Westman day tripping offers budget-friendly options

Of all the ways to spend a day off in the summer, a day trip — a short hop that takes you one to three hours away from home-and-hassle and then back to the comfort of your own bed again in the evening — gets you a great fun-to-mileage ratio.

A day trip is a budget-friendly option for a break. Your main expenses are fuel, food and — depending on your plan — admission fees to an attraction and/or parking. Accommodations are off the table, so you can budget a little more for a nice meal, an extra activity or some fun shopping.

Day tripping is flexible with a simple plan and minimal commitment. You can do it any day of the week or time of year. You’re not glued to an expensive prepaid itinerary. If you are tired or if the weather goes south, you can go home or postpone.

Day tripping is pretty low on the stress scale. You only need a few essentials: weather- and activity-appropriate clothing like rain coats, sun hats, swimsuits, towels, beach blankets and toys, picnic gear or snacks and water. Wear comfortable shoes. If you forget something it’s OK, you’ll be back at home in a few hours.

A little planning is necessary. Map your destination checking for road closures. Research what’s available noting seasonal closures and opening and closing times for restaurants, shopping, and attractions (do you need tickets or booking in advance?). Know where public washrooms are available and places to park the car. Make sure the car is in roadworthy shape and fill the gas tank. Take time to tidy the inside of the car and make it comfortable. Check the hourly weather just before you leave. Bring fully charged phones and a charger.

If something along the way looks interesting or fun but it’s not in the plan, it’s OK to be flexible. As long as you’re enjoying yourselves, you’ve met your criteria for the day. Serendipity is your friend.

A day trip on the road is a good time for the kids to take a break from looking at screens and look out the window at scenery instead. A musical playlist for the road is nice to have as well as audio stories.

With only a few hours away, the day should refresh you and not burn you out, so plan for “re-entry” before you leave. A hot meal waiting in the slow cooker or ready-made sandwiches in the fridge will make for a smooth landing, especially if you have tired and hungry kids in tow. If you can plan your arrival home close to bedtime for the little ones, you can get them fed and tucked in quickly and still have time for a nice wind down from the day.

A day trip gives you enough time to explore close to home, to see and experience things you might not know about or have maybe taken for granted. In Westman, there are plenty of things to do and places to see, so mix it up. Swimming and hiking can be part of the itinerary. Here are a few walking and water fun ideas:

• Souris has a community pool and the 20-acre Victoria Park, a swinging bridge and wandering peacocks.
• Spruce Woods Provincial Park offers Spirit Sands and Devil’s Punch bowl for hiking and swimming at Kiche Manitou Beach.
• Minnedosa offers Minnedosa Beach and the Splish Splash Waterpark.
• Treherne has an Aquatic Centre and a museum.
• Here are a few museums and galleries and other sights:
• St. Claude’s Dairy Museum of Manitoba
• Margaret Laurence Home, and Farmery Brewery Estate, Neepawa
• Boissevain has the Outdoor Art Gallery and The International Peace Garden with 2,000+ acres of floral displays.
• Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon
• Riverbank Discovery Centre, Brandon
• Royal Canadian Artillery Museum, Shilo
• Westman Reptile Gardens, Douglas
• Manitoba Agricultural Museum, Austin
• Souris has the Plum Museum, Hillcrest Museum and the Railway Museum.
• Treherne features the Second Chance Car Museum.

Check out some “world’s biggest” statues or “one-of -a-kinds” for great family photo-ops. Tommy the Turtle stands 28 feet tall in Boissevain. Glenboro boasts their 17-foot-tall Sara the Camel. At eight feet tall, Russell’s Arthur the Beef and Barley Bull is double the size of the real thing. Don’t miss Duke the Giant Black Bear at Rossburn. Go bananas with Sunny the Banana at Melita. The world’s second largest fire hydrant is in Elm Creek. St. Claude has a giant tobacco pipe.

And for unusual architecture see the Glass Bottle House and Church in Treherne, structures made from over 5000 bottles.

If you are still short on ideas, communities all over Westman have something in store throughout the summer. Just show up and have fun.

Mark these on your calendar:

July 12 – 18 The jam-packed week-long Milk Run Festivals start from Oak River and go to Strathclair, Shoal Lake, Hamiota, Harding, and Oak Lake.

July 10 – 12 Souris, Souris Peacock Days and Fair

July 15 Hamiota, Classic and New Show & Shine Car Show

July 23 – 26 Austin, Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion & Stampede

July 31 – August 2 Minnedosa, Rockin’ the Fields of Minnedosa

August 7 – August 9 Melita, Melita Banana Days

Check the social media pages for the communities you want to visit for up to date details on festivals and other events. These travel sites have plenty of inspiration and information to help you plan: Tourism Westman – www.tourismwestman.ca; CAA Manitoba – www.caamanitoba.com/travel/road-trips/west-manitoba; Travel Manitoba –

www.travelmanitoba.com/places/west

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