Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site

We ate breakfast this morning, organized camp a bit, and then headed out to explore Lower Fort Garry. Lower Fort Garry is another Parks Canada National Historic Site, like the Forks. Being the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, all Parks Canada sites are free, so we didn't have to pay an entrance fee. Thanks Canada! We checked out the interior of the visitor center there for a bit

and then headed outside to check out the fort

which was a Hudson's Bay Company property.

Outside the walls of the fort were a garden and the garden manager's home,

a native encampment,

blacksmith shop,

and the Red Chairs!

We went inside the fort and checked out some of the buildings within its walls. Unfortunately, the big house was closed for repairs,

but we did get to sit on the lawn to watch some of the fort's inhabitants read their mail.

There were warehouses,

and sleeping quarters. We learned that the fort had been operated as a Motor Country Club for a period of time

and a jail as well!

When left the fort and had lunch in the shade near the parking lot. Then we headed to another nearby National Historic Site, St Andrews Rectory.

The church there is one of the oldest in Manitoba

and the rectory has some exhibits inside

and Red Chairs out on the porch.

On the way back to our campsite at Bird's Hill Provincial Park we noticed Skinner's, a hot dog place with ice cream and so we stopped to get a cool treat.

The most interesting part of Skinner's is the old abandoned water park behind the restaurant!

Noelle and I both thought it would be really cool to do some snooping around the grounds, but it was fenced off and off limits. Instead of exploring the abandoned water park, we headed to the St Andrews dam at Lockport.

Just below the dam, hundreds of pelicans congregated and fished in the turbulent waters.

It was mesmerizing to watch them and you can get really close!