To
Grand Beach to see Grand Beach Provincial Park, an expanse of powdery, white-sand dunes along Lake Winnipeg. The elevated wooden boardwalk there is a locally famous stroll for young lovers, and the surrounding provincial park offers secluded hiking trails and is a nesting area for endangered piping plovers. If you're a gambler, stop in at the South Beach Casino on your way there or back. It has a great seafood buffet.
To St. Andrews to the National Historic Site of Lower Fort Garry, North America's only remaining fur-trade-era stone fort, located some 20 mi/33 km north of Winnipeg. In summer, Parks Canada employees bring historic characters to life there. The Selkirk Marine Museum, just 10 mi/15 km farther north on the same highway, has several restored historic steamboats and fishing boats that can be explored inside and out. A short drive west of Selkirk is Oak Hammock Marsh, a great birding destination for nature lovers, with optional paddling trips available through the wetland area. The interpretation center offers seasonal programming, from birdhouse-building in summer to winter bird-feeding techniques.
To Portage la Prairie, an hour's drive west of Winnipeg and just north of the TransCanada Highway. Visitors will find the Fort la Reine Museum and Pioneer Village, the site of explorer Pierre Gaultier de la Verendrye's fort, with pioneer and Native American artifacts and antique railcars. There are also small deer and a nice park in the city's Island Park.
To Gimli, an hour northwest of Winnipeg. This beach-resort village bustles as a popular getaway, with a thriving cottage community and a pebbly beach that's a popular summer-weekend spot for Winnipeggers. The marina is a favorite hangout for weekend anglers, and the town's main street offers numerous tearooms and shops, including Manitoba's oldest family-owned retail store still in existence, Tergeson's. In early August, Gimli hosts Manitoba's Icelandic Festival (Islendingadagurinn). Just south of Gimli is Winnipeg Beach, another resort community with a historic lakeside boardwalk to stroll along, a clean swimming beach and some fun shops and cafes.
Local Tours
There are several companies that run unique tours to help you really get a feel for what is special about Winnipeg.
Cruises aboard the Paddlewheel Queen are relaxing and provide some nice views of the Winnipeg skyline. The boat operates May-October and offers day, evening, dinner and dance cruises. It leaves from a dock near The Forks.
Day By Day
We suggest a minimum of three nights in Winnipeg. The following itinerary assumes you're visiting during the summer, when being outdoors is generally pleasant rather than bitterly cold.
Day 1—See the Legislative Building and then stroll through the Osborne Village for a little souvenir-hunting. Afterward, head back across the river and east down Broadway Avenue. On a weekday, grab a Ukrainian-style kubie hot dog from a Broadway Street vendor for lunch or, if you have a bigger appetite, have lunch at The Forks. Next, enjoy more shopping and a look at The Forks. Spend the remainder of the afternoon at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. In the evening, take a dinner cruise on the river, and/or do a bit of gambling at one of the city's casinos. If you time your visit right, enjoy one of Winnipeg's many wonderful festivals.
Day 2—After spending the morning at the Manitoba Museum, break for lunch in nearby Chinatown or in one of the comfortable restaurants surrounding the Old Market Square. Browse for antiques or gallery-hop in the Exchange District. Tour the nearby Ukrainian Cultural Centre, then walk or ride along the city's new Waterfront Drive past the Canwest Global Park. Head across the river to St. Boniface, where you can end your day with a long, leisurely dinner at one of St. Boniface's French Canadian restaurants. If you love a good old-fashioned baseball game, we recommend checking out a Winnipeg Goldeyes game, if they are playing at home. If so, grab a bite at a French cafe instead of a long dinner, then hop back across the river to the ballpark for the game.
Day 3—Venture to southeast Winnipeg to tour the Royal Canadian Mint in the morning. Stop along the Corydon Avenue strip for a hearty Italian lunch, then burn off the calories with a walk along the strip and Academy Road. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Assiniboine Park and the zoo, the Pavilion Gallery and, if there's still time, the Leo Mol Garden. Choose an Osborne Village spot for dinner, then spend your evening at one of Rainbow Stage's outdoor stage productions, a summer symphony concert or a ballet performance at Assinboine Park's Lyric Theatre.
