Minnesnowda

Mid-America has never been on my To-Travel list, however a cheap bus ride plus the opportunity to meet a good old friend made me re-consider. Whenever I thought of Minnesota, images of ...  basically nothing popped in my head. From what I was told by my friend KP, a native of Minneapolis, it didn't seem too different from central Canada.

horse sculpture created by Kristen Piersa

Who knew a MegaBus ride from Chicago to Minneapolis would only cost $1.50!? Well, that was the first sign that I was destined to visit the home of the Vikings. The 8 hour bus ride felt nothing longer than about 3 hours due to the free wife and power outlets provided. This was definitely a HUGE difference to my previous experiences of travelling by bus in Asia . 

hanging out in Minnetonka

 My friend KP was my generous host. As a local artist she knew where to take me to get the real perspective on this state. I learned that Minnesota is where all the hippie artists went and as a result, it's a living alternative art community. I had the opportunity to experience Minnetonka, which is rural Minnesota, an area filled with rich acres of horse ranches, barns, lakes, artists (new and old) and sculptures.

The landscape was beautiful even on a chilly November day and made for a great day of photo snapping.




Minneapolis is also home to the Walker Art Center, considered to be one of the top 10 galleries of the nation. It's free on Thursdays after 6pm and you definitely need to have an open mind about art when walking in. The gallery is filled entirely of installations which are meant to evoke your emotions and abstract art. It was a unique experience to say the least!

the sculpture park                                                                                                                             The Walker

Across from the Walker is the Minneapolis sculpture garden which is 11 acres of local art, including a greenhouse. It's fun to roam around, and an ideal spot for photo snapping. Plus it's free and outdoors. Aside from all the art that there is to explore, the happy hours at the local pubs are pretty great. I finally had a chance to try fried pickles and fried zucchini, apparently typical pub grub in America. The bars here also serve more local beers which is refreshing. My favourite was Summit which has different brews for different seasons. 

Downtown Minneapolis

Minneapolis is divided into uptown and downtown. There are pockets of ghettos in this city and the largest migrated population of Somalis are located here (fun fact!). It was a lot more multicultural than I had anticipated for a mid-west city.

Being here I also realize that Minnesota folks aren't much different from their neighbours in the north. Besides, the state is directly north of Manitoba, and the accent and culture is very different from what I have so far experience in America.



KP insisted that I could not leave Minneapolis without trying a Juicy Lucy at Matt's Bar, a typical American bar located in a small neighbourhood. Really, I felt like I was in a movie!
Well, one bite and I knew why everything was bigger in America! Beef patties with melted cheese inside the patties... YUM!





Minnesota exceeded all of my misconceptions of this state. It felt like home due to the cold yet still foreign (maybe it was the accent and the Mexicans! btw, how do they handle this cold?!).
Unfortunately the most popular tourist attraction in this state is the Mall of America, the largest mall in the country with 500 stores. And yes, I checked that place out too.. more than once.

my host KP and her inspirations

Canada's Capital

This was first time I had the opportunity to explore Canada's capital at my leisure, with the company of my two cousins. Ottawa was surprisingly more entertaining than I had expected, but summers in Canadian cities are usually the best time to explore due to the wonderful weather and the numerous outdoor events that take place.

After the 5 hour drive from Toronto, we wandered the downtown streets in search of interesting sites. The Fairmont Chateau Laurier sits smack in the middle of the Rideau Canal, creating quite the landscape. Ottawa is easy to travel around on foot and the city is easy to navigate.
It's picturesque with the St. Lawrence River in the distance, making it feel like real capital city. I don't remember Ottawa being so pretty, but that's because the last time I visited was in the winter.

The patios open up in the summer causing quite a buzz by night. We didn't have the chance to check out any nightlife due to hanging out with a minor, but the city did seem alive by midnight.

We went to the family friendly event that took place nightly at Parliament Hill; a light and sound show that highlighted the notable events of Canadian history. It lasted about 20 minutes but felt much longer due to the declining temperature. It would have been wise to bring a blanket.

nutella banana beaver tail 

 Our final day was spent wandering the historic Byward Market, filled with souvenirs, produce and everything in between. We couldn't leave Ottawa without trying Beaver Tails, which I'm ashamed to admit being Canadian and all. However they were what I dreamed of and more! It was overwhelming standing at the counter, not knowing which concoction of tail to first try. But I later realized you can't be disappointed, no matter what you choose.

hanging out at Byward Market

chillin with guards

Canada's Oldest Provincial Park

Four girls in a tent in Ontario's biggest national park for two nights?
Yes, it really happened!

The 5 hour drive north to Algonquin Provincial Park was scenic and winding. We were blessed with sunny skies and a warm breeze that made the drive much more pleasurable. Once inside the park it was another 40 kilometre drive to our camping spot at Rock Lake. Reservations are required to camp at the park and luckily Ontario Parks has a pretty organized online system where you can choose your spot via an interactive map. However you do need to know which location within the park you want to camp at beforehand. Within Algonquin Park there are eight campgrounds located just on highway 60. Rock Lake was chosen randomly based on what was available. There are a few more campgrounds further north and the option of backcountry camping as well for those who truly love the outdoors.

Algonquin Park is the most popular spot to camp in all of Canada due to its history and its rich biodiversity.
Canada's most popular artists, The Group of Seven, used Algonquin Park as their muse in the early 1900's making the landscapes popular all over Canada. The park has also been named a National Historic Site of Canada and once at the park, there are a few museums you can visit to get more of an understanding as to why it's so popular and how its well preserved.

The park also has 14 trails on which you can spot wild animals such as a moose, deer, and birds. One of the most popular activities at the park is canoeing since there are numerous lakes that are part of the park. Renting a canoe is easy to do since most companies will also deliver to your campsite but also expensive. It is cheaper to bring your own or rent one at the store on your way to your campsite.





Rock Lake has a small stretch of a sandy beach and the water was lukewarm in early August. The water is simply beautiful, reflecting like glass as the sun beams down on it.
The campsites were all filled up making it quite busy. There were more RVs than tents as well.


Camping for me is about relaxing with nothing else to do. Once the tents were up, it was all about hanging out by the beach by day and making smores over the fire by night. Although we had plans of trekking and canoeing, we all succumbed to doing nothing at all (and playing poker).

As a bunch of girls camping on our own we faced a huge challenge - how do we get our fire to start?
We were lucky to have experienced campers nearby that helped us start our fire. It really is harder than it looks! Firewood can only be purchased at the campsite office and kindling wood is highly recommended.

Our second challenge was unintentional - our campsite was also the home to a beehive. After numerous attempts of trying to kill all the bees that began to nest in one of our tents, we did have to call the park warden for help. The only solution to getting rid of bees is to smoke them out. Sure enough once the campfire started they began to diminish. However it was a serious buzzkill (pun intended!) especially since one of my friends did get stung by a bee. But I suppose those are the challenges of an outdoor vacation.
You also need to be prepared for the outdoors since the weather can get quite chilly at night even if it is a warm day. It's a drive away to civilization (such as stores) so we were glad we did all of our last minute shopping before hitting up the site.
The park office does sell ice along with firewood. Most of the campsites also have showers and (clean) toilets.




Most people choose to camp closer to home since five hours of driving can be a lot to just get away from the city. In my opinion it's well worth the drive up north because Algonquin park is like no other! It is the epitome of Canadian beauty being completely serene.
The campsites are not as isolated as you would think when you envision the biggest national park in Ontario, but it is clean, adventurous and Ontario at its best.