We certainly do experience all the seasons here in Manitoba. We have had a sunny, soggy, windy, wacky summer so far. Storms have moved in and storms have rolled out. My windshield wipers have a had a real work out too. But this is all part of what I love about the Prairies. Families learn about the kinds of weather that may be just around the corner. So… be prepared when you go out, don’t forget your umbrella and your sunscreen! You never know...

It's My Moment update - now with video!
Keep your eyes peeled this summer - the Travel Manitoba cameras are making their way throughout the province, capturing enthusiastic travellers and asking them to share their travel moments. There are a bunch of videos posted to the site now, all shot on location at the Winnipeg Folks Festival in July. See you out there!

As you may know, my wife and I have 4 children and when they were younger there was no end to the activities waiting for us. The pioneer history of Manitoba is always worth exploring and no better place than Lower Fort Garry. It's a short drive, 30 Kilometers (20 Miles) North of Winnipeg on Highway #9. You will be following the mighty Red River and stepping back to the 19th century. Lower Fort Garry is the oldest intact fort in North America, and it is worth the trip. It feels as if you have been transported in a time machine. The detail is wonderful! The style of life is re-created. The staff are all in period costumes and they are ready to take you through this memorable experience.

I remember my son and I went into the blacksmith shop. The fire was glowing hot as the blacksmith used a pair of tongs to carefully pull a horseshoe out of the fire. He put it on the anvil and raised his hammer to shape the horseshoe. Each clang of the hammer sent a shower of sparks. My son’s eyes were wide in amazement. He had never seen anything like this before. This was a scene that would stay in our memories. This had a special meaning to me because my Uncle Ike was the blacksmith in Winkler, where my parents were raised, and I remember going to visit Uncle Ike at his shop.

The image and the smell and the feeling were the same. It was a meaningful journey for both of us.

There is nothing more delicious than fresh baked bread bannock cooked in a stone oven. The aroma calls you into the kitchen and you just can’t wait to take a bite. The ladies who prepare the food at Lower Fort Garry are like your favourite Aunts. They put that little extra bit of love into the dishes they create. In fact all the staff make you feel so welcome that a part of you wants to move in and stay for a while. Take the kids!

As you make your way back to the city, stop off at Lockport for a tasty bite to eat as you watch the boats go through the locks on the Red River. You might be back in time for a baseball game at Canwest Park. Go Goldeyes Go! Or if you’re a football fan, maybe the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are playing. How about exploring the cultures of the world at Folklorama (Aug. 3-16). Or see Peter Pan is at Rainbow Stage in Kildonan Park, August 5 – 29. The city comes alive as heritage, sports and the arts are celebrated.

Family road trips can make great memories for families. To make sure those memories are happy ones, try these tips:

+ Make it a habit to use car seats and seat belts at all times.

+ Make it a rule that everyone buckles up before the car starts moving.

+ Take frequent breaks, for young children approximately every one and half to two hours. Allow a few minutes for children (and the driver!) to step outside the car to shake the sillies out.

+ Keep snacks at hand. Healthy snacks such as single-serving packages of cereal (minus the milk), dried fruit and granola bars are easy to clean up if spills happen.

+ Bring small blankets and pillows sized for your children’s seats. They’ll be more comfortable and more likely to nap. Don’t forget favourite stuffed animals or "blankies".

+ Teach your children that driving is an important responsibility by driving first, and doing everything else second. If you have to read a map, or talk on a cell phone, pull over to a safe place to do so.

+ Plan in playtime. Pick up lunch and take it to a park, or stop at a family restaurant with a play structure.

+ You don’t have to have a DVD player in the back seat to pass the time. Play a few of the classics, such as Eye Spy, or listen to a book on CD or purchase travel games and activity kits.

+ Let your children help with holiday planning. Visit CAA before you leave for free travel-planning information: maps, TourBook guides and a TripTik routing with a custom map that includes family-friendly sights and amenities marked along the way.

+ As you plan your next trip with the children, consider the Holiday Inns for your home away from home.

Parks Canada protects special places for us all. They belong to all Canadians: we share them. They are places where we make memories by ourselves or with people we love, where we learn about our history, the interconnectivity of nature and our world. In turn, we learn more about ourselves. These are special places each of us helps to protect.

Riding Mountain National Park is one of these special, protected places. Join us in celebrating the park’s 75th anniversary. Come stay with us and discover the many opportunities and adventures awaiting you this August.

Make some fabulous memories at our Special Places Event during the Wasagaming Weekend, August 8, 9, 10.

+ Dance to the tunes that have been favourites over the decades at the Friday night Family Street Dance, 7-11;

+ Get a front row seat for the Saturday noon Kiddies Parade and the Chamber Parade at 1 pm. Keep a look out for Fred Penner & Friends and the Giant moose;

+ Enjoy the fun activities and afternoon entertainment at the bandstand/beach area;

+ Warm your toes and your hearts at the Saturday evening Songs of Riding Mountain campfire program at 7:30 on the main beach. Special guests - Fred Penner, Jamie Oliviero and Gerald Laroche;

+ Spend Sunday singing with your favourite family entertainers – Join the Songs of Riding Mountain troubadours in welcoming mainstage performances by the remarkable and inspiring Fred Penner, Jamie Oliviero and Gérald Laroche, starting at 11am.

+ Take part in a myriad of fun activities, stories and games interwoven throughout the day organized by Friends of Riding Mountain, Parks Canada Interpreters and Wasagaming Chamber members.

+ Sharpen your acting, drawing and singing skills by playing the GIGANTIC Take Heart Park Game to learn about Riding Mountain and the Biosphere Reserve – Warning: must be willing to change ear shape or grow antennae…

August 12 is the Park Builders Celebration Day at the East Gate National Historic site complex. Participate in Park’s interpretive program and learn to build a log structure with a local builder and restorer

August 22 is the 75th Danceland Decades Dance sponsored by Danceland, the Clear Lake Golf Course, Clear Lake Cabin Owners and Clear lake Cottage Owners. Time to see if that old soft shoe can still put the spell on you.

August 23 is the time for sweethearts. Many couples have tied the knot in the park over the years and they are all invited to be in a group wedding photo in front of the visitor Center at 2pm.

Everyone has a special place. Come make this one yours!

Riding Mountain National Park
1-204-848-7275 www.pc.gc.ca/ridingmountain

New European Exhibit Explores the Language of Love

The Manitoba Museum is offering an exciting new exhibit this summer. Fatal Attraction provides a playful look at the courting rituals in the animal kingdom.

In nature, it's usually the males who strut their stuff to attract a mate. With no chocolates or flowers to rely on, they engage in some pretty elaborate rituals-including sounds, poses, and smells-to get engaged. The lofty pursuit of searching for and seducing a partner can render these animals vulnerable to potential enemies...sometimes with fatal consequences.

Fatal Attraction explores the various visual, auditory, and chemical signals animals use to attract a mate, and then compares these rituals with our own human behaviour. This interactive, entertaining exhibit is over 8,500 square feet, and features over 100 animal specimens.

All sorts of mating signals are explored, since the animal world features a wide range of tactics to attract a mate: from songs, calls, positions, mimics, vibrations, light codes, bright or flashy colours, scents and even sounds that we humans are unable to detect. Many interactive displays allow you to push buttons to explore different mating calls, light or sound signals for animal species living on land and in the water.

The exhibition also reveals that sometimes mating is risky business - predators might also be attracted to animals that are trying to seduce their mates. Some of them even imitate courtship signals in order to catch their prey! Human courtship is explored in the fourth and final portion of the exhibition, which makes you realize that we are not all that different from our animal cousins.

The exhibit also includes:

+ The latest observations on animal communication and courtship rituals.

+ Signs involving smells, tastes, colours, songs and sounds used to attract potential partners.

+ Environmental and other risks that place limitations on these signs.

+ Videos that show humorous ways people mimic animal communication.

The Alliance of Natural History Museums in Canada, of which The Manitoba Museum is a founding member, is presenting this exhibit. The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Belgium), Naturalis, the National Museum of Natural History (The Netherlands), and The National Natural History Museum (France), all part of CASTEx, the European network of natural history museums, produced this exhibit.

A chance to kayak with Beluga whales? Wow! Share your best Manitoba travel moment for a chance to win. Here's a recently submitted fishing moment from C COOPER, about experiencing Manitoba's cottage country:

GETTING THE JUMP ON SUMMER
Our family looks forward to the May long weekend every year. We all crowd into a cabin that we have somehow outgrown over the years. We enjoy hot dogs on sticks at the cook shack behind the cottage followed by s'mores of course!

We enjoy visiting and playing cards both inside and outside. We walk the trails through the woods as well as the Omminik Marsh trail. We walk the streets of the town of Wasagaming and all the kids visit the candy shop. It always feels like we are stealing our first peek at summer. There is something really beautiful about the quiet and the freshness. The trees are budding and the flowers are just beginning to bloom and they hold the promise of the summer to come.

READ MORE FAMILY FUN MOMENTS