When planning a vacation, Huntsville isn’t at the top of many lists, but maybe it should be. For a 200,000 population, the city has a home town, relaxed feel. And the city has the highest per capita of Ph.D’s, a huge art scene, and friendly population so it’s a great place to mingle with the locals. There are so many fun things to do in Huntsville.
Be an astronaut for a day at NASA’s Marshall Space Center
Whether you can afford the time and money to do Space Camp, or go to the visitor center to see the Saturn V, or get a behind the scenes tour, NASA is an interesting place to visit. As part of my blogger convention, I got a free behind the scenes tour. We even got greeted by Todd May, the director of NASA’s Marshall Space Center. Then we traveled around the base and visited many labs, the testing site, and the control center for the International Space Station. We even had a female astrophysicist tell us about the 2017 eclipse and gave us NASA swag.
Saturn V
Rocket tester…notice the size of the crane
X-ray mirror
Inside the International Space Center control room
AM Booth’s Lumberyard
This super cool multi-venue entertainment center has several different bars, stages, and restaurants. There’s even a whole train car in the courtyard.
Lumberyard Band
Go Back to School at Campus 805
Pinball wizard at Campus 805
This old middle school now houses two microbreweries, multiple bars and restaurants, a small theater in the gym (open mic comedy the night I visited), a pinball room, and more. Search for the Campus 805 Speakeasy and have a drink in the windowless bar. Hint to finding the secret entrance: there is no lock on the door, but there might be a locker
Feed the Fish and Ducks in Big Spring Park
Feed the fishes!
Just on the edge of downtown is the Big Spring Park. There actually is a big spring, the feeds the canal system that used to bring cotton and watercress to downtown Huntsville by boat. Now there are loads of Koi fish and Ducks that live in the canals and pond.
Check out the 1800’s Architecture
There are loads of old houses and churches to see as you walk around Downtown and the Twickenham Historic District. I found an inexpensive stay in a 1837 house on AirBnB.
See a Show at the Von Braun Center
The Von Braun Center hosts many shows throughout the year. I didn’t have time to see them, but Boston was playing one of the nights of my visit.
Scare your britches off on a Ghost Tour
Avalon Tours have been running ghost tours for several years. Not only did the owners thoroughly research each home and historical person, but they also utilized a medium to confirm stories and talk directly to some ghosts. The scariest story is about the ghost of a lynched murderer that now haunts the courthouse. There were two service dogs on our tour and they both went crazy in front of two of the houses. The walking tours cost only $10.
Eat a Taco at Taco Mama’s
Get huge servings at this very busy eatery, which is one of 5 locations in Alabama. The platters come with a mountain of Nacho chips and a side, such as Mexican Mac and Cheese.
Buy some Veggies or Baked Goods at Greene St. Farmer’s Market
Every Thursday night in the summer you can sample and buy foods and chat with the locals.
Meet the Locals
Huntsville might have some of the friendliest locals I’ve ever encountered. Whether you start a chat at a bar, invite people to sit down with you at a busy restaurant, or just smile to someone on the street, the locals are happy to chat with a solo traveler. I met a plethora of folks including a graphic artist, barista, a music teacher, and even a rocket scientist! Another female blogger and I were joking around with a meteorologist that we met and he shared his favorite weather phenomenon was “two chicks at the same time”… what a pick up line?
There are a number of other museums and botanical gardens that I ran out of time to see, so I’ll just have to keep that for another trip to add to my list of fun things to do in Huntsville.
I loved every minute of the travel blogger conference and the city but there’s just one thing that cracks me up. Huntsville seriously needs to fire its ad agency. Their city slogan is “I heart HSV” or #ihearthsv. HSV is the three digit code for the Huntsville airport. This slogan is found around town, on their twitter, and even on a T-shirt. But did you know what you get if you google “What is HSV?” Herpes Simples Virus!!! Now who wants to walk around with a T-shirt that says “I heart HSV”?
Where to Stay
The Embassy Suites is located right on the edge of Big Spring Park and is a great location for walking to downtown, and local museums and restaurants. It’s the best of the hotels near the Von Braun center. Book it now at booking.com. If not already registered at booking.com, get $25 off your first stay by registering here.
Nashville is Music City USA, but also party central USA. There are endless concerts, tours, sporting events to keep a person busy for days. I had the pleasure to spent 4 days and 4 nights there. Even as a solo female, I was able to meet lots of people and have a fun time. There are so many things to do in Nashville, but these are the Top Things to do in Nashville:
Things to Do in Nashville Money Saving Tip – Nashville Total Access Pass
A great way to save money is to buy the Nashville Total Access Pass. The Nashville Access Pass can be purchased online or at the Nashville Visitor Center, in the tower building at the corner of 5th and Broadway outside the Bridgestone Arena. The costs is $75 (although I spoke to a couple that claimed to pay $70 but not sure where). The pass comes with 4 tickets to your choice of a couple dozen tours and attractions, a booklet that describes each, a free ticket to the Parthenon, a free ticket to the Tennessee state athletics museum, a list of all the free things to do in Nashville, and a coupon for 25% off any Grayline tour. Since the activities normal price ranges from $12-40, it pays to do the more expensive activities with the pass. The 4 paid activities I did were Redneck Comedy Tour, Old Town Hop on Hop off bus, Country Music Hall of Fame, and Hatch Show Print, plus the Parthenon. These would have costed $116 if paid separately, so a 35% discount.
Walk the sacred halls of the Country Music Hall of Fame
The Country Music Hall of Fame displays from all eras of country music and the actual hall of fame has placards for the inductees. There were much fewer than I had guessed – lots of room on the walls for more.
Make your own souvenir print at the Hatch Show Print
The Hatch Show Print is located on the bottom floor of the Country Music Hall of fame. This is one of only a couple old time poster printing companies. They use wooden carvings of letters, symbols, and pictures to stamp up to 3 colors on a poster. Each color takes a day to dry, so a 3 color poster takes an amount of time to set up and then 3 days to print. It was fascinating to learn about the history and process and at the end, we got to make our very own 8×11 poster to take home. Each one is unique as the ink is applied to the shapes differently.
Ride a Hop on Hop off Bus (HOHO)
The tour takes well over an hour to circle the main sights of the city with guided narration. In addition to the main sights downtown like the Museums and Ryman Theater, the tour goes out to the Parthenon and up and down Music Row. The guides tell stories and some even give away trivia prizes. I rode with the Old Town Trolley company, but there are others.
Visit the Parthenon
The Parthenon normally costs $6 but was included in the Total Access Pass. It’s a true to size replica of the Parthenon in Greece. Inside is a magnificent Athena statue, whose staff is actually a flag pole from a McDonald’s restaurant.
Laugh out Loud on a Comedy Bus Tour
There are several comedy tours in Nashville. I did the 2-hour Redneck Comedy Bus Tour. The guide was really funny and told jokes as we drove around town in a converted school bus. He roasted everyone on the bus but especially the gynecologist that told us the weirdest thing he ever found stuck “up there” was a whole piece of blueberry pie. Blueberry pie became the running inside joke for the rest of the tour.
Ride or Walk up and down Music Row
Music Row is a row of record producing offices that are in revamped homes. These historical homes are protected, so only the insides can be renovated. Many country stars have their own studio here. You can even go to the bar that inspired Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup.”
Watch a live taping of the Grand Ole Opry
The Opry is a bit of a drive out of downtown. There were 9 artists on the night I visited and they were all great, finishing with Rascal Flatts. As the Opry is a live radio show, the audience had a little laugh at all the intermission live recorded commercials.
See a show at the new Ascend Amphitheater
The new Ascend Amphitheater is just off the end of Broadway on the river. On one evening, I was drinking a couple beers at the hostel, hoping to find someone to go out with when someone offered me a free ticket to see The Band Perry, which was the concert associated with the Rock and Roll marathon taking place that weekend.
Take a walk on the Pedestrian Bridge for a View of the City, at Day and Night
There are great views of the city from this former railroad trestle, especially the AT&T building that is nicknamed the Batman Building.
Eat some Nashville Hot Chicken
One of the most famous is Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. I recommend the “Medium” if you normally order hot. I met someone who couldn’t finish the “Shut the Cluck Up” flavor and was sick the next day. They have a great selection of tasty southern sides – collard greens, cheesy bacon grits (Sunday only), black eyed pea salad, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, mac and cheese with pimentos. It was worth the wait of 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Have or Attend a Bachelorette Party
Nashville has become the Bachelorette Party capital of the world. There were dozens of bachelorette parties out an about, especially on Saturday night. They are often pedaling around town in the bike bars all with matching t-shirts or tanks, and matching sunglasses.
See a Sporting Event
Nashville makes a great place to watch your home football team on the road. Hockey playoffs were on during my visit. I didn’t go to the game, but I watched on a big screen TV outside. Going back to Nashville for a Seahawks game would be a blast – the NFL stadium looks fun.
Save money on Accommodation by staying at the Nashville Downtown Hostel
FANTASTIC location on a quiet street 2 blocks from the eastern end of Broadway (where the Hard Rock café and the start of 3 blocks of Broadway where all the Honky Tonks are). Average nightly rate of $37.50 (higher on weekends than weekdays). Incredibly clean, free coffee, a nice social room on the first floor, beer fridge for guests. Hostel not your thing? Check out Rates and Availability of Nashville hotels here.
Last but not least…Pub Crawl the Honky Tonks on and Off Broadway
In addition to country music, there’s lots of Rock, especially 1990’s rock in the bars on Broadway and the surrounding streets.
Two of the hottest Honky Tonks are Toostie’s Orchid and Nudies. But they are also the most expensive ($6+ for beers).
Nudie’s is a great venue and no, it’s NOT dirty or a strip club. Nudie is the name of a guy that designed decorated cars with silver dollars and gun replicas. One of his cars is in the Country Music hall of fame and the other one is affixed to the wall in Nudie’s Honky Tonk.
Tootsie’s seemed to be the coolest place where the folks with money and conference attendees go. Many of the women at Tootsies were swooning over a guy that hosts a show on HDTV, but I didn’t know who he was (no cable). The going rate to have the band play your requested song in Tootsies was $50!
On Church street, you can get lots of flavors of 2 for 1 beers.
For old time country, check out Robert’s Western World. For $5 you can get the “Recession Special” lunch of a fried bologna sandwich, chips, and a PBR. For cheaper beers, and to find out where the locals go, try some of the bars off of 2nd or Church. Here we got 2 for 1 beers and drafts for $2. Nashville is an expensive place to drink – tip the bartenders, bands, and bathroom attendants at the more popular places.
The world is a small place…
While sitting at the bar at Nudies, a woman and man approached me…
Woman: are you from Ohio?
Me: No. Seattle, but I used to live in Ohio.
Woman: Is your name Lisa?
Me: Yes.
Man: Lisa M?
It turns out I worked with the guy for a couple years in the early 2000’s. After he reminding me of his name, I totally remembered him. In further coincidence, it was both our first time in Nashville.
Are there any other top things to do in Nashville you would add – add to the comments below?
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If you want to get out of Nashville for a day and see a bit of the countryside, Lynchburg, TN is a good destination. I rented a car for the day and headed south to Lynchburg, home of Jack Daniel’s Whisky and a cute little town with a population of 361.
The quickest route is just under 1.5 hours and has views of barns, horses, fields of buttercups, and armadillo road kill (the locals said they just started seeing armadillos in the area in the last couple years).
The “Flight of Jack” tour costs $17 and is a 1.5 hour tour with 5 tastings at the end. You can reserve online. They recommended arriving 30 minutes before the tour but when I checked in at 10:29 for my 11:00 tour they asked if I wanted to start at 10:30 so the tour started immediately.
The tour starts with a group photo. Of course we said “Whisky” instead of “Cheese”! A short bus ride takes us to the back of the facility. Today was special because they were burning maple boards to make the charcoal used in the filtration process.
Making charcoal
We stopped at the cave spring that Jack Daniel discovered as a teenager and started using this pure water for the whisky. The plant still uses this water today.
Jack’s spring cave
Slightly larger than life statue of Jack (added 7 inches to his 5’2″)
This safe is not safe
We stopped in the original office of the plant, which was in use until the family sold the plant. The most valuable artifact in the office is a rusty old safe. The story is that Jack Daniels forgot the combination to the safe and in his frustration, kicked the safe breaking his toe. But as stubborn men are, he didn’t seek medical attention. Eventually it became infected and he died of blood poisoning. So this is the safe that killed Jaspar (Jack) Daniel.
This safe is not safe
The next stops are the full process of making the whiskey. I most liked the fermenting room (bubbling, odorous grain), and the charcoal filter tanks. Due to high alcohol in these rooms, you cannot turn on electronics, like cameras. For those with accessibility issues, there are some stairs on this tour.
The last stop is the tasting room where we tried 3 “regular” whiskies and 2 flavored – honey and cinnamon. Lynchburg is in a “dry” county so generally you can drink in any establishment but there’s a loophole for small tastings. You can taste here and at the wine shop in town.
The tour ended at noon so I headed into town for lunch at the Barrel House BBQ. The house special is “Grilled Cheese on Crack”, a grilled cheese sandwich with a healthy serving of pulled pork. It’s even better with the homemade Habanero BBQ sauce! Yummy and my first Tennessee BBQ. The place was busy so I shared a table with the local EMT crew so we got to chat about the local Lynchburg gossip.
Grilled cheese on Crack
The entire town square is surrounded by shops where you can buy all sorts of Jack Daniel’s goods, as well as sample foods infused with JD. I tried Whisky ice cream and Whisky fudge. I did not buy the $3 giant dill pickle soaked in Whisky.
Downtown Lynchburg
Before driving back to Nashville, I drove down a couple country roads as it was a beautiful day.
Michigan is a winter wonderland with skiing and snowmobiling and a summer spectacular with great weather and many things for tourists to do. Before visiting Michigan in spring, I spent some time googling “Traveling in Michigan in Spring” and “Michigan in Springtime”. The searches didn’t come up with much. There were mostly articles about the multitude of museums that could be visited in the spring, especially in Detroit. But we weren’t going to Detroit and I wasn’t planning on spending much time in museums (just not my thing).
Closed Until Spring
“Road Closed Until Spring”
Closed for the Winter. Opening Memorial Day. Open on May 13. Closed until spring. Closed. See you in May.These are just some of the signs my parents and I saw on our 9 day car trip to Michigan in late April – April 19-28th to be exact. While it was annoying that many sites were closed, it was also rewarding that we were only a few tourists to be around so there were no lines, no traffic, and great deals on accommodation.
Great Deals on Hotels
Hotels, especially those around the great lakes, had incredible deals. For example, at Harbor Lights in Frankfort, the going weekend rate for a non-view motel room is $195 in the summer but we got the room for $79. A top floor, lakeview room with deck in Munising costs $250+ in summer (assuming you can even get a reservation, they sell out months in advance), but we paid $110 a night for a room with a balcony and view of the lake.
But Some Spots Will Be Closed
The best sites were open in the end of April. The biggest disappointment was the scenic drive at the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore was closed. Other than that, some restaurants, wayside rests, and some tourist traps were closed. Not significant enough to affect our trip.
Weather
Pouring rain in the UP
Possibly the most unpredictable thing about traveling in Michigan in late April is the weather. You can have pouring rain and wind (like we had for a whole day of driving across northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula), you can have gorgeous days (like 70-80 degrees and sunny, like we had for several days), and you can even have snow (luckily, we only had a few minutes of rain/snow mix one day).
Places to visit in Michigan in Spring:
Our trip started north and headed south with nights in Munising, Traverse City, Frankenmuth/Birch Run, and Grand Rapids for a total of 8 nights in Michigan.
Upper Peninsula
Ice on the shore of Lake Superior
The first day was spent in Upper Peninsula. This was the one day that it rained all day long. It didn’t stop once, but it ranged from sprinkling to pouring rain and temperatures that didn’t go above 37 degrees. We didn’t make a lot of stops this day, but did stop at a Great Lakes visitor center in northern Wisconsin and along the shores of Lake Superior to see a little bit of lake ice that remained in one spot The lake was nearly ice free by April 22. We only saw ice in a few spots around Munising. Our last stop of the day was a very short walk to Munising Falls on the edge of the town.
Ice on the shore of Lake Superior
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Bridal Veil Falls, these falls are dry in the summer.
Miners Castle is the top accessible site in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We literally had the place to ourselves, the only car in a parking lot that holds 100 in the busy times.
Big Spring State Park
By noon, the sun had begun to shine so the Big Spring was aglow in a state park. You can use a handwheel to propel you over the spring in a wooden platform attached to a cable. Here you can see the water shooting out of the springs, and a few dozen huge 3 foot fish that are near it.
Frankfort, Michigan – on the beach of Lake Michigan
Three nights in Frankfort, a town southwest of Traverse City with sunsets to die for. This location allowed us to enjoy a Friday night fish fry at the Eagles FOE lodge, a day at the former state mental hospital in Traverse City, a show at the opera house, half a day at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and a drive up the Peninsula with visits to several lighthouses. It was on a deserted beach on the peninsula where we met an old man who was searching for Petoskey Stones. These stones are fossilized corals that are unique to this area. He graciously gave us a couple of these collector stones. Check out this blog about finding and polishing Petoskey Stones.
Frankenmuth, Michigan
The next couple nights were in the Frankenmuth area, and frankly (ha ha, get it?) we should have only stayed for one. Upon telling other Michiganis, Michiganers, Michiganoids? That we were going to Frankenmuth, they always asked “Are you going to eat the chicken dinner?” But, I had seen negative reviews on Tripadvisor. But the Michigan residents won out and we went for the $23 all you can eat chicken dinner. It was served family style and consisted of dry bread, 5 salad that were quite good, noodles that tasted like the crushed crackers that topped them, boxed mash potatoes, gravy, good dressing, and bland chicken. We didn’t even finish the first plate of chicken so we got to take those leftovers. Besides the chicken dinner, the town is mostly a tourist trap. Shops with junk, cheese, wine. We did have a wine and chocolate tasting and bought 4 bottles of sweet wine (my mom’s favorite).
Wine & Chocolate tasting
Holland Michigan Tulips
The last 2 nights were spent in Grand Rapids. The first day was sunny and 80 degrees so we hightailed it over to Holland to see the tulips. It was clear they had reached their peak bloom, unfortunately 10 days before their annual Tulip Festival… but they were beautiful.
Magnolias in bloom too.
Grand Rapids – Meyer May House and Meijer Sculpture Garden
On the last day of our trip, we saw two of the most famous tourist attractions of GR – the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Meyer May house. Steelcase had restored this house in the mid 1980’s and no expense was spared.
Meyer May house – Outside the house
And then we stopped at the Fredirik and Lena Meijer Sculpture Garden. This is one of the top 100 visited art museums in the word. Highlights are a Japanese garden, many sculptures, and an Ai Weiwei exhibit. For 2 months each year, they hatch 7,000 butterflied in many species, into their tropic conservatory.
Butterflies in bloom #1
notice how the left side of the butterfly looks like a snake for camouflage.
Underfoot the Leonardo Horse
Things I Learned:
I was too young to remember anything from my only other trip to Michigan, but noticed some interesting things that might be unique to Michigan:
At BP, all of the gas triggers are green. I had to check and double check that I wasn’t putting diesel in the car
UP definitely has a sense of humor. My favorite restaurant name was UP Chuck’s.
The drivers are aggressive. If you fail to notice that a light has turned green because you’re checking a map, they will honk and continue to honk even after you’ve gone thru the intersection. And no one stops for pedestrians.
A “Party Store” is not where you buy your cups, napkins, and decorations, but instead your beer, wine and liquor.
All in all, spring is a wonderful time to visit Michigan IF you get lucky with the weather.
Where I stayed:
Holiday Inn Express in Munising. Great views and pool. Many rooms have balconies.
Harbor Lights in Frankfort
Hampton Inn in Birch Run. Great pool. Close to Outlet mall and next to a movie theater. Book it now.
Hampton Inn in Grand Rapids. Great pool & breakfast. Easy access to interstate to visit Holland. Book it now.
Where I ate:
My most memorable meals were local charity meals (pancake lunch, fish fry dinner) give you a chance to mingle with locals – it’s cheap and proceeds go to a good cause.
Last year, I really enjoyed visiting the deserted buildings of Pripyat, Ukraine in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. So, when I heard about the Traverse City State Hospital Extended Tripod Photography Tour with a professional photographer at the deserted buildings of the Traverse City State (Mental) Hospital, I had to go. These tours only run a couple times per year, so it was lucky that it would occur during my visit to Michigan in the Springtime.
The Traverse City State Hospital was first built in the 1880’s and was totally deserted by the 1980’s. The Traverse City State Hospital has been re-purposed as “The Village at Grand Traverse Commons”. Many of the buildings have been renovated and converted into apartments, shops, and restaurants. There was a farmers market on the Saturday we visited.
There were 17 tourists, a guide, and his brother, “the caboose” for the tour group. The tour consisted of visiting 4 deserted buildings and an old steam tunnel.
The attics were dusty and deserted:
Someone had scrawled their name in pencil in the attic
It’s common for youngsters to break into the buildings. We found evidence of this by graffiti, empty beer cans, and condom wrappers.
Creepy bathroom in basement
“DINNER TIME KIDS” in the kitchen
2 of the buildings we visited were abated for lead paint and asbestos.
Hall of an abated building.
Exploring a basement by flashlight.
Other buildings were filled with dangerous materials like crumbling 30% lead paint.
Oil spill
This chair is on it’s last leg!
Mural in lead paint
I’d love to see these buildings on a foggy day.
The bare trees in the spring make the buildings look creepier.
view of building 50 from an attic.
Mental patients were encouraged to spend time outdoors in screened patios.
All of the building complexes were heated by steam, and there is a huge network of steam pipes below.
The buildings were steam heated. You can visit the steam tunnels.
An exclusive visit of the “Extended” tour is the children’s ward, which was also used as a tuberculosis hospital. It was filled with colorful paint.
Mural painted in one of the children’s rooms.
Overall, the “tour” wasn’t much of a tour. It was more like a guy letting us into locked buildings and letting us run around and take pictures for 45-60 minutes. There was virtually no narration. If you’re interested in this place, I’d recommend a 2 hour history tour along with the 2 hour (not extended) photo tour rather than the Traverse City State Hospital Extended Tripod Photography Tour.
I like train trips. My some of my favorites were the Transsiberian trip across Russia and the Canadian Via Rail to Churchill – the Polar Bear Capital of the world. This year I got to take Amtrak Across America – at least half way. My trip on the Amtrak Empire Builder started at one of the two west coast hubs – Seattle. The other being Portland. These two trains connect in Spokane, WA and then make their way to Chicago.
Seattle has the great old King Street station. Our departure time was scheduled for 4:40 but the train was really late and we didn’t leave until close to 6:00pm. No explanation was given and Seattle was the starting point so it was a mystery and we were trying to catch up the time for the rest of the journey.
The blooming cherry trees outside of King Street StationA close up of the station. None of the stations seemed very busy.On the boarding platform
We boarded the train and I grabbed a seat on the left side of the train, knowing this has the best views of the trip – specifically views of Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, the highest peaks of Glacier National Park, and the Mississippi river.
Johan, the car attendant came around to ask everyone where they were going. I exclaimed “I’m going to WIN!” Each train station has a 3-letter code and the code for Winona, MN is WIN. He didn’t get the joke and looked at me puzzled. After I more clearly specified Winona, he wrote “WIN” on a card and reserved my window seat for the duration of my ride.
I’m going to WIN!
The trip from Seattle to Everett are almost completely along the Puget sound. We went by the ports of Seattle, the sculpture garden, the Aurora bridge, Golden Garden Park, Ballard Locks, and many other secret, deserted parks along the sound. The Olympic Mountains were trying to peek through the clouds. We then started driving towards the Cascade Mountains, and thru the longest train tunnel in America.
Based on my prior good experience on dining on Amtrak, I had decided to eat dinner each night on the train, so I made a reservation for 7:45. The kitchen must have been having issues because we didn’t sit to eat until 8:15 AND they only had 3 dinners – chicken, shrimp, or steak, ranging from $17.50 to $25. I ordered the $17.50 chicken and was underwhelmed. A seemingly microwaved chicken breast, small amount of green beans (about the equivalent of 5 large green beans), a small baked potato, and a stale bun. They had run out of butter so the toppings were margarine. The cool thing about having dinner is due to limited seating, they partner you with 3 other diners. My dining partners were a mother & daughter on a short trip to visit a sick relative, and a 20-year old wanna be electrician. The 20-year was telling me crazy things about Snapchat. He had a friend that had a 200+ day streak going. They were vacationing near the four corners and didn’t have any reception. She was in a panic as there were only minutes left until she’d lose her messaging streak. They had to speed to the next town to save the streak. Man, I feel old!
It was dark by the time we arrived in Leavenworth and stayed dark until the next morning where we were riding towards Glacier National Park.
I got off and on sleep throughout the night, trying a new position each time I woke up. Luckily, I had 2 whole seats to myself for the entire ride.
Sleep time lighting in the coach car.
I awoke the next day as light was coming up west of Glacier National Park. This was the way I’d be celebrating my 44th birthday. I didn’t want to miss a second of it so I went to the club (bar) car for some coffee. The weather was cloudy, but there were still great views as we entered the park. Most of the snow had already melted by mid-April but a few spots remained. It even snowed lightly as the train made its way across the continental divide.
The terrain changes quickly after leaving East Glacier, from mountains to plains and small hills. The sun was out and you can really see why they call Montana “Big Sky” country. I chatted with a fisherman and two sweet brothers from a reservation near Glacier national park – a high school sophomore and a 3rd grader. They had lots of fish tails but had pictures to back up their stories – a photo of the largest rainbow trout I’ve ever seen.
Typical central Montana scene.
Eventually we crossed the border into North Dakota and we saw some mini-badlands and started to see evidence of the booming oil industry near Williston.
Thru-out the day and the next morning, a good amount of wildlife was seen.
Here’s my personal Wildlife Guide to the Empire Builder: The following are wild animals that were seen and where:
Montana – West of Glacier: elk at dawn break, wild turkeys, lots of deer
Montana – In Glacier Park: surprisingly nothing
Montana – East of Glacier, and North Dakota – West: dozens of antelopes, 20-30 pheasants, many waterfowl.
Minnesota – South of St. Paul: a couple deer and wild turkeys, 20-30 bald eagles, musrats, many waterfowl, and dozens of turtles.
Unfortunately, the train was going too fast to get a photo of any of these, but it was still a thrill to see so much wildlife.
After the subpar dinner the night before, I decided to get a bite to eat in the club (bar) car and have a few beers for my birthday. I befriended a great group of guys that became my travel buddies:
70-something retired fisherman from Anacortes, WA who fished and processed fish in Alaska. He knew some of the guys from the Deadliest Catch and was good friends with Sig, but he never owned a TV and had never seen the show. Later in life he drove barges in the Mississippi River locks and most recently has been summering in Italy on an olive farm and wintering in Anacortes.
A 70-something jack of all trades. This guy claimed that in his lifetime he was a trucker, owned a trucking company, sold it and then ran it for 20 more years, was in the army but kicked out for medical history. Then he was in the top of his class to be a pharmacy assistant but had some reason that he could never work in the field. He also ran a tour company to Europe. He’d take 72 passengers for 6 weeks and he would drive, guide and act as concierge and porter. He’d hire a girl as “stewardess” and all she did was handed out drinks on the bus. And to top this all off, he was an Anglican priest. He also claimed that he gets paid $400 a month and he saves $200 of this.
A 70-something retired salesman from the Black Hills that worked with the coal industry in Wyoming. A really cool guy. I might go and camp out at his acreage for the Sturgis rally some year.
A 60-something former homeless man that was obsessed with the apocalypse. He went crazy when he discovered the priest so there was a lively discussion. We were relieved when he had to get off at his stop in Rugby, ND.
We stayed up to midnight talking about topics from travel to family to farming to “the kids these days”.
On my last morning, the train stopped in St. Paul to pick up many passengers. I hung out in the club car to see the Mississippi river. It was pouring rain in the morning but eventually the sun came out. I couldn’t believe the number of bald eagles we saw.
The sky starts to clear along the Mississippi
Tips for the Empire Builder and other Amtrak trains
For the best views – If heading east, get the window seat on the left. If heading west, choose the right side.
Bring plenty of snacks so you’re not totally reliant on the meal services of Amtrak. The costs can really add up.
Do be friendly – you may meet some interesting people. It would have been very easy to sit in my window seat and watch the scenery go by, but it was meeting folks in the dining and club car that made the trip.
Consider a meal in the dining car. Although my meal on this trip was subpar, I had a good meal in the past. They will put you with random people so it’s easy to meet others and that’s the fun of Amtrak.
If traveling in pairs, an upgrade to a sleeperette may be worthwhile. Unfortunately, the cost is almost double for a single. My roomy coach seat cost $138 but the sleeperettes were over $500. Sleeperettes do include free meals, but I still saved over $300 by going coach.
Take some sleeping comforts. A pillow and a blanket (or even better, a sleep sheet) go a long way towards comfort in the night. It’s usually warm when you first go to sleep but got a little chilly by the morning. If you don’t have a pillow, use a piece of clothing like a sweatshirt or jacket.
Pick up the schedule for your train at the station before boarding. It’s fun to watch the schedule and it gives you a clue of what stations allow longer stops that allow you to get some fresh air and see some of the old train stations along the route.
Check out the train stations en route. You can usually get snacks and cold drinks for much cheaper than the train. They are often stocked with free travel brochures and free or cheap used books.
The luggage limit is way high! A carry-on in Amtrak is the equivalent of a checked suitcase on an airplane. So in addition to checking up to 2 suitcases, you can take two “carry-ons” and two personal items, included in the price.
Whole you take Amtrak across America?
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Anyone on their way to or from Churchill should definitely consider a stop in Winnipeg Manitoba. Visiting the zoo is a nice companion to your Polar Bear excursions in Churchill, and you can see bears up close and personal. There are plenty of other things to do.
Arrival in Winnipeg
We arrived in the very nice Winnipeg airport Hampton Inn late in the evening after our long drive from Thompson that afternoon.
Assiniboine Zoo
There was a very hearty breakfast at the Hampton Inn in the morning and then we headed to the Assiniboine Zoo for the “Journey to Churchill” exhibit. There were many arctic animals but my favorite was the swimming polar bears! I could watch these fumbling animals for hours! Normally I’m not a fan of Zoos but seeing polar bears and seals swim over your head is priceless.
The even build a mini-Churchill town with buildings and polar bear traps.Caribou – didn’t see any of these in Churchill, but they are around.Baby musk ox – didn’t see any of these in Churchill.Swimming sealBear feedingBear butt & huge paws.It’s swimming right at me!Bear looks surprised.
English Gardens
We stopped in the nearby park to see English Gardens with lots of flowers, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
Historic Forks area
Our last stop was the historic Forks area of downtown Winnipeg Manitoba, with a visit to the indoor marketplace.
Where I stayed:
Hampton Inn Winnipeg Airport. Great hotel – pool and hot tub, airport shuttle (was super useful as I had a very early flight out), and amazing breakfast. Book it now at booking.com.
Churchill, Manitoba is known as “The polar bear capital of the world” and I wanted to go there in late summer, as it was possible to see Polar Bears, Beluga Whales, and the Northern Lights, and the cost to visit was a small fraction of the cost to visit in the high season of October-November. My parents live just south of Manitoba in Minnesota so I asked if they would like to road trip to Churchill and they joined me for the adventure. How to Get to Churchill Manitoba? There are only two ways to get to Churchill because there are no roads to Churchill… by expensive flight, or by much cheaper train ride on Canada’s VIA rail**. The Winnipeg to Churchill train starts in the capital of Winnipeg and takes almost 48 hours of riding but I found a hot tip on the internet that you can do a much shorter trip – about 17 hours, if you take a bus or drive to the city of Thompson, MB in the center of the province and then take the train from Thompson to Churchill. This is the account of my trip from Winnipeg to Churchill and back on the train to Churchill, and why I think drive/train is the best way to get to Churchill.
** For summer 2019 Departures, the cost of a flight to Churchill is $1067 USD, and the cost of the train is $447 CAD, or $335 USD, less than a third of the cost of a flight.
How to get to Churchill Manitoba – The Drive from Winnipeg to Thompson
For many, the drive and train to Churchill starts in the capital city of Winnipeg. The drive from Winnipeg to Thompson is exclusively on Highway 6 and is 762 kilometers (473 miles) and takes approximately 7 hours and 40 minutes. There is a very sparse population between Winnipeg and Thompson. There are many, many trees and a few bodies of water. Since we were driving from southern Minnesota to Thompson, the drive took us two days, so the first night we stopped in a motel in the town of Grand Rapids, MB. The biggest excitement came in the morning when I went to load the luggage in the car and scared a black bear that was rummaging thru the garbage nearby.
Church at sunset in Grand Rapids, MB
There was some beautiful scenery north of Grand Rapids – a few beautiful ponds, interesting statues that people put by the road, and some wildlife (a fox and sandhill cranes).
Manitoba ScenerySandhill Cranes flying parallel to Highway 6
The one must stop destination between Winnipeg and Thompson is the powerful Pisew Falls, the 2nd tallest falls in Manitoba. It’s well worth the stop at the Pisew Falls – the falls are only a few minutes drive + few minutes walk from the main road. This park is also home to the tallest falls in Manitoba – the Kwasitchewan Falls. These falls can only be accessed by a rough 22 km hike from the car park of Pisew Falls, so only attempt this if you have a full day and are fully equipped and prepared.
The Powerful Pisew Falls
Visiting Thompson, Manitoba
The train leaves for Churchill in the afternoon, so you’ll likely have a little bit of time to explore Thompson, Manitoba. Here are some of the top things to do in Manitoba before your train departure:
Visit the Heritage North Museum, full of stuffed animals, and artifacts fro the First Nations and fur trade industry.
Do a short walk to see the multi-story wolf mural on the side of the tallest building in town, this is part of the longer “Spirit Way” walk that takes you to various points of interest in Thompson.
Walk around town and look at all the wolf statues. The wolf is the town symbol.
Insider Tip: Go shopping and pick up snacks or meals for the long train to Churchill and back as well as your time in Churchill (The prices at the Northern Store in Churchill are crazy high, especially on produce, as the cost to transport food to this remote outpost is high). The prices at Walmart are quite good compared to the prices for food and drinks you will pay on the train and in Churchill.
Stay overnight. Unlike the sparse hotel selection in Grand Rapids, MB, Thompson has some pretty good choices. The Best Western is the highest regarded hotel, but others are worthy of a stay. Check Rates and Availability.
Thompson Manitoba Wolf MuralThompson Manitoba Wolf Statues
How to get to Churchill Manitoba –The Train to Churchill
The Train to Churchill
We waited patiently in the Thompson Train Station. The station was full, but mostly because there was a large church group from Winnipeg who had also driven to Thompson rather than taking the 48 hour train.
The overnight trip to Churchill by train was pleasant. There was enough room that my parents could stretch out over 4 chairs facing each other, and I grabbed 4 chairs for myself. We ate snacks purchased at Walmart for dinner and watched the sunset over the many water ways in northern Manitoba. The views were great!
The train making one of a few turns. Overall, the tracks were very straight up to Churchill.Sunset on the train
Late at night, the train stops in some of the First Nations villages that are only accessible by train. Because this is tundra area, there are no roads during the spring to fall as the area is too marshy. The only way they can get from town to town is by boat or by winter ice roads on frozen tundra.
There was a spectacular sunrise over the tundra trees as we got closer to Churchill in the morning, eventually arriving around 9am on schedule. We were lucky – in the past the train has been a day or more late due to buckling train tracks in the heat.
The tundra trees were aglow.
The Churchill To Thompson Train
The trip from Churchill back to Thompson was uneventful. The train was fuller so we couldn’t stretch out as much. We arrived to the Thompson Train Station at noon, and immediately got on the road to Winnipeg.
The Thompson to Winnipeg Drive
We spent the rest of the day driving back to Winnipeg. We had seen a Tim Horton’s at a remote Shell Gas station on the way up and had talked about making a stop for donuts only to discover the Tim Horton’s had been closed for over 6 months. The biggest treat of the drive was the amazing pink sunset. First it dropped over the Manitoba grasslands, then we discovered a gravel road just north of St. Laurent, MB where we could access a beach on Lake Manitoba for one of the most amazing sunsets ever.
Lake Manitoba Sunset
Tips on How to Take the Train to Churchill:
Reserve your train tickets at VIA rail.
If driving to Thompson it’s better to do the full drive from Winnipeg to Thompson in one day. The motel choices between these two cities is limited. However, this would require a night stay in Thompson the night before the train or a very early start from Winnipeg.
Important Note: The train was closed from 2017 to late 2018 due to damage to the tracks. Locals and travelers alike were worried it would never be fixed. However, I am happy to say the rail line was fixed and this route was reopened in December 2018! Let’s hope it says open for a long, long time as it’s a lifeline to the Churchill community
Are you planning on taking the train to Churchill? Read here about my adventures in Churchill and why I think Late Summer is the Best Time to visit Churchill.
This post contains affiliate links. If you found this information useful, consider using the links to support this website which earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you.
While on a zodiac boat to snorkel with beluga whales in Churchill, Manitoba, I was lucky to witness a swimming polar bear in the Hudson Bay.
Almost out.Time to drive off. Let’s shake all this salt water off.That was exhasting.I see YOU!Wouldn’t want to be YOU.Likes: Long Walks on the Beach
Dislikes: Global Warming.Do you think they see me when I hide in these rocks?Take a deep breath… 3…2…1…Up for air.Don’t breathe… going in againYeah… I see YOU!
In August 2015, I was lucky to get a chance to visit Churchill in Summer. The following are my suggested things to do in Churchill Manitoba, and when I suggest is the best time to visit Churchill.
Take the Train to Churchill
Flying to Churchill is expensive, unless you have Air Canada Frequent Flier Miles you can use. Your only other option to get to Churchill is the take the train to Churchill. The train costs less than 1/3 the price of a flight, but requires you have 2 full days to go each way from Winnipeg, or the ability to drive to Thompson and go from there which will greatly reduce your total travel time. Taking the train is an adventure and part of any unique visit to Churchill.
And Now for the Best Things to Do in Churchill:
Things to do in Churchill –Check out the City and Beach, But Watch Out For Bears
The city beach, on the shores of the Hudson Bay, is one of the great things you can do with your free time in Churchill. There are some benches, a Inuksuk (rock man statue), and an old historical boat on display. The views are nice and it’s possible to see Beluga Whales if you visit in late Summer. Even within the city limits, it’s possible for bears to be around and there’s a hotline to call the bear patrol if they get too close to town. The bear patrol with fire warning shots if the bears are too close and will take any problem bears to the “bear jail” near the airport for later release when the Hudson Bay ice freezes.
Signs seen around the outskirt of Churchill
Things to do in Churchill –Visit the Eskimo Museum – Itsanitaq Museum
The local Eskimo Museum is free museum run by local volunteers. There are several stuffed animals (a baby and bull size polar bear) along with 100’s of Eskimo carvings.
Insider Tip:They have the best selection and most reasonably priced souvenir shop in town. Lots of books, magnets, shirts, stuffed polar bears, etc.
Carving of a Narwhal (Whale with a “unicorn” horn)
Things to do in Churchill –St. Paul’s Anglican Church
You can stop inside the St. Paul’s Anglican Church, and see the famous “Lady Franklin Window” stained glass window, which was named after the explorer John Franklin. This window was helicoptered in from York Factory in southern Hudson Bay in 1967.
Lady Franklin Window
Things to do in Churchill – Visit theNational Park Visitor’s Center
Another good stop if you’re in town without any tours planned is the National Park Visitor’s center that is located in the Churchill train depot. This visitor center provides information on the area parks of the Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site, York Factory National Historic Site and Wapusk National Park. There are exhibits on the history and animals of Hudson Bay. They have several videos on hand so you can ask them to play each in their small video room. The park rangers here are local kids that go off to college in the fall, but are working in the summer. They were both very friendly and had good tips on traveling around the area.
Churchill Manitoba Train Station and National Park Visitor Center
Besides the things to do in Churchill listed above, there’s not much else to do in town. There are a few cafes and a few souvenir shops. There’s one big blue Northern store where the locals buy all their goods, from jackets to craft supplies to groceries. It was fun to walk around in here, but the prices were outrageous. Everything has to be shipped in by train. We were glad we stocked up on extra snacks in Thompson.
Things to do in Churchill –Have a Drink and Hang with the Locals at Tundra Inn
You might meet some friendly locals at the bar. It’s also a great meeting place for tourists – everyone is talking about all the cool things they saw or did that day.
Things to do in Churchill –The Northern Lights
We had missed the Aurora Borealis on our first night in Churchill because I fell asleep early so I decide to set my alarm for each hour overnight to make sure we didn’t miss it. Luckily, at my 9pm sky viewing, I could see the glowing sky so we all jumped into the SUV and drove up to Cape Merry, at the point where the river flows into the Bay and we watched the Northern lights for some time while making sure there were no polar bears in the area. What a treat! It was the first time other than on a plane that I’d see the Northern lights. I was amazed as the shapes kept on changing. If you don’t have a rental car or truck, the beach is a great place in Churchill for seeing the northern lights. You might be able to tell that I only did point and shoot photography, next time I see the Aurora, I need to learn how to photograph the Northern Lights.
The Northern Lights as viewed from the Beach in Churchill
Things to do Outside of Churchill
If you have time and money, the other things to do in Churchill are all tours that head out of town to do activities like polar bear or beluga viewing, or dog sledding. All tours provide transportation from an office in town or your hotel. An alternative to some tours is renting a Truck or SUV and doing your own exploring.
Beluga Snorkeling Trip
In Churchill, it’s possible to snorkel with Beluga Whales with Sea North tours. I love snorkeling with weird stuff and was hopeful for this tour, having seen some great pictures online of snorkeling with beluga whales. We started out by squeezing into full body wetsuits. I’m a big girl, and was given the largest women’s size. I weighed about 40 pounds more than the advised weight limit. This may not have been the best choice… we’ll get to that later.
We headed down to the port and boarded a zodiac. One guide & 5 passengers. Our guide got a message on the radio and started motoring out the river and into Hudson Bay. There we watched a Polar Bear come in from swimming…one of the greatest wildlife encounters I’ve ever seen.
After the bear got back in the water for another swim, we went off to go snorkeling. We had strict rules to hold onto a loop on two ropes that trailed from the zodiac.
I got in the water and it was cold. It was also murky and impossible to see any of the 100’s of Belugas that were feeding around us. On a good day, the water is clearer and the belugas are playful. I decided to switch loops with a woman who was lucky enough to see one of the belugas underwater but I lost hold of the rope and the swift current of the Churchill river was pushing me out to the Hudson Bay. It was scary! The boat kept on trying to pick me up but he was going thru a small rapid section. Eventually I was pulled into the boat – I had lost my strength to climb up the rope ladder myself and I could only lay on the floor of the zodiac. They unzipped the chest piece of the my wet suit and I couldn’t barely breathe. It was frustrating to see so many whales circling the boat. The other passengers stayed in the water a bit longer but no one saw anything other than a single beluga swim by closely but very quickly. I kept on trying to get a breath – the mini panic attack and tightness of the suit was still limiting my breathing. We got back to the port and walking up the small boat landing was making me breath like I had just ran up a 200+ foot high hill. I took of the suit and drank as much hot tea as I could, before we drove back to town. The bear was cool but the snorkeling was so disappointing.
Things to do Outside of Churchill –Kayak with Belugas
Sea North Tours also offers a kayaking with beluga whales trip. It was kind of cool to kayak with whales so close by. It was nerve-wrecking as they swam so close. We needed to stay with the pack of other kayaks as the current of the Churchill river was very swift. I didn’t really enjoy this excursion either. It was lucky I had a trip planned on the bigger boat later that day…
Things to do Outside of Churchill –Prince of Wales Fort and Beluga Tour
Our main activity in the afternoon was a tour to the Prince of Wales Fort, again with Sea North Tours. If you are only going to do one tour, this one is highly recommended. This ride was on a large medal boat as opposed to their tours in the Zodiacs. This boat is much recommended for those who might have mobility issues and is more difficult to get in and out of the Zodiacs. The fort was built by the Hudson Bay Company in the 1700’s and was eventually overtaken by the French. The excellent national park ranger told us stories about the harsh Churchill winters at the fort.
After the fort tour, we got back on the boat and took a detour to see the cutest mother & baby polar bear.
Is this the cutest thing ever?
Next we rode out to the middle of the Churchill river. Eventually we found ourselves in the middle of many beluga whales. They put a sonic detector in the river and we heard all the sounds of the whales – from low grunts to squeaks, it sounding much like farting ?.
Beluga Whales in the Churchill River, Churchill Port (Grain Elevators) in the Background
Things to do Outside of Churchill –Polar Bear Tour – aka Tundra Buggy Tour
The next day was our summer Polar Bear Tour on the Tundra Buggy. Even though at booking we were warned that wildlife wasn’t guaranteed, we thought this would be our best chance to see polar bears in the wild and were excited to schedule the 6 hour tour. We rode a bus to the end of the nature reserve and then boarded the huge tundra buggy. This big vehicle had school bus seats on each side with a big aisle down the middle. My parents and I grabbed the front two rows on the passenger side. The huge wheels let us drive into the tundra area and we drove for over 4 hours. Unfortunately, the most exciting things we saw were a few sandhill cranes and snow geese. We didn’t see a single mammal – bears, foxes, or even arctic hares.
That being said, we talked to some people that did this tour a couple days after us and they had an extraordinary tour – a polar bear walked all around the Tundra Buggy and seemed to pose for the passengers that day.
I’m 5’10’ and just barely taller than the wheel.
Things to do Outside of Churchill – Rent a Truck or SUV and Have Your Own Adventure
Tamarack Rentals is only truck rental place in town. For $150+ a day, you can rent a truck, SUV, or van. If you’re traveling with several people, or pick up people in town that are interested in riding along, this can be the most economical way to see Polar Bears. They gave me a map of all the roads in the area that we were and were not allowed to drive on, there’s not more than 50 miles worth of roads in the area. The following are things we were able to see and visit with our rental SUV. There can be polar bears anywhere among these sights, so please be careful.
Polar Bear Viewing
Don’t get me wrong – there are not abundant polar bears in the Churchill area, but there are some. You are not guaranteed to see a polar bear if you rent a vehicle. I met one couple that rented a truck and didn’t see a single Polar Bear in two days, so it’s a lot about luck and patience. With luck and patience, we saw 4 polar bears in 2 days. You will most likely see them along the coastal road that connects Churchill to the Northern Studies Center. Enter the various driveways, and two of the bears were seen there. Here are the exact places we saw bears in Churchill: (1) at the beach to the east of the MV Ithica shipwreck (2) taunting the sled dogs at a dog sled farm (3) two bears were along Thompson Road between the airport and town.
A Cautionary tale of searching for bears… As we were driving around in the SUV, no polar bears had been seen all morning, nor on the tundra buggy two days before so we was beginning to think there were no bears around. We got up to a beach overlook of the MV Ithaca shipwreck and I got out of the SUV to walk to the ledge above the beach only to spy a HUGE male polar bear just walking along and minding his own business. It was clear he saw us, and since polar bears can run at 30 mph in just a few seconds, he easily could have had a human lunch that day but we were glad we could stand up the hill and take his photo as he walked along.
Eventually he disappeared behind a big bluff and we drove further to see him come out the other side in an area of long grass. Eventually he disappeared into some brush. It’s easy to see why you can’t just go walking around even though you don’t see a bear. Bears could be hiding in the tall grass or bushes.
The Polar Bear that was sniffing us out
Other Wildlife Viewing
If you’re into larger birds, there is some good bird watching along the same routes where you might find bears. Common birds you might see in the summer are Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes, and Bald Eagles.
Snow goose
“Miss Piggy” plane wreck
The “Miss Piggy” airplane was a Lamb Air cargo airplane that crashed just before touchdown at Churchill Airport in 1979. There were no fatalities. At the “Miss Piggy” plane wreck, you can still climb on the wreckage.
Miss Piggy
Enjoy the Scenery
There are get views of rocks, trees, and the Hudson Bay that can be visited if you have a rental vehicle. We stopped at a very beautiful beach on the bay, being very careful to not have a run in with bears.
Beautiful beach…still watching carefully for bears.
MV Ithaca shipwreck
The MV Ithaca (Ithaka) was carrying nickel when it was caught in a storm and grounded in 1960. You can go on a hiking tour with armed guide, but you can also see the ship from the road (just don’t walk to it as there might be bears around.
MV Ithaka
Churchill Northern Studies Centre
You can visit the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, a laboratory in the tundra. We were hoping to get lunch here but they told us we should have called ahead if we wanted lunch. They were gracious enough to give us a tour of the laboratory facilities for a $5 donation each. Different groups come here to do research if they need arctic conditions. The dorms and facilities were really nice. I wouldn’t mind volunteering here sometime.
On the Balcony of the Churchill Northern Studies Centre
Canadian Rocket Program
Just behind the Centre is the Canadian Rocket launching pad. Who knew Canada had a Space Program? I didn’t either. You could walk around the launch pad and hangars around here which was also fascinating.
Rocket launcher
Best Time to Visit Churchill Manitoba
I highly recommend a visit in late summer (July-August) as this is the only time of the year you can see all of the main three reasons to visit Churchill – Belugas, and Borealis, and Bears, Oh My! It’s also much more economical. For example, a Tundra Buggy in July or August costs $219 CAD, but in October or November costs $499 CAD. Hotels are also much cheaper if you visit Churchill in the Summer.
Where To Say in Churchill
There are several motels to stay around Churchill. Most are locally owned, with no national or international chains. Prices vary widely, from $75 USD and up in Summer to $120 and up in the high season of October and November. It’s wise to book in advance, especially in high season. It’s also possible to arrange pick-up at the airport or train station if you book in advance. Check the Price and Availability of Churchill motels here.
Where to Eat In Churchill
We ate several times at the bar/restaurant at the Tundra Inn. I especially liked their Elk burger and chicken wings. The beers are reasonably priced and there’s entertainment on some evenings. If you’re looking for groceries (many motels have a microwave and refrigerator), you can shop at the Northern store in the center of town.
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