Dodging Raindrops on Our Lac du Bonnet Road Trip

Canada Day, July 1, was the perfect day for a Manitoba road trip. We chose to drive eastward again. It seems that many of our road trips this year are in EastMan. While eastern Manitoba is a pleasant trip, it is far from the only great journey in our province. We will be seeing much more of the rest of the province in the months to come.

But EastMan, in summer, clearly offers advantages for the day tourist. It has incredible flora and fauna, interesting geography and great places to sin, whether that’s overindulging in summer sweet treats and food or gambling and challenging nature.

Our route took us from Winnipeg up Highway 59 to Highway 44, along 44 to Beausejour (where we, once again, stopped at Pennyweight for fantastic ice cream, made with Lactantia Ice Cream mix). Here, we faked being health conscious by also buying horseradish and beetroot powders in bulk. Next, we journeyed eastward on #44, opting to turn at Seddons Corner toward Milner Ridge.

Milner Ridge is both a geographical rock outcrop feature (a glacial moraine) on top of the massive Precambrian Shield and the location of the Milner Ridge Correctional facility. However, a few decades ago, an artesian well along the route connecting it to Highway 11 allowed travellers to help themselves, year-round, to the freshest, purest water in most of the populated world. We were unable to locate it on this trip.

We turned on Highway 11, and briefly drove through Pinawa. This is the former Atomic Energy nuclear site that was envisioned as being a nuclear waste site but now is being developed as a mini-nuclear reactor project. However, it is also the location for fairly calm river tubing.

Returning back along 11, we entered Lac du Bonnet, one of the prettiest summer beach and fishing towns in the south of the province. Located along the Winnipeg River, 115 km northeast of Winnipeg. Surprisingly, (or not so, because the day was forecast to be rainy), activity in the town was almost non-existent, with many stores and food places closed. So, we got to enjoy a walk on the beach, the adjacent park and along the main streets almost by ourselves. During the rest of the summer, this would be impossible. Weekend farmers markets contribute to the usual bustle.

The drive along the Winnipeg River took us past Macarthur Falls, Great Falls (a hydro project) and other stop-off locations, into Powerview/Pine Falls, another hydro project and former home of a pulp and paper mill.

Here, we stopped for coffee, but found almost no place open, including the regular coffee spot, Chicken Chef. So, onward! Down Highway 304, past the tiny hamlet of Stead, to Beaconia Beach. This is one of many beaches along the east shore of Lake Winnipeg. We shied away from one of its lesser features: a section where nudists (or naturists?) abound. At our age, that would not be a pretty sight.

As we have several times on our eastern Manitoba trips, we stopped at South Beach Casino for an early dinner, then headed home.

In spite of gloomy forecasts calling for rain, we had very little rain and a fantastic driving tour.

As usual, Manitoba did not disappoint.