I’m sitting in Nopiming Provincial park in Manitoba overlooking a brilliant pink sunrise as it peeks over the horizon, reflecting on Bird Lake. I feel like queen of the rock because apart from my campmates scattered throughout the island on various different parts of the campsite, it’s just ours. I don’t have to share this gorgeous wilderness.
It’s the best spot to watch without the mosquitoes, down below on the shore and in the trees, bothering me. I seem to have outsmarted them. I haven’t exactly jumped ahead in the lifelong series, though. Kristin: 1, mozzies: 2827479.
You kind of stop caring about this minor detail when you spend most of your days swimming in refreshing water – not too hot or not too cold – paddling along in a canoe looking at the beautiful trees and occasional beaver, and enjoying nature without much of anyone else around.
There’s something so beautiful to be said about camping right on the edge of an island, nothing but the sounds of the birds in the trees and the water lapping at the rocks below.
There are no humming motors of RVs, no selfie sticks, and no shower queues. The best bath in the world is right outside, anyway. Bonus: there are little wild blueberries growing along the shore in case you need a mid-swim snack.
When I said I was coming to Manitoba, people wondered why I picked the prairies. They said that when I went to Wisconsin, too, not too far southeast of here.
There’s this idea that all there is to see when on vacations is mountains or the ocean, but I couldn’t disagree more, despite being an avid lover of both.
The provincial parks like Nopiming in Manitoba are quiet and you can still find solitude. Compare that to Banff in Alberta which will receive millions of visitors this summer, especially given that national parks are free on Canada’s 150th birthday, and I’m content on day two of a paddling adventure, looking out at the trees and the lake from my vantage point.
(That said, Banff is amazing in the winter, I’m not putting it down!)
This type of adventure offering is relatively new. The company I’m with – Twin River Travel – is a startup by two 20-something guys from Winnipeg, Sam and Tristan, who have a passion for paddling and who want to share it with others. There has never been a company in the area that did this before.
I love it when I get to be one of the first people to experience something new like this, don’t you?
The atmosphere is so relaxed, non-competitive, and jovial. We go swimming, and fishing, and the paddling is fun and active. We take it easy but have still seen so much.
It’s a 3 night/4 day trip and we paddle for 2-3 hours each day and camp each night with all of the equipment provided by Twin River Travel. It’s super well-organized, the gear is clean, the tents are roomy, and I love the guides.
There are 10 of us spread out over 4 canoes, which means that if someone gets tired, there is always the option for two people to sit in the canoe and rest rather than paddle.
It’s never a race. It’s just about enjoying, which we all are. The food is excellent too, with Pad Thai, goulash, pancakes, butter chicken, and french toast on the menu (celiac-friendly is available as well for those who want gluten free!) We eat like royalty, soaking in the best kind of 5 billion star hotel each night before bed. There is no electricity, no cell service, and nothing but tranquility in nature.
In a word: It’s pleasant.
That’s the real point of a vacation, right? To eat well, to feel relaxed, to do something new and exciting, to move around a little bit, and to catch every single gorgeous sunrise and sunset.
It may sound cheesy but it was such a nice reminder that the best things in life are the things you experience, out in the wilderness, far from distractions.
I’m so glad I took a summer trip to the prairies, and it’s okay to me that it’s still under the radar.
(But I’m cool with letting you in on the secret).
Contact Twin River here to check out their options if this adventure interests you. They also offer day trips from Winnipeg if you want something shorter, and yoga and photography trips depending on your pleasure.
*This post was brought to you in collaboration with Travel Manitoba, but all thoughts of this awesome canoeing trip are my own, and Twin River did not ask for a favorable review.
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Ijana Loss says
It’s easy to forget that simpler kinds of nature can be just as fulfilling, or even more so, as the dramatic landscapes that are popular. This sounds like it was an amazing trip, Manitoba sounds really nice 😀
Kristin says
It is nice! I love it here.
Sarah says
Wow, what a beautiful area! I will be traveling to Manitoba a bit over the next year for work…I will definitely be checking this park out 🙂
Kristin says
Have fun it’s awesome!
Gabe says
I’d never considered Manitoba as a canoeing retreat before. However, the photos you share here make this look like a wonderful, serene getaway. I’m looking into flights now before the season passes! Thanks for sharing this beautiful post.
Kristin says
That’s awesome! Have fun and let me know how it goes for you!
GG says
This sounds like a true vacation! It is great how you find enjoyment in simply being away from it all, being one with nature in its many beautiful forms. Manitoba from your pictures has its own beauty including the pretty lakes/rivers, trees (or grasses depending on where), and wow that sky! Also, peace and quiet. I love the sound of lapping water and especially sunlight reflecting off the moving water. What else do you need (well, that awesome food, and clean gear is a plus!!)? Great picture of the night sky with the aurora. Need help with mosquitoes? Just bring one of our family with you and they will bite us instead, we are mosquito magnets. We literally carry rubbing alcohol with us to keep the bites from itching later!
On the more adventurous side, the Canadian prairies can have some wild weather with it currently the latter half of tornado season. I have had co-workers in my previous job storm chase up there. They had a wicked F5 tornado in Manitoba about 10 years ago (Elie, Manitoba). The number of tornadoes isn’t as high as the U.S. tornado alley, but the tornado season is shorter and they all occur in the southernmost part, from the park you were at down to the U.S. border.
You also mentioned and linked your post on Wisconsin (man, those caves are awesome, not just Dells over there which are interesting to me) and its beauty. Wisconsin in the snow is so beautiful, I can’t pinpoint it, it just is, sorry Minnesota, but you’ve got the lakes! And the black sand beaches…
Anyhow, with few exceptions, if you have an adventurous, curious side with a love for outdoors or history, you can find fascinating things anywhere you travel. The adventures are endless that way! Once I was in little Muscle Shoals, AL for training and it intersected the Passover holiday. Who knew that I would participate in a Passover Seder at the one synagogue in neighboring Florence, see Helen Keller’s home including where she first said “water!”, and enjoy the beautiful Tennessee River in a matter of a few days! (and get my training I needed that led to completing my degree!). It was funny when I got back and was asked “what in the heck did you do to pass the time there between trainings?”
Kristin says
I would love to see those caves in Bayfield in the winter, all iced over. Looks incredible!
Izy Berry says
Teleporting to that 5 billion star hotel NOW! Lol