We are Lisa and Glenn Tinley, your Couples Ambassadors for Travel Manitoba. We are excited to provide local explorers and visitors to our province with ideas and recommendations of the many things to do to shake away the cobwebs of winter.

Welcome to spring in Manitoba. As much as we appreciate what we can do during a Manitoban winter, the freshness in the air and promise of warm weather is always a welcome feeling. We start going for long walks, listen to the birds return and polish up our bikes, golf clubs and camping gear.

With so much to do in the spring in Manitoba, we’d like to share just a few ideas to help couples enjoy our fantastic province. It can be as simple as jumping on your bicycles for a ride around the Forks or Birds Hill Park, or dining alfresco on an outdoor patio.

In early spring, take a drive to Gimli to witness the ice retreating from the shores of Lake Winnipeg. It is an amazing sight to see nature moving winter out and opening up the lake, which is large enough to be seen from space, for summer sailing and beachgoers. Enjoy fresh fish and chips from one of the many local restaurants in what was once known as New Iceland and is the largest settlement of Icelanders outside of Iceland.

For couples interested in experiencing great food and wine, the Winnipeg Wine Festival (May 3-9) and Taste of the Nations (April 14) are great ways to experience what a great foodie city we have.

If you are interested in getting out of the city, enjoy the drive to Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort (see our story below) and have a romantic and memorable weekend getaway.

Staying active as a couple is important for your physical health and the health of your relationship. If you want to be active after a long winter, there are fantastic running events throughout the province during the spring. Visit www.mraweb.ca to find an event you both can participate in.

For couples interested in history and architecture, Manitoba provides fantastic viewing opportunities. Spend an afternoon checking out the Exchange District’s turn-of-the-last-century warehouses with a walking tour by the Exchange District Biz (www.exchangedistrict.org), or go further back in time with a visit to Lower Fort Garry.

Spring brings the promise of warm weather and summer fun, so don’t wait-get outdoors and experience what Manitoba has to offer. Visit soon and visit often. Email us with your ideas and experiences at mbhotspots@studiopublications.net

Heading north on Highway 8, Lisa & I immediately felt like we had got away from it all the stresses of work, running errands and the continuous, on-the-go pace. We began to have great conversations that we just don’t seem to have time for as we rush about daily life. Within an hour of leaving the city, we already felt like we had a break.

Pulling into the entrance drive at Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort, we were surprised how quickly the time has passed. It had been only 2 1/2 hours from our door, and we had checked into our own personal oasis.

Once you settle in at Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort, it just makes sense to stroll down to the ROK Lounge for a glass of wine and watch the setting sun. This is a one-of-a-kind resort here in Manitoba. I think of it like our own Whistler.

After a couple of glasses of wine and a great dinner at ROK Restaurant, we called it a night. Our room was amazing, like a personal sanctuary with its own sitting room looking out over the golf course.

Saturday morning started off with a run and a workout in the gym. Lisa headed off to the Hecla Oasis Mineral Spa after her run for a massage and facial. After a couple of hours, we sat by the mineral pool, swam around (indoors and out) and enjoyed the complete peace. We spent the day easily at the mineral pool catching up on reading. Later in the afternoon, we took advantage of our surroundings and the nice weather to go for a walk by the lake and get some 'real' fresh air.

We had made a reservation at L'Enoteca Restaurant for a late dinner. If we thought that we were at a first class resort before, L’Enoteca only confirmed it. The resort and Chef Stephane Pierre Thierry have created a setting that is second to none, not only in Manitoba, but across the country. The entire evening experience from the service to the wine list (not to mention the amazing Scotch and Port selections) to what we consider one of the most amazing dinners we have had, was world class.

When Sunday morning finally came, we really did not want to leave. The Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort is just that - an oasis. It is great to reconnect, enjoy some time away and there is no shortage of things to do. You can be as active as you want with golf, hiking and skiing right there, or you can simply relax at the spa, sit by the mineral pool and enjoy the peace - inner and otherwise.

This is a must-visit destination in Manitoba. It is a gem, a world-class resort right in our own backyard. It is affordable and full of value. Visit it soon, you will probably run into Lisa and I - we have already booked our next stay, including our tee-off times. Next time we will bring along our black Lab, Molly. With 14 pet-friendly rooms, a pet spa in the works and great runs in the woods, she’ll be able to indulge, too.

Friday, May 8th to Sunday, May 10th will offer gardening enthusiasts an extraordinary opportunity to explore the world of gardening. The first event of the weekend begins with a special evening on Friday, May 8th, hosted by the Assiniboine Park Conservatory: "Pots and What Nots - a connoisseurs' guide to Container Gardening".

On Saturday, May 9th, the Friends host the 2nd Annual Gardening Saturday, a day-long gardening symposium featuring guest speakers, 25 workshops, vendor displays and demonstrations, held at the Canadian Mennonite University, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, May 10, attend the annual Mother's Day Plant Sale gather to celebrate its 20th anniversary and choose from a huge array of the finest plants for the gardening season.

Each year garden symposiums are held in major cities all over North America and serve to educate and inspire participants to explore the art of gardening and the important environmental role that gardening plays in our world today.

Gardening Saturday will gather together gardeners and experts from a wide range of horticulture-related fields: soil, seeds, species protection, water and energy saving ideas, indigenous plants, medicinal herbs, container gardening, lawn care, trees, outdoor rooms, market gardening, composting; to name a few.

Presenters for 2009 include:

• Dave Hanson of Sage Garden Herbs
• Carla Hrycyna, co-owner of St. Mary's Nursery
• Linda Stilkowski of the Winnipeg Free Press
• Reena Nerbas, author of two national bestsellers and featured regularly in a newspaper columnn and on the radio
• Coleen Rajotte, award-winning filmmaker and journalist and host of the new gardening show "Vitality Gardening" on APTN
• Mike Allen of Viburnum Tree Experts
• Dorothy Dobbie, publisher of Manitoba Gardener
• Arlene Wheeler, popular guest on CITY Tv's Breakfast Television and Store Manager of Schriemer's Home and Garden Showplace

...and many more. Sponsors for our 2009 event include to date Manitoba Hydro, Viburnum Tree Experts, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and Samborski Garden Supplies Ltd. and Bothwell Cheese.

For more information, contact Colleen Zacharias, collzac@hotmail.com.

Keep sending in your unique Manitoba moments. Send us your favorite Unforgettable Manitoba story, photo or video to itsmymoment.ca and you'll be entered to win a Manitoba Homecoming 2010 VIP travel package to see the entire province. Full contest details available soon. In the meantime, here's a great moment from Aaron Hannem:

My wife and I decided to spend our first wedding anniversary in none other than one of Manitoba's gems "The Whiteshell". We arrived at our lake front cabin as the sun was setting on the majestic waters. We had to drop everything and just look...look and listen. You dont get that anywhere else. That peacefullness, that harmony, the smell of fresh pine in the woods. The deep country smell of a campfire burning in the near distance. The sound of a light wave rolling on the shore. It was unbelievable, breathless to be exact. As the glass like waters echoed the heavenly sky you could see in the distance silouettes of fish jumping out of the water. An eagle soaring it's broad wings through the sky. This was truly ...Heaven on Earth.

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