The prairies of Saskatchewan along the Trans-Canada Highway are hands-down the most captivating sections of land across the western half of Canada.
Well, maybe I am exaggerating just a little — or maybe I am just flat out lying — but over the past two weeks I have had the glorious opportunity to travel from Winnipeg, Man. to Victoria, B.C.. Not by plane, not by train, but by automobile.
Yes, the glorious minivan packed six deep.
For those who have never travelled across this great country of ours, let me describe some of the things you may see.
When you head down the Trans-Canada out of Winnipeg you mostly see prairie and farmland, and will constantly come across groups of trees and creeks, possibly the odd river, but nothing really visually stimulating.
Upon entering our neighbouring province to the west, things take a turn for the worse. All you see is prairie and farmland, minus the clusters of tress and the odd creek.
At one point in our journey across this barren land someone in the vehicle pointed out that there was not one tree in sight. I peered around the van, from the windshield to the rear window to all the side windows — to my astonishment they were correct. It seemed like I could see for miles on end but there was not a tree in sight. If Manitoba contains low levels of visual stimuli, then there are nearly no words to describe what you can find, or rather cannot find, amongst the prairies of Saskatchewan.
The following province is a major improvement from its eastern neighbor. Alberta is made up of what appears to be large amounts of farmland. The only catch is that this “farmland” tends to have these funny looking pumps rotating ’round and ’round. Sure enough this land is not just farmland but also oil fields, and just so you know, there is a big difference. Further westward in Alberta the land gradually grows in altitude and the terrain becomes more rugged. This continues until you finally hit the Rocky Mountains.
The Rockies are, without a doubt, the most interesting part of touring across Western Canada.
The mountains start off as a distant haze on the horizon but gradually come into view. Once you start to drive through the mountain passes, the beauty of nature takes a hold of you.
Millions, if not billions, of trees line the sides of mountain slopes; they find a way to grow in the most remote and smallest regions.
A sea of green coats the majority of the mountains while the peaks are covered in a blanket of snow. Wildlife is ever present in the mountains; within the first 10 minutes we spotted both a wolf and a whitetail deer. Needless to say, if you are driving through the mountains you probably want to be in the passenger seat so that you can observe all that this stretch of road has to offer.
Having travelled across Western Canada, this Christmas season I have seen nature in many beautiful forms and seen some of the most and least interesting places in our nation. But I am always drawn back to the beauty that our own province offers. From the captivating skies in the Whiteshell to the rolling hills of Belmont, Manitoba has a lifetime of nature’s beauty just waiting to be discovered.
I’m sure that you have had a unique travel experience while confined to a vehicle, travelling over vast expanses of land. Through these experiences, we can see that it’s not about the bickering and fighting that goes on between you and your family members, but rather what is beyond the vehicle — the open road and the beauty of nature.
