Last week Brian and I went on a whirlwind trip to the lovely Province of Saskatchewan for some quality time with Brian's extended family. It was really a fun time, and even if you don't have relatives there, and you have the chance, it's worth the drive/flight.
While Brian was putting in some bro time with his cousin Danny in Saskatoon, Danny's wife Elizabeth and I trekked to Moose Jaw for a little R&R and some sightseeing. Some of the fun stuff we did in Moose Jaw included a little casino action (we
rocked the penny/nickel slots :P), a wonderfully relaxing body wrap spa treatment, tours of the historic Chinese Laundry and Chicago Connection/Al Capone tunnels, and gorged at a gloriously sinful fudge shop. We did all of this in 24 hours too, which is pretty darned awesome.
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| Fantastic spa. Seriously, go there. |
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| Ohhh the casino. They wouldn't let us take pictures inside, but it was an experience to say the least :). |
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| Elizabeth and I enjoying a bit o' gelato in the Moose Jaw-y sunshine. |
I particularly loved the tour of the Chicago Connection tunnel, which was leftover from Al Capone's rum running days during prohibition. Highly recommend.
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Some points in this list transcend the passage of time...
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Once back in Saskatoon, all the Robertson grandkids (and their spouses, woohoo!) were treated by Grambo (yes, Brian's grandma, Beth, goes by the name Grambo. She is uber-grandma to the extreme, and the nickname is an understatement :) ) to an awesome Sunday brunch at the Saskatoon Inn. By brunch I mean BRUNCH. You have to see it to believe it, and you'd be hard pressed to find a brunch that compares.
Following BRUNCH, Grambo, Brian and I partook in the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon. It's an indoor replica of a typical pre-turn of the century Saskatchewan town, complete with a collection of agricultural implements from throughout the ages. We really enjoyed ourselves at the museum, which was literally exploding at the seams with stories and information. If you go, and I recommend you do, set aside a good few hours in order to do the place justice.
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| Brian and Grambo providing perspective for the steam engine. |
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| Mmmmm, sod house. Good at keeping cold out, not so good at keeping rain out. |
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| I think Brian could easily be an old n' timey accountant. |
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| The lawyers' office looked pretty lawyer-y, but there weren't oodles of files stacked all over, so the authenticity is suspect :). |
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| In the school house it was show and tell day, and this kid brought his handmade skates. Now that's Canadian dedication. |
From Saskatoon we drove out to the Harris to spend a few days with Grambo. We met lots of the locals, visited the Harris museum, and went on wonderful drives out into the countryside.
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| Brian and Grambo chilling out on the deck in Harris. |
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| Deer! We even saw a moose. In fact, we saw more animals on that drive than in all my trips to the Rockies combined. |
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| Beautiful Saskatchewan. |
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| Grambo enjoying the scenery and gurgle of the creek. |
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| Me. |
Back in Saskatoon we got a chance to hang out with Brian's Robertson and Stromberg cousins, whom we really don't see often enough. It was great. Brian even made a new buddy in Emmeline, Danny and Elizabeth's nearly two-year-old daughter.
All-in-all, we had a wonderful time visiting in Saskatchewan, and we are really going to miss everyone there while we are in the UK. If you enjoy the outdoors, mom n' pop shops and restaurants, friendly people and a slower pace, go to Saskatchewan. You will love it.
