Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/514227
78 Holidays on HORSEBACK With their smooth gait, Tennessee Walking Horses are built for comfort at 9 Finger Ranch in Rossburn. The Hostelling International Canada partner offers trail riding experiences on the working ranch and throughout the Riding Mountain National Park area. In the Whiteshell, rent a cabin at Falcon Beach Ranch and hit the lush forest trails and lakeshores of Whiteshell Provincial Park. Guided rides include overnight adventures with a campfire steak dinner, as well as tours to the site of the famous Falcon Lake Incident, where a Winnipeg prospector had a close encounter with a UFO in 1967. In winter, fly across a wonderland of snow on a horsedrawn sleigh and make a pit stop at a tipi for hot chocolate around a bonfire. At Otterburne, 50 kilometres south of Winnipeg, sign up for a private couples ride along a riverbank or through a forest at Horseback River Trails. Just north of the city, hit the dusty trails at Birds Hill Park Ranch and follow up with marshmallow roast, or mosey on over to Tumbleweeds Ranch where bridle paths take you through 350 acres of forests and meadows in the Interlake. > 9fingerranch.com > falconbeachranch.com > horsebackrivertrails.com > bhpr.ca > tumbleweedsranch.com National TREASURES Manitoba's infinite diversity is on display in two national parks within provincial borders. In the North, Wapusk National Park is home to one of the world's largest polar bear denning areas for mothers and cubs, along with males who earn their reputation as North America's largest predator — the biggest on record in the park weighed over 700 kilograms (1,500 pounds). Wapusk — a Cree word meaning white bear — is also protected territory for Arctic and red foxes, wolverines, lemmings, caribou, magnificent snowy owls and speedy Arctic hares, which can clock 60 kilometres per hour on a good day. Covering 11,475 square kilometres along Hudson Bay south of Churchill, the park is inaccessible by road, but two eco-tour companies operate within its boundaries. Wat'chee Lodge provides guided photography tours when mothers and cubs emerge from their dens in early spring, and Frontiers North Adventures offers Tundra Buggy® polar bear tours, including overnight tours in October, when guests take berths in the train-like Tundra Buggy Lodge. North of Brandon, Riding Mountain National Park's 3,000 square kilometres hold something for everyone — on two legs or four. Black bears, moose, white- tailed deer, raccoons, wolves and beavers make their homes here, along with a bison herd at Lake Audy. And people camp in the rough or in relative luxury in a yurt or oTENTik at Wasagaming Campground. It's within walking distance of a beach and boardwalk and the charming townsite, where you can browse in shops, belly up to the ice cream bar and take in a movie at a unique log-cabin theatre. The park's landscape varies from prairie meadows to boreal forests and the dramatic cliffs of the Manitoba Escarpment. Bring your bike and hiking shoes in summer and pack your cross- country skis and snowshoes in winter to explore 400 kilometres of trails. And immerse yourself in the park's rich history. Eccentric Englishman Archibald Belaney, better known as beaver conservationist Grey Owl, made his mark here, as did many stonemasons and other craftsmen. The East Gate — along with the back nine at the Clear Lake Golf Course — was built as a federal relief project during the Depression. And you may find relics from the past at the Whitewater Lake prisoner- of-war camp. German soldiers housed in the fence-free camp from 1943-1945 formed a choir, built dugout canoes and, rumour has it, sneaked off to dances on Saturday nights. > pc.gc.ca > watchee.com > frontiersnorth.com RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK @kris10peters 78