Winnipeg is a combo of old and new as you can see from the images above. We are staying at the historic Fort Garry Hotel, one of the traditionally elegant chateau-style hotels we have come to associate with luxury travel in Canada.
Although close to a million people live here, it’s very quiet with light traffic. I’m not sure how much the pandemic has contributed, but you do see some windows boarded up downtown and empty space for rent. We had a nice day, walking around downtown and visiting a couple of museums. The WAG-Qaumajuq (art museum) for me and the Winnipeg Railway Museum for my husband.
The art museum has the largest collection of Inuit art in the world. There were a number of interpretive installations as well as examples of conflict art, textiles, clothing, paintings, photography, and sculpture. The “Visible Vault” contains 4,500 stone carvings displayed on three levels, some of which can be seen through a transparent floor. I am always fascinated by sculpture and found the work in bone, ivory, antler, and stone beautiful. I also really enjoyed the style section.
Union station was designed by the same architect that did Grand Central Station in NYC, on a much smaller scale. The Railway Museum housed within, comprises 37,500 square feet of photos, exhibits, dining car china and silver, an in- progress HO model train display, and of course, trains. My husband and I can agree our favorite is the historic 1872 “Countess of Dufferin” steam locomotive that has been on display since 1910. Years ago my husband gave me a small gauge operating model of this engine and it still occupies a prominent position in my home office.
We walked five miles in chilly (low 30s) but tolerable weather. It’s warmer here than usual and the cloudy conditions held in some of the warmth from yesterday. After all that walking, we headed over to “The Forks” a newer park-like area with museums, and many other diversions including The Forks Market, with a Time-Out-style food court and second level with shops. It was a great spot for a late lunch.
We’ve also had another COVID test, selected our Arctic parkas and boots, and met our guide Kristin who will lead us on our journey north to Churchill in the morning. We have chosen to travel with Natural Habitat/ WWF due to their excellent reputation and small group policy. Tonight will have an orientation dinner and set the stage to see Polar Bears in the wild. Cant’t wait!
PS – in a shout-out to our friend Mark, we are watching local news from Fargo.
I love to travel. But it’s been so long, I feel like I’ve lost my bearings.
Getting ready for our first post-pandemic trip beyond U.S. borders has taxed my resources and challenged my memory. My always-ready medical supplies are out of date and picked over, as are copies of relevant documents I normally take. Put together with the constantly changing flight schedules and complicated testing requirements, I’ve been unusually stressed. I feel like a first-time traveler.
Instead of researching the best restaurants and interesting off-the-beaten-track details about our destinations, I find myself constantly reviewing the airline’s info, country testing policies, and CVS procedures. Time to take a breath and get used to the new normal (in which nothing really is normal). I think these rules and regulations are going to be with us for a while. So, with both booster and flu shots complete along with a supply of N95 facemasks and faceshields, we are jumping back out into the world.
We have just completed the first leg of our trip which was full of major drama. I was about to accept the fact we would not make the flight because United didn’t seem to be able to issue boarding passes for a trip ending up in Canada. Not 24-hours prior on the app, or by several hours on the phone, a visit to unstaffed United counters the evening prior, or even the very harassed counter agent at dawn this morning.
After the agent placed another call (with a painfully long hold time) someone magically fixed the problem. It’s a good thing we have carry-on bags, checked would never have worked. Added to the situation at the Charlotte airport was the fact that thousands of unhappily stranded American Airlines passengers mobbed every available space and made for incredibly long lines at security. I have never seen chaos like this morning, too much going on at 4:30 AM for this night owl. But now we are relaxing in the United lounge in Chicago and waiting for our next flight . . . which is late.
It will be worth all the effort if we are successful seeing Polar Bears (fingers crossed) in Churchill, Canada!
If you are interested in a checklist with a few reminders for getting back into the travel mindset, read on:
- Buy good travel insurance and pay attention to the details for cancel for any reason coverage and medical coverage (do you want to be the one medevac’d on a dingy or a helicopter); carefully review coverage you might have with your credit card, many companies have reduced or dropped travel coverage
- Check your travel docs and make sure none have expired (passport, Global Entry, etc) and make sure your personal info is up-to-date with airlines and other travel providers
- Double-check every doc airlines and governments are scanning for travel these days – trust me, they make errors
- Order some small, clear pill bags, they are handy for transporting meds/ vitamins/ pro-biotics (much less bulky) and you can easily label and write instructions with a permanent marker
- Take 2 credit cards and make sure they have little or no foreign transaction fees
- Double-check your passport is still current and not within 6 months of expiration. It’s taking much longer to renew passports these days, so don’t get caught with expired docs
- Make a list of what you need to pack
- Make sure your standard travel kit is good (has the shampoo turned goo, meds up to date, what’s missing)
- Take extra camera batteries, SD cards and device cords you need
- For long trips with no power access or remote travel, carry a phone charger device
- Don’t forget to activate your mobile phone’s global plan, if needed
- Make fresh copies of key docs and electronic copies of your Covid vaccination card
- Pack a copy of your passport in each bag
- Put apps on your smart phone for the airlines and/or travel companies you are traveling with
- If you are taking clothing that hasn’t been used in a while (think, boots, heavy coats, ski socks, gloves), check them out and make sure all are still good; not a great feeling to put on socks that have lost their elasticity or boots with linings that are disintegrating
- Try out new gear (and electronics) in advance
- Use shoe bags to keep everything inside your suitcase
- Seriously consider carry-on luggage, with all the flight changes it may be your best bet
- Get a little of the currency for the first country you will visit, this will be less expensive than airport change fees and can ease arrival if transport and/or tips are needed. Banks will need to order foreign currency in advance, so do this several weeks ahead; once you’ve arrived, you can get additional cash at an ATM
- Don’t keep all your money and credit cards in one place
- If you have mobility issues, order wheelchairs at the airport in advance, most ticketing system have the option to arrange assistance; having one can be a necessity in larger airports when connections are required
- Pack a foldable bag for souvenirs or use during on-trip excursions
- Don’t forget extra N95 masks!
Overall, try to be flexible and patient – not always my best attributes!
There are a lot of ways to celebrate fall.
In the North Carolina High Country, we have the best of all worlds. Although we had a lot of rain last week, the leaves are now turning, and the weather is chilly and clear for the final “day at the races” – known around here as the Woolly Worm Festival.
Woolly Worms are cute fuzzy caterpillars (see pic above) whose 13 segments with brown and black stripes predict just how many snowy weeks there will be in the coming winter. Each year, during the middle of October, the worms race up strings, with winners competing in final heats to ultimately claim the championship and bragging rights for the winter prediction. Kids love to capture future racers, and human “trainers” come up with clever names for their newest pet while debating the nuances of having them rest (cup them in your hands) or be stimulated (in your open palm) before they reach the starting “gate.” Then you have to figure out which end is up . . . mine headed down, the wrong way.
The same fall weekend plays host to the annual Valle Country Fair, a single-day event in Valle Crucis featuring good ole country fun, crafts, music, clogging performances, men making fresh apple cider (pic above) fresh-baked goods made by the sponsoring Episcopal Churchwomen, and food way above the quality of the normal fair fare.
And let’s not forget college football, one of our most favorite fall activities and with divided loyalties in the house, always lively.
While the grands were visiting during the rainy week, we managed to do some fall decorating and get in trips to the New River Corn Maze (and pumpkin patch) near Boone, and the historic Apple Orchard at Altapass just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, which I described in more detailed in a previous post.
I guarantee, fun was had by all.
Doesn’t the name Sycamore Shoals sound inviting? It is a lovely setting on the Watauga River but was also the site of serious skirmishes between Patriots and Cherokees and the launching point for one of the most significant battles of the American Revolution.
In 1772, some fearless pioneers thumbed their nose at the British King and moved into the forbidden land west of the Allegheny Mountains (as the Appalachian Mountains were then known) and founded the first permanent American settlement outside the original 13 colonies.
But that land did not belong to the British, it belonged to the tribes of the Cherokee, and Sycamore Shoals became the site of the largest private real estate transaction in US history. After intense and controversial negotiations with Cherokee elders, Judge Richard Henderson completed The Treaty of Sycamore Shoals which transferred 20 million acres of Cherokee land to the Transylvania Land Company in 1775. Daniel Boone was hired by Henderson to work on this project, communicating with the Cherokee and blazing a trail that would become known as the Wilderness Road. Because only the British were allowed to purchase land from Native Americans, both Virginia and North Carolina refused to honor the treaty, annexing the settlements, and awarding 200,000 acres of land to Henderson in compensation.
History in this area remained complicated after the Revolutionary War, with the founding of the short-lived State of Franklin and fluid state boundaries between Franklin, Tennessee, and North Carolina. But I am off-track and that’s a story for another time.
Adding to the era’s conflict was the fact the Cherokee sided with the British, and younger members of the tribes, who had not favored the land treaty, continued to fight the settlers. Today you can visit the reconstructed Fort Watauga and learn about the rough life and battles of the time.
241 Years Ago
Patriots were not faring well during the Revolution in 1780, with the fall of Savannah, Charlestown, and Camden to the British. Settlers in the North and South Carolina backcountry had been given an ultimatum and knew British troops were on the way. Deciding not to wait and to meet British Major Ferguson en route, close to 1,000 men mustered at Sycamore Shoals on September 25, and pursued Ferguson for more than 330 miles. Known as the Overmountain Men their bravery and ultimate victory over the Loyalists at the Battle of King’s Mountain is considered a key turning point in the war.
Today the Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park recognizes this significant slice of history. The Park features a visitors’ center with interesting historic information, picnic areas, and walking trails along the river. The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail starts here and passes through much of Western Carolina, running near the Orchard at Altapass. Gravesites attributed to injuries during the battle are on the Sibelco factory property off 19E. For more about the Overmountain Men and battle, check out my older post with more details. Click here.
