This fall, we're featuring an amazing collection of road trips that will help you explore every corner of Manitoba. The Bridging the West road trip takes you through on a journey west through Treaty 1 and 2 territory, to a collection of small towns, roadside statues and more.

Part one

Photo Op: Giant Fire Hydrants and Smoking Pipes

What better way to start your adventure than with a few iconic giants? First, pull into the town of Elm Creek - you can't miss the massive fire hydrant that currently holds the title of the second largest hydrant in the world.

Also holding a second place title is the giant tobacco pipe of St. Claude. The pipe commemorates the early settlers who came from Saint-Claude, France - where the main industry was the manufacturing of pipes.

Hiking and camping in Spruce Woods Provincial Park

Ready for some outdoor adventure? Pine forest and boreal woods blend with grassy hills and the meandering Assiniboine River at Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

With many trails to pick from, here are two to try on this summer adventure.

Option 1: Hogsback Trail

An easy to moderate hike, this 1.2 km adventure provides beautiful views of Spruce Woods Provincial Park, from the sandhill prairies to freshwater springs to the scenic Assiniboine River valley. Find the entrance down Park Road off the highway.

Option 2: Spirit Sands

Sand, cacti and prairie slithering skinks make up this desert-like landscape that is completely unique in Manitoba. The most challenging trail at Spirit Sands will take you to the Devils Punch Bowl, a bowl-shaped depression that measures 45 metres deep to reveal a pool of blue-green water.

Part two

Old town sights in Wawanesa

Just north off Highway #2, nestled deep in the valley of the Souris River, and situated at the backdoor of the rolling sand hills of Spruce Woods Forest is the small town of Wawanesa.

One of Canada's largest insurance companies, Wawanesa Mutual Insurance, has its humble beginnings in this idyllic prairie town. The original one-storey Wawanesa Mutual Insurance office is a provincially designated national historic site and home to the Sipiweske Museum.

Walk the town's streets to see the Souris River bridge and historic churches, or head down the self-guided trail along Cliff Street for sweeping views of the Souris River valley. Interpretive signage along the trail offer insight in to the geology of the cliffs that are unique and an unexpected discovery in the middle of the prairies.

Onward to Souris

Continue on to the next leg of the journey where the town of Souris awaits. Souris is known for its Swinging Bridge, its free-roaming peacocks (which have earned distinction as honorary ambassadors of the community) and its park.

Town of Souris

Shop a fine array of finished and polished stones and fossils at the famous Rock Shop, or take your visit to the next step by getting a permit into the Agate Pit. Try your hand at uncovering rare stones at this twelve-acre glacial deposit that is known for its agates, epidote, jasper, petrified wood and more.

It's easy to pass a few hours walking the trails at Victoria Park, a 20-acre oasis that is one of the oldest parks in the country.