Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/514227
59 Day 1 Go west of Winnipeg and make your first stop at Portage la Prairie's Fort la Reine Museum. Along with a large collection of historic buildings and artifacts related to the fur trade, pioneers, agriculture and military history, the museum offers hands- on learning experiences and hosts special events and pop-up markets during the summer months. Take Hwy 16 west from Portage to Hwy 5 and carry on north to Dauphin and the Fort Dauphin Museum. Surrounded by a wooden palisade, the museum features a trapper's cabin, trading post, blacksmith's shop, a pioneer log house and a one-room schoolhouse from the early 1890s. It's also home to the Parkland Archeological Society, which has catalogued more than 80,000 artifacts, including Chris the Croc, a 90-million- year-old marine reptile fossil. Annual celebrations include Christmas at the Fort in December and Louis Riel Day in February. > fortlareinemuseum.ca > fortdauphinmuseum.wordpress.com Day 2 Carry on north of Dauphin on Hwy 10 to The Pas and the Sam Waller Museum. Housed in The Pas Community Courthouse — the oldest brick building in northern Manitoba, built in 1916 — this must-see museum is a treasure trove of awesome oddities and historic exhibits related to nature, wildlife and northern culture. Late naturalist, teacher and taxidermist Sam Waller called the original museum a Clutter-torium, and packed it with serious artifacts, as well as wonderful curiosities such as a two- headed calf, fleas dressed as a bride and groom and stretcher-bearing frogs. The museum offers local walking tours and hosts temporary art exhibits and events year-round. > samwallermuseum.ca Day 3 Continue north on Hwy 10 to Hwy 39 and head east to Snow Lake. The recently refurbished Snow Lake Mining Museum contains photos, equipment and exhibits related to mining history, and large pieces of equipment are displayed at key sites throughout the town. Pay a visit to Wekusko Falls just south of town before carrying on to Thompson, where you'll learn about that town's mining history and the culture of Manitoba's northern First Nations at the Heritage North Museum. The museum's log cabins contain taxidermied animals, a boreal forest diorama, an authentic caribou-hide tipi and a woolly mammoth tusk. Then follow Thompson's Spirit Way, a 2.5-kilometre walking path that leads from the museum to 16 points of interest with historical, cultural, geological, industrial and artistic significance. Do some geocaching to pinpoint 35 wolf statues painted by Manitoba artists along the path, which provides excellent views of a 10-storey mural of a wolf — a magnificent reproduction of a sketch by artist Robert Bateman. > snowlake.com > heritagenorthmuseum.ca Day 4 Drive south to the Interlake and pay a visit to Gimli's New Iceland Heritage Museum. The museum has two locations where you can trace the history of Lake Winnipeg, the fishing industry and Icelandic pioneers. Check out the Sagas and Legends gallery, see volcanic rocks from Iceland and take a break to enjoy the prune torte known as vinarterta in Amma's Tea Room. Nearby, shop for souvenirs, clothing, books and unique gifts at H.P. Tergesen & Sons general store. Opened in 1899, the oldest continuously operating store in Manitoba is a heritage site in itself, with pressed-tin features and hardwood floors. Take the scenic route back to Winnipeg along Hwy 9 and make a port of call at the Marine Museum of Manitoba in Selkirk. Open from May to September, the museum is home port for steamships, passenger and freight vessels and artifacts related to shipping on the Red River and Lake Winnipeg. > nhim.ca > marinemuseum.ca FORT LA REINE MUSEUM SAM WALLER MUSEUM WEKUSKO FALLS Manitoba's ever-changing landscape has helped shape our province's history, drawing pioneers, prospectors and other adventurers to every region. One thing is certain — they all enjoyed the view. And so will you during a scenic history tour. History on the Run