Thursday, Sept. 13 – our tour starts in Winnipeg, the capital city of the province of Manitoba.  We will be staying two nights at the Clarion Hotel, located at 1445 Portage Ave.  If you are flying into the Winnipeg International Airport, there is free shuttle service provided by the hotel to and from the airport.  There is a large shuttle kiosk at the arrival terminal for the hotels that offer shuttle service.  Simply pick up the phone and ask for the shuttle.   If you arrive early, you can check out the shopping at the Polo Park Shopping Mall which is located almost adjacent to the Hotel.   The evening will consist of a welcome dinner and an introduction to the tour.

Friday, Sept. 14 – we will start the day having breakfast as a group.  As the head office for Lutheran Church Canada (LCC) is in Winnipeg, we will have a guest from there extend greetings from LCC and talk about the history of Lutheranism in Canada.
 Following breakfast, we will board a bus and go on a guided tour of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.  Following that, we will walk to an outdoor area close to the museum called The Forks.  You will find several choices of places to eat lunch, as well as many quaint little businesses to browse and shop in.  As The Forks is a place where the Red River and the Assiniboine River meet, you have the opportunity to hire a small boat and the owner will take you on a river tour of the area.  As the afternoon ends, the bus will return us to our hotel, where we will have our evening meal.

   
Saturday, Sept. 15 - after breakfast we board our bus and travel northwest to Russell, MB to stay at the Russell Inn.  We arrive in time for you to have some lunch, then once again board the bus to tour some attractions in the area.  First will be a tour at the Inglis Grain Elevator Historic Sight.  We will be given a tour of these once prairie giants that played an important role in a farmer’s life.  We will be shown how the process of unloading and storing the farmer’s grain that is waiting to be sent by rail to the purchaser, whether in Canada or overseas.
     Our next stop will be at Skinner’s Arboretum.  It is the place where a prominent horticulturist, Frank Skinner, starting in the 1920s, experimented with planting many types of trees and flowers from all over the world to see if they would survive the cold prairie climate.  Following this is a tour of the Romanian Orthodox Church and Museum.  To finish the day, the Russell Inn will provide a picnic lunch, which, if the weather is exceptionally nice, will be outdoors on the Asessippi Park hills.  If we have poor weather, we will be taken to the Asessippi Ski Chalet for our meal.  After supper, we will return to the Inn for rest and relaxation or if you wish, water sliding and swimming or just soaking in the Hot Tub.

Sunday, Sept. 16 – breakfast does not need to be rushed as we will have a later start this morning.   We will be going to Langenburg, crossing the border into the province of Saskatchewan.  We will be joining the members of Christ Lutheran Church for the morning worship service followed by lunch at the church.  A presentation on Parish Nursing in Canada will be given at this time as well as anyone who has identified ahead of time that they have a presentation to share with us.* (See note on last page.)   We then board the bus to travel to our next destination, which is Manitou Beach, the” Dead Sea of Canada”.   We will spend two nights at the Manitou Springs Resort and Mineral Spa.

 
Monday, Sept. 17 – after breakfast we go on a guided tour of Camp Easter Seal.  The camp has been developed for those who have physical and mental challenges, to give them a camping experience with lots of summer fun.  Following that you are free to experience the mineral waters of the resort.  As the lake will be too cold at this time of year, swim in the mineral water at the indoor pool of our hotel.

Tuesday, Sept. 18 – after breakfast we board the bus, and go to the Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary where we may see some of the 280 species of waterfowl and other birds on their way to their winter home in the United States or farther on.  From there we will travel to Regina, the capital city of Saskatchewan.   After stopping for lunch, we will tour the Legislative building and grounds, then head to the city centre and the Ramada Inn, our lodgings for 2 nights.

 
 Wednesday, Sept. 19 – after breakfast our bus will take us to the Royal Mounted Police (RCMP)          Heritage Center and Museum.  We will be taken on a guided tour then at noon watch the Sergeant Major’s Parade.   When we return to the hotel, you will be free to relax, take some additional tours on your own or enjoy some shopping at the mall that is within a short walk from the hotel.  There is a food court there, or enjoy lunch at one of the small restaurants along the way.  The evening closes with our farewell dinner.

Thursday, Sept. 20 – at breakfast it is time to say our goodbyes then depart or stay and do more touring.  Departure by air will be via the Regina International Airport.

  
For more information, contact Judy Hertlein at j.hertlein@sasktel.net.

If you wish to stay in Regina after the tour there are several places of interest.  To name a few, there is Stone Hall Castle Tours, a European Castle tour experience right in Regina. (Call ahead and book a tour.)  If you would like to take a walk, but not too far, there is the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the home of the robotic dinosaur” Megamunch” or just take a stroll on the north side of Wascana Park, viewing the Legislative buildings from the far side of the lake

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   Do you want to venture further and leave the city?  A tour of the Tunnels of Moose Jaw can thrill or scare you, as actors will involve you in the life of those who lived in the tunnels back in the early 20th century.   Even Al Capone was said to have had his men secretly working in these very tunnels.  Moose Jaw is an hour drive west of Regina on Canada’s #1 Highway.