Saskatoon sounds like either a fictitious name for a town in a children’s book (Saskatoon, home to all of the talking farm animals) or a skin condition (my Saskatoon is acting up, so I’m not sure I’ll make to the pool party this weekend after all). In actuality, Saskatoon is the largest city in Saskatchewan! 350,000 people live in the area known for its wheat, oats, barely, rye, flaxseed, and canola distribution as well as its uranium and potash production.
One signboard called the city “The Paris of the Prairie”, which was a bit of an overstatement, but nested along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, this city is clean and inviting. It has some lovely bridges, multi-use green spaces that line both banks of the river, and multiple buildings downtown with old world charm!
Back in the rig and heading south from Saskatoon, our drive takes us through the heart of the prairies – vast, open landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see, dotted with golden fields of wheat and canola. There’s a simplicity and a beauty to the prairie landscape and like the state of Montana (who’s motto is “Big Sky Country”), Saskatchewan is living up to it’s motto, “Land of the Living Skies”.
Regina (Ri-JINE-uh], meaning “queen” was on our list of Saskatchewan stops for its dramatic Legislative Building, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. We took a guided tour of the Legislative Building. I particularly enjoyed the stylistic paintings of each of the Premiers
The building is surrounded by Wascana Centre, a sprawling parkland that’s one of the largest urban parks in North America and perfect for a leisurely walk.
A quick iced coffee from the Canadian Tim Hortons chain and we were off again. A honk and a wave through the town of Indian Head, past its historic round barn, and then to our boondocking spot for the evening, the Katepwa Scenic Overlook.
There was supposed to be a meteor shower that night, so Doug set his alarm and to his surprise, he woke to the northern lights instead. What a treat!
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All this over over the course of one day in Saskatchewan!
