Here is my compilation post of everything else I did in Winnipeg that I did not cover in my previous Winnipeg blog posts. Overall, I thought my trip to Winnipeg was enjoyable in the three nights I stayed here, though I was struggling to find things to do by the end of the second night. Winnipeg felt like an isolated city, but it has its own scene and community that I appreciate.
I stayed at the Inn at the Forks, which is a luxury boutique hotel in the middle of The Forks Historic Site, which is the tourist area in Winnipeg. I have stayed in older luxury railway hotels before but nothing this modern. My room was clean and spacious, and had this simple but elegant look. After this Winnipeg trip, I found it funny that what I paid to stay at a Winnipeg luxury hotel was the same price I paid for a room with one double bed at a Travelodge in Montreal, which is insane to me.
On my first morning in Winnipeg (and while I was waiting for my room to be ready), I went walking around The Forks Historic Site, to look at some of the monuments and landmarks.
I went walking along the Red River looking over to the Saint-Boniface neighbourhood (more on this later). It was a calm and chilly morning. I walked over to where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet. I would not want to find myself in the current in the Assiniboine River.
The Forks Market is the main tourist market/shopping centre in the area, and this was where I got most of my food on my trip. I did not expect the market to be so busy, but it was lively during the day. There were many food stalls and even a bar with many kinds of local craft beer. The food was decent, but I was not too adventurous with the culinary offerings on this trip. However, I did not particularly enjoy the beer on tap.
I took a quick peek inside Winnipeg's Union Station. Apparently, there was a railway museum in the building but I did not go to visit it.
One of the places I wanted to visit while I was in Winnipeg was The Fort Garry Hotel, which is the grand railway hotel in Winnipeg. I wanted to visit a specific room in this hotel called The Oval Room. The Oval Room is this beautifully-adorned domed room with this presidential-style of furnishings. Apparently, this room is popular as a movie set for various Hallmark movies.
I sat at the bar to order a summer cocktail (Jungle Bird) and was talking to the bartender to learn more about the room I was in. This was one of the most impressive rooms I have ever been inside.
The next morning, I took a walk from my hotel to the Exchange District (which was where I was going to rent a car). I took some pictures walking through Downtown, including the Fairmont Hotel and the intersection of Main and Portage.
The Exchange District had this look of an old American city with its classic big ads on the sides of the brick buildings. It was like walking around a mini-Chicago.
I had breakfast at the Clementine Cafe, which was quite busy when I went, which told me that this was going to be a good meal. I had a potato rosti with salmon, an egg, and salmon roe. The meal was excellent, and this was the best food I had while in Winnipeg.
On the last morning of my trip, I went for a walk in the Saint-Boniface neighbourhood, which is the French Quarter of Winnipeg where most people living and working here spoke French. Also, the signage and street names in this neighbourhood are in French as well.
The old City Hall in the neighbourhood was a tourist information centre with a small art gallery worth checking out.
Other things I saw in the neighbourhood include a private university and the local cathedral.
The last thing I want to mention is that there is a Caribbean restaurant (Deen's Caribbean Restaurant) that existed here in Winnipeg since the 1970s, which completely took me by surprise. I had to go see this place by myself, because I did not think there would be a Caribbean community in Winnipeg. I ordered some doubles, and they did not look like the doubles I would normally see in Toronto. The doubles were fine, I was not terribly hungry, but I got to speak with the owner about this restaurant and it thrived in a city where I would not expect Caribbean people to live.
That was all the other things I did while I was in Winnipeg. I am glad that I went to a city where I would not think about going in Canada, but I felt like I did everything I needed to do in my time, and I do not plan to go back again.
More pictures below:
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