After riding in from Thunder Bay I was quite tired, I wanted to be in a large city for Canada Day to see the fireworks and attend a few events. After arriving and being turned away from 2 hostels since nobody was working I finally stumbled into a nice hostel in the downtown core run by a very kind immigrant family new to Canada. They were nice enough to let me park my bike in the courtyard where it was safe and even offered to cooked me a free dinner in exchange for photos of other provinces as they were looking to move from Winnipeg.
The ride to Winnipeg was my first taste of the prairies where the absolute “flatness” of the landscape made an interesting ride as my perception of distance was completely wrong when riding. I was advised to ensure my fuel levels are good when leaving any town since gas stations are few and far between. When riding through the small towns I was surprised that each town had their own Canada day celebration, in the smaller towns it was generally hosted by the local police and fire departments that had their own parade down the main street. When stopped for some lunch I was just in time for the towns Canada Day celebration. The entire Trans-Canada Highway was closed for this short parade causing a 30 min traffic jam.
I decided to take a rest day in Winnipeg and see the city. Down Main Street I went to The Forks Park where a lot of native culture was showcased. One thing I noticed about cities west of Ontario is the inherent kindness of the population. When walking around the city with a map and biker gear roughly 12 people walked up to swap biker stories and give advice on the hidden gems within Winnipeg.
I decided to check out the Museum of human rights which offered a nice view of the city. Right now there is a bush fire problem in the prairies so a thick haze of smoke is filling the atmosphere. I must admit that it makes the moon look a very cool fiery red color. After the Museum I spent a few hours at the WAG (Winnipeg Art Gallery), apparently I still look like a student so I got free admission. The feature exhibit of the Greek gods was a nice way to spend a few hours.
