Travel at home

Where to go in Manitoba this reading week

Illustration by Gabrielle Funk

With reading week around the corner, a mini-vacation may be in order. 

As the travel duo Tiny Explorers, Kylee Chandler and Rhayne Moore have done their share of travelling within Manitoba and have photos to prove it on their Instagram and Tumblr accounts.

“Manitoba has so much unexplored territory to offer, no matter the season. Our scenery changes in a matter of hours from farmland to the desert in Spruce Woods. From thick Whiteshell forests to the rolling hills of Riding Mountain. From the clear blue waters of Lake Manitoba to the thick icy tundra of the north,” Moore says. 

Some students may be lucky enough to travel to warm, wind-chill free places such as Cancun and or Rio, but it doesn’t mean that those who are left in the province can’t travel. 

Even in the cold dead of winter, Chandler and Moore say there are many places to venture to in Manitoba.

The duo suggests heading out to Clear Lake where they say the lake has been frozen to perfection. 

“Clear Lake is a fantastic place to go for a winter holiday, especially with the great ice they have this year. Great shops and good food to warm you up when you’re off the ice,” Moore says. 

If you would prefer skiing, Moore recommends hitting up Falcon Trails Resort, a forest resort located 90 minutes away from the city. 

“It’s got this great vibe and sometimes you can catch some great local talents performing at the ski lodge,” Moore says, referring to the many musicians in the area.

Emily Christie, one of the owners of Falcon Trails Resort, says its ski slopes are hidden in the woods at the end of Falcon Lake. 

The resort offers alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing and skating, Christie says.

“There are cozy lake-front cabins with hot tubs and wood fires that you could potentially hole away in and actually get some of that reading week work caught up on. And on top of it all we have a great social vibe that would make any university student feel at home,” Christie says. 

For anyone who doesn’t want to venture out too far, Chandler and Moore recommend FortWhyte Alive where people can rent cross-country skis and snowshoes.

“There are many events that target the student age group all year round, such as Cabin Yoga on (Feb. 20). Having done it, I can say it’s a very relaxing experience and a good way to reset before the end of reading week,” Moore says. 

There’s also the opportunity to watch bisons graze in the field while hiking and a café to warm up in.

If you’re thinking of travelling this reading week but don’t have a flight booked yet, you might want to start looking for destinations within Manitoba.

Published in Volume 70, Number 19 of The Uniter (February 11, 2016)

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