Day Six – 10/22/07 - Regina rhymes with a female body part

Another day, another Canadian Provincial Capital. Regina is the capital of Saskatchewan, the Canadian equivalent of a gigantic Nebraska. The road to Regina was marked by endless golden prairie as well as endless juvenile jokes about the upcoming city’s pronunciation.

Due to a late start this morning, we arrived in Regina just after the closing of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, home to Canada’s largest mechanical dinosaur. Blast. We vowed to turn over a new leaf of planning and punctuality so as not to miss out on any more national treasures. Moseying over to the capital building, we encountered local kids skating on its front steps, which overlooked the Wascana Waterfowl Pond, boasting over 60 breeds of migratory waterfowl.

Eager to finally get our camp on, we then left the city to check out a campground outside Moose Jaw, a small town west of Regina that Al Capone used to frequent when things got too hot in Chicago. Our AAA camping guide listed “Prairie Oasis Tourist Complex” as one of the few grounds still open this time of year. The establishment we encountered was nestled in the vast wilderness across the highway from a truck dealership. Untamed RVs in their natural habitat dotted the landscape. The woman in the reception office helpfully suggested there was “a patch of grass out back behind the motel” we could pitch our tent on, but that open fires were prohibited. Frightened by this neon trailer park and disappointed in AAA’s taste in wild campgrounds, we said our less-than-fond farewells and continued our search.

Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, another 90 kilometers west, was the next closest site, but was only open for tenting until the end of September. We decided to check it out anyway; anything would be better than the abortion of a campground we’d just witnessed. If worse came to worse, we had already spent one cozy night in the car. What would be another?

Incredibly, the isolated Provincial Park was deserted and completely ours for the conquering when we arrived. We set up camp on a chilly but pretty spot by the lake, surrounded by gentle moonlit brown hills. After inhaling a delicious pasta dinner prepared by Chef Darren, we bundled up, cracked open a few cold ones, and sat around a small beach fire, admiring our Saskatchurroundings.

Our introduction to winter camping was terrific – no seasonal crowds, no entrance fees, just us, the hills, and the peace of the still Canadian night.