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Thunderbird & Lady Slipper Tour
The tour starts at the junction of the Yellowhead Highway # 16 and Hwy # 50, touring along the west side of Lake Manitoba. Travel north on Hwy # 50 to Amaranth and the Amaranth Lady’s Slipper Viewing Area containing two of the five species of Lady’s Slippers found on the Canadian Prairie – including the endangered Showy Lady’s Slipper. Continue north on Hwy # 50 to Silver Ridge. The Alonsa Conservation District has assumed ownership of the beautiful Bluff Creek Anglican Church and has created an interpretive centre tracing the history of the area. Nearby, enjoy a stroll through the aspen forest along the shores of Lake Manitoba at nearby Bluff Creek. Skeins of pelicans, packs of beavers and herds of whitetail deer inhabit the area. You may wish to take a side trip west on Hwy # 50 to Alonsa. Visit Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Churches as well as the Alex Robertson Museum that tells the history of the area. The large collection includes over 100 antique guns, tools, pioneer artifacts and a fully-operational 1939 Bickle-Seagrave Fire Engine. The Rural Municipality of Alonsa is home to birding sites including the Portia Marsh Interpretive Centre that offers an extensive boardwalk through the lush, healthy marshland. Return back to Hwy # 50, and proceed north on Hwy # 278 to Kinosota to visit the oldest Anglican parish in Manitoba, St. Bede’s Anglican Church. The church, which celebrated its 160th year in 2002, still conducts regular services. Continue north to Bacon Ridge and the prominent Bacon Ridge Ecological Reserve. The World Wildlife Fund has recognized the Bacon Ridge Birding Trail as a protected and endangered space. Miles of wooded trails provide opportunities for bird watching. Further north is Ebb and Flow, home to the Thunderbird Nest, a rock nest built centuries ago by the Ojibwa people, who believed the thunderbird to be a guardian spirit evoked to protect mankind. This site includes a walking trail, interpretive signs and a picnic area. Turn West on Hwy # 68 and travel to the Cattle Capital of Manitoba, Ste. Rose du Lac. Local attractions include a replica of the famous grotto at Lourdes, France. As well, visit the nearby Ducks Unlimited Wildlife Sanctuary. Head south on Hwy # 5 where Alpine Archie welcomes you to McCreary, located along the designated Parks Route Tourism Trail. The area offers wildlife viewing, hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails, as well as golfing and camping. Visitors can pick up the self-guided Walking Tour pamphlet at the village office to learn of the fascinating history of the area. Sites include a one-room school and former CNR station. An interesting side trip is to the Burrows Trail, formerly the stagecoach route of the late 1880s. The trail runs near the Satterthwaite Log Cabin, a heritage site built in 1895 using the unique half-lap dovetail construction method. There is also a pioneer garden, memorial plaques and a sheltered, grassed stopping area. Continue south on Hwy # 5 to Neepawa and rejoin the Yellowhead Highway # 16 .
GLADSTONE AMARANTH ALONSA SILVER RIDGE KINOSOTA LAKE MANITOBA BACON RIDGE EBB AND FLOW STE. ROSE DU LAC MCCREARY RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK NEEPAWA ARDEN
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