Entering Saskatchewan - Batoche

Reservoir walk in Kindersley

July 2^nd we left Uncle Joe’s for Saskatoon. We are driving along at a good pace through Alberta and all of a sudden we reach the Saskatchewan border into huge potholes!

I tried to brake quickly but we still hit the potholes with a THUD. Luckily when Keith inspected the car, there was no damage that he could see.  The road to Kerrobert was atrocious!   We had to drive very slowly and dodge potholes. It was awful!       Really 3^rd world  road conditions.

We managed to get to the pretty town of Kindersley in SW Saskatchewan and found a nice campground in an RV park. It was full, but as we had a tent, they let us stay.

There is a reservoir walk that we did in the evening and I went for a run around the next morning.  I need the exercise as we are doing a LOT of sitting!! Not good and after a while I get very antsy and just have to move. Guess that is a good thing!

Tent in Kindersly

It was quite windy in the morning and taking

down the tent was a challenge we conquered by taking it into the camp kitchen so it could be folded and put in the bag.

Driving is another matter as there is always a cross wind it didn’t seem to matter which direction you were heading. Coming out of a wind break or having a big truck pass you always made for some pretty tricky maneuvering. 

Keith along S. Saskatchewan River

On the Broadway Bridge

Next stop was Saskatoon. We moteled it as
Next spot was Saskatoon. We moteled it as
there had been thunderstorm warnings.


Saskatoon is such a pretty city in the summer. We went down to the Bessborough Hotel area where there is a wonderful walkway along the
S. Saskatchewan River that lots of people enjoy. The river was very high but safe.

We walked along the river and over the Broadway Bridge to a funky part of town.  Had fun poking around in the cool stores and enjoying a beer at a sidewalk restaurant . 

Our friend, (Kathy’s friend) Marg had invited us to meet her & Ross at Candle Lake but rain warning changed everyone’s plans so we stayed with them at their home in Saskatoon. Had a wonderful time! They took us out to The Berry Farm for dinner. Lots of Saskatoon Berries are harvested here and there is also a nursery, a park that is often used for weddings, and a walk along the river that had flooded in some areas. Oh yah, and lots & lots & lots of mosquitoes!  We were eaten alive!  Sitting out at Marg & Ross’s very pretty backyard with a glass of wine was a much better place to be for a time before those annoying critters forced us inside. It was so nice to get to know Marg better and to meet Ross and their son Tyler. A great time.

Keith running with the Bison

On our way out of Saskatoon, we stopped at Wanuskewin Heritage Park. In the late 1980’s it was given its name which means “Seeking Peace of Mind” or “Living in Harmony”. Today it continues to be a place of spiritual renewal and inspiration. Countless 1^st nations generations have come here to hunt bison, gather food and herbs. Some of the artifacts of this park date back more than 6000 years. We did a short walk around looking at some of the bison hunting camp spots.

sharen at a Tipi

Tipis for sleep overs

Sleepovers allow for groups bookings  which is a good way to get a greater sense of why this valley was chosen as a place of worship and celebration for over 6000 yrs.  Really cool place!
While here we ended up chatting with a couple about our age from Ontario who traveling to Victoria BC. They are camping and using couch surfing for accommodation and have had enjoyed their experiences with couch surfing. We tried couch surfing for Winnipeg but were too late requesting a place so will try it for some other places where we might need a bed later in our trip. It is a nice way to meet new people of like interests including travel.

Our next stop was Batoche. This is a National Park mostly around the Louis Riel rebellion and the combined Canadian military force putting it down.  The main resistance force against the federal

local church during the Resistance

keith taking part in the Resistance

goverment was made up of Metis, commanded by Gabriel Dumont under the leadership of Louis Riel in the 1885.  The Metis rebellion was broken at Batoche and later the RCMP,  in a skirmish at Duck Lake sealed the rebellion’s fate.  Louis Riel was captured and hanged for treason, Gabriel Dumont escaped to Montana, and 2 yrs later was pardoned. He returned to Batoche where he lived the rest of his life and is buried here.

An interesting tour.

Unmarked soldiers' grave

Dumont's grave

Next was Prince Albert where Diefenbaker’s house is now a museum. Many years ago our friend Kathy’s family rented this house. We were too late to go through it but did take a couple of pictures.

Diefenbaker's house - Kathy's family rented.

Now on to Nipawin.....the home of Keith!