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Published: July 24th 2010
Saskatchewan Border Crossing
This was in the middle of nowhere. We were delayed for about an hour while the customs officer searched our RV. This was by far the most thorough border search we've ever been subjected to. They seemed to be mainly interested in firearms, booze, and tobacco.Neither of us had ever been to Saskatchewan. We had several days off and it was only about 60 miles away, so why not. We decided we would go up to Regina, the provincial capital and the second largest city in the province (after Saskatoon), and on the way we would visit Moose Jaw.
We intended to just drive through Moose Jaw and continue on to Regina, but Moose Jaw turned out to be an interesting-looking little resort town, so we decided to spend the night and check it out. We found a nice campsite in a city park just across the river from town and settled in.
The town has a very colorful history as a wide-open center for bootleggers, gangsters, crooked cops, and speakeasies, and during the prohibition era was a major hub for exporting illegal booze to the US. The major conduit was the Soo Line railroad link with Chicago, which Al Capone is reputed to have used for quick trips to Moose Jaw when things got too hot for him in Chicago. Fittingly, the historic railroad station, which was once the center of bootleg activity, has been beautifully restored and converted into a liquor store,
Canola Fields
We saw lots and lots of farmland. said to be the most beautiful place to buy booze in all of Canada.
There is a complex system of tunnels under the town, which were used to hide the operations of the bootleggers, and was where Chinese immigrants lived and worked in squalid conditions before prohibition. Today the tunnels are a major tourist attraction, and we took an interesting tour, which had a heavy emphasis on the Al Capone connection.
We left Moose Jaw and headed for Regina. The city is quite modern and the downtown area, particularly around the provincial capital complex, is very clean and beautifully landscaped. Regina is also the home of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police national training academy and museum. We spent several hours at the museum looking at many of the interesting exhibits relating to the long and colorful history of the "Mounties". After a quick tour of the downtown area, it was time to hit the road back to North Dakota.
As we headed south out of town, we were struck by the abrupt change from city to farm land. There seemed to be no transitional suburban area -- we were just in the city and a block
Jan and Mac the Moose
Who else would you expect to be greeted by in Moose Jaw? or so later we were in the country. Saskatchewan is predominately rural, and the towns and cities just seem to spring up in the middle of nowhere, looking like islands in a sea of farmland. We really liked the people, and the area is interesting, but things just seem a little different up here. We are glad we came.
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mary miller
non-member comment
GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Hi Jan, I didn't know you were headed for Canada this summer. I don't even know where Saskatchewan is!! We are sweltering in Hendersonville. We got here May 17 and enjoyed one month with great weather, all windows open in the house. That ended abruptly mid-June and it has been very warm to hot since them. Usually we get a break into the 60's in the morning and evening. This morning at 6 am it was 75 -- just like Florida!! When are you headed south? Would love to have you stop by, but I am afraid you would not be able to get your large motor home into our driveway on the mountain. Maybe there are campsites I am not aware of nearby. Thanks for keeping me on your blog list! Will follow your travels. Mary