some ice to keep my sandwich stash nice and fresh.
Dice on Ice!
Phew! 20 minutes later, I arrived at Treherne and guess what. There is dice on the ice!!! Luck was back on my side. I even got myself a coffee crisp (which is a no-no for me, but I was in need of the extra energy after only sleeping 3 hours last night) The Coffee crisp kicked in quickly and I was wide awake and inspired to see some hidden trails!
Is it Lake?
I found a nice little hidden trail but had no idea where it would lead. This isn't "Lakeland" anymore, but it seemed on the map that the trail was heading towards a little lake. I sure hoped that was the case because I was getting a bit sick of just open farmlands for miles on end. The trail was pretty narrow and steep, but I'm an expert at rugged trails at this point. As long as the end of the trail gives way to a nice view, then it's all worth it.
At first, I was sceptical that this trial would deliver. On the map, I could see three of four lakes that seemed to be a decent size. But I continued and the map suddenly said I was in the lake, but there was no lake to be seen. I looked out into the direction that the lakes should have been, but nothing. I'm assuming that this area is just very dry and the lack of rain means these lakes have dried up.
I kept driving along thinking to myself that there are no lakes here...But then, the view opened up and I could see an area of the lake, way down in the distance, with a strip of water visible. There were even some local geese hanging out in this "lake". It looked more like a giant marshland covered by tall grey-brown grass. Despite the appearance of a small strip of water, the area seemed pretty dry. But there is a lake! I stand corrected.
Sunday Challenges
Hidden trail completed, I was off to find a bathroom. Again. All that coffee...I turned into a small town called Reston for a bathroom break, but the local gas station was closed and even the public restroom in the town was closed on Sundays. Apparently, they only operate from 9 AM to 4 PM Monday to Friday...Too bad my bladder doesn't follow the same operating schedule...
Welcome to Saskatchewan!
I had entered the 3rd Canadian province of the trip. Hello Saskatchewan! As I entered, I saw a sign for a city called "Antler", whose population is...take a guess... 21 people. 😱 Talk about a small town. I wonder who those 21 people are...
Of course, I had to take a detour to investigate. So I entered into Antler in search of a local citizen to have a chat with. That's when I met Willie. Willie told me he's lived in Antler his whole life, and the population is indeed that small, with only 22 people living there now. He gave me a "walking tour" of the entire town. It was a hot day, and I'm an old man, but I knew I had to do what I had to do - for my readers!
Willie told me that despite having lived here all his life, he still really appreciates the beauty of the place each day. This goes against what I always assumed, that you'd adjust to living someplace like this quickly and take the beauty for granted. He was an incredible guide, so friendly and informative. I learned that there are lots for sale in the area and that the government is willing to sell them for very cheap as long as you maintain the land and pay taxes. He suggested it's a good place for anyone looking to invest in some property in a remote, but beautiful and pristine location. The area has incredible views of the northern lights in the winter, and in the summer the weather is lovely for the outdoors. It's a great spot for a quiet relaxing getaway.
I also learned a bit about the history of the town. Apparently, the town used to be more populated. At one time there were 3 stores and a john deere dealership and a hospital. They even had a curling rink.
I had such a great time speaking with Willie, and really appreciated his openness and willingness to take the time to show me around. I gave him two small bottles of 14-Year Glenmorange in appreciation. He also gave me some recommendations for a nearby hidden gem, so that's where I was off to next!
The Original Pool Elevators
Following Willie’s (from Antler) recommendations, I came across a tall tower structure that Willie explained was the last and only grain storage that still has the original "pool elevators“ logo on it. Following his instructions, I found it exactly where he said it would be. It's a cool bit of history. All of these types of towers have now been rebuilt using concrete, but this one is the last wooden one. It's not currently in use, but just a monument to a piece of local history.
Wolseley and the Hanging Bridge
Next, I arrived at Wolseley, another recommendation from Willie. This beautiful little town had these incredible homes in an older architectural style.
They also had this incredible suspension bridge over a cute little lake that had its very own fountain in the middle.
As I was taking photos of this incredible bridge in this picturesque town, a group of 3 people approached and I began to speak with them. Meet Dale, Rhonda and Janice. Dale and Rhonda are from Regina and Janice lives in a retirement home nearby – only 20 feet away from the suspended bridge apparently!
Dale used to be a Farmer near a small city called Milestone (the flatlands is how he called it), but is now retired. I asked the usual questions, did he like small-town life? Would he consider moving to a big city? But like many other rural folk, he said he would never move to the big city, and that he really prefers the relaxed way of life that you get when you live in the countryside.
Power Line Danger!
After talking with Dale and handing him a small bottle of whiskey for his participation and a card so he can view the blog, I was off! My energy was quickly depleting so I headed for the fastest route to my bed and breakfast. I was driving down Highway 1 when I noticed on my right a railroad track with power lines that were dangerously low to the ground.
I was too scared to walk there in case the power is live, but I was shocked that the lines were only around 4 feet off the ground! It was difficult to investigate as the speed limit was 110 KPH and I couldn't slow down, and there were no shoulders in the area wide enough. Eventually, I came across a maintenance trail and pulled off. I took some photos from a safe distance. Several miles later, I saw that the wires seemed to be detached in certain areas, so it seems like it's probably not a live wire, but still! Seems dangerous.
Hidden BnB
Well, it seems that the trail to the Orchard View Bed and Breakfast is also quite a hidden trail itself. I had to drive down a dirt road for almost 8 km.
Off in the distance, to my right, it looked like the clouds were opening up. There was rain all around me, but the trail I was on was luckily in the last bit of sunshine. It was a gorgeous drive to the BnB.
Once I arrived, I was greeted by Lisa, the owner, along with Rolo, a large Bernese Mountain Dog and Yeti, a white Great Pyrenees.
Lisa and her husband, Tyler, founded the farm here after looking for the perfect spot for quite a while. Lisa told me about how very happy they are here and would never move to a big city like Toronto or Montreal. To them, this is a little slice of heaven and there is no reason to go anywhere else.
I don't blame them, with their 2 giant dogs, their horses, and their sons, Austin and Kenton, what more is there to want? Austin even brought me some warm homemade pie made with juneberries (a purple berry the size of a grape) they grow right here in their very own orchard. Slice of heaven indeed. Just look at this sunset!
Finally, I'd unpacked and settled into my room. After what was supposed to be an uneventful day, but turned into a day jam-packed with hidden gems, I was quite tired. I'm off to sit back and relax in this beautiful place.
See you tomorrow!
-Shlomo
This post was a great read, Shlomo.
Another great post. What a spectacular adventure you are having