Outdoors in the Prairies... what's the best?

[spiritedenergy]

This is not really about construction, but however (i also don't like to call Manitoba a prairie province, a very very small part of it is prairie and there is a big coast...), which are the best outdoor opportunities few hours drive from Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton?

I think Winnipeg is blessed with so many things: two big wonderful lakes (Winnipeg and Manitoba), with beaches and parks (Hecla-Grindstone must be beautiful) and bird-watching in Lake Manitoba, a desert (Spruce Woods), Sandilands, Whiteshell (all those petroforms... kinda magic), Living Prairie Museum and Fort Whyte inside the city (that's amazing), Birds Hill, Oak Hammock Marsh (I want to go there so badly), Lake of the Woods is not too far (i love that name, it's so inspiring, mysterious ), Pembina Valley (that shouldn't be flat!). I especially loved Spruce Woods: the old house of the famous family (which I just can't recall the surname), and also in the way back i took a small road kinda parallel to the Trans-Canada which I found very very cute, all rolling gently, a lot of bends, many woods and meadows between fields. I also liked the small town of Neepawa, but that's way farer... didn't like Portage la Prairie at all instead, and the Trans-Canada, so boring.

[Kilgore Trout]

i think there are some mountains near calgary or something.

[Taller Better]

I would definitely call Manitoba a prairie province. I've never heard that theory before. Alberta has lots of non-prairie area too... as does Saskatchewan.

[Coldrsx]

edmonton - jasper, banff, LL, kananaskis, elk island

[93JC]

A lot of people from Calgary will drop in and say Banff and Kananaskis, so I'll spare you that.

One natural area that usually goes unsung is the badlands:



I always thought it was a very beautiful place.

[dubiousmike]

Unknown to many, The Bow River downstream from Calgary has some of the best flyfishing in the world.

[Arriviste]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

edmonton - jasper, banff, LL, kananaskis, elk island

Kananaskis is like 4 hours from Edmonton. Not too mention Banff. You really think that it's close enough to consider pertinent to this excercise? I don't. I think that you are attempting to paint an unrealistic picture of E-towns proximity to these locations. Maybe we just have a different definition of the phrase "a few".

For Calgary I'd say:
The Badlands- 1.5 hours
Banff- 1-1 hours
K-country- 25-30 minutes
The Whaleback- 1.5- 2 hours (Chainlakes area, and my personal favourite region in Canada)
Waterton- 3 hours
etc etc etc
No point in listing off any more Mountainous regions.

So let me get this strait Spiritedenergy, you'd consider Edmonton a Prairie city with it's vast surrounding forests but not Winnipeg for its distance relative to a shit load of lakes? hhmmm...doesn't add up.
By your logic Im going to say Calgary is no longer a prairie city for its loaction in the foothills proximatey to those things we call mountains. I will completely ignore the fact that without human intervention the area is basically grasslands, with sparse groves of poplar and spruce trees.

I'd say Calgary is more of a Prairie city than Edmonton, and that Winnipeg is more a Prairie city than Calgary. There is nothing at all wrong with the designation Prarie. I like Calgary's Prairie location. We are lucky enough to be blessed with hilly topography that seems to really contrast the barron Prarie that overlaps the foothills. Theres something so beautiful about that transition from flat grassland, to hills steadily increasing in their pitch, to the stands of evergreens that mark the start of the Mountians, where the grasses cease after riding the hills. For me, Southern Alberta is my favourite region in NA handsdown. With Northern California/Southern Oregons Coast coming in second.

Waterton

[Kevin_foster]

:/

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by spiritedenergy

This is not really about construction, but however (i also don't like to call Manitoba a prairie province, a very very small part of it is prairie and there is a big coast...), which are the best outdoor opportunities few hours drive from Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton?

I think Winnipeg is blessed with so many things: two big wonderful lakes (Winnipeg and Manitoba), with beaches and parks (Hecla-Grindstone must be beautiful) and bird-watching in Lake Manitoba, a desert (Spruce Woods), Sandilands, Whiteshell (all those petroforms... kinda magic), Living Prairie Museum and Fort Whyte inside the city (that's amazing), Birds Hill, Oak Hammock Marsh (I want to go there so badly), Lake of the Woods is not too far (i love that name, it's so inspiring, mysterious ), Pembina Valley (that shouldn't be flat!). I especially loved Spruce Woods: the old house of the famous family (which I just can't recall the surname), and also in the way back i took a small road kinda parallel to the Trans-Canada which I found very very cute, all rolling gently, a lot of bends, many woods and meadows between fields. I also liked the small town of Neepawa, but that's way farer... didn't like Portage la Prairie at all instead, and the Trans-Canada, so boring.

theirs the sain river inside winnipeg great for going on a conoe ride with friends nice peacfull and quiet

the whiteshell on southcross lake has the rail tunels on it you go threw on your boat to get to the next lake.

[dubiousmike]

Here's a cool timelapse video of the drive from Calgary to Banff, shotgunned into 3 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbo9Ko2LCwg

[Arriviste]

/\ That was killer.
Thanks for posting it. I know that drive all to well, and it was sure neat to see it condensed liek that.

[1ajs]

sweet vid lol hers somthing ironic i had the same song going that the vidio had going lol

[drew]

Originally Posted by Taller Better

I would definitely call Manitoba a prairie province. I've never heard that theory before. Alberta has lots of non-prairie area too... as does Saskatchewan.

Yes - but of the three, Manitoba has by FAR the least amount of prairie.

The vast majority of the province is Shield, lakes, muskeg and parkland (aspen/birch forests).

I would say that of the cities, Winnipeg probably has the most accessible and affordable (pretentious mountains need not apply...) wilds within easy driving distance. Its a great place for people who like wilderness canoeing, camping, etc.

[feepa]

Originally Posted by drew

Yes - but of the three, Manitoba has by FAR the least amount of prairie.

The vast majority of the province is Shield, lakes, muskeg and parkland (aspen/birch forests).

I would say that of the cities, Winnipeg probably has the most accessible and affordable (pretentious mountains need not apply...) wilds within easy driving distance. Its a great place for people who like wilderness canoeing, camping, etc.

[drew]

I'd say that map proves my point. If Manitoba is a "prairie" province with that geographical distribution, than so is Ontario...

[Wooster]

Originally Posted by dubiousmike

Here's a cool timelapse video of the drive from Calgary to Banff, shotgunned into 3 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbo9Ko2LCwg

wow, that is amazing. too bad it wasn't a sunnier day for the views. very cool. From the stoney trail bridge to the banff turn off it is about 55 minutes for me give or take a minute or two. It is amazing how familiar every turn on that route is.

[Wooster]

Originally Posted by drew

(pretentious mountains need not apply...)

I know what you mean. God I hate it when inanimate objects have such a bad 'tude! Those mountains think their soooo hot.

[Blitz]

I'm a new resident of the Prairies...and yes I consider Manitoba to be prairie.

[IntotheWest]

I think Edmonton and Calgary have great outdoor "opportunities" right in the cities as well

Edmonton - Slave lake, Elk Island, their own river valley.
Calgary - Fish Creek, Bow River (south), Milk River/Writing-on-stone, Cypress Hills
Regina - Qu'Appelle Valley
Winnipeg - Whiteshell, Grand Beach, Winnipeg Beach/Gimli

Some fantastic areas on the "prairies" (incl. Manitoba ;-).

[bendecido]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

edmonton - jasper, banff, LL, kananaskis, elk island

I can't believe that you would catagorize Lake Louise, Banff and Kananaskis as things that Edmonton has in their back yard. Even Jasper for that matter.