Dunnottar, Gimli and Hecla-Grindstone, Manitoba
Sunny days and weekends make better days for traveling. This weekend brought us to a lakeside village named after a Scottish castle (Dunnottar), a town named after a place in Nordic mythology (Gimli), and an island named after a volcano in Iceland (Hecla).Dunnottar, Manitoba is a happy place for water babies with beaches of Ponemah, Matlock, and Whytewold. I have always been fascinated by piers and these iconic ones are abundant here, all stretching out to the endless sea with seaside hammocks and comfortable benches. They also have the popular Whytewold Emporium with their greenhouse, antique, wood-fired pizza, and also a place for dogs to eat up and rest too. Locals are pretty friendly too! Just be mindful of parking as most of the areas are private properties. It never hurts to ask permission.
Gimli, Manitoba is called the New Iceland because of the largest population of Icelandic descendants outside of Iceland living here. Gimli beach, harbour, pier, seawall gallery, art studio, wharf and local restaurants are summer favorites here. Summer also is the busiest season so parking would be almost full but they have plenty of space, you just need to find one or be early to get the perfect spot. There are still minimal covid restrictions but all in, you'll have a great time.
Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park. This is an island connected to the mainland by a causeway. Hecla is named after a famous volcano in Iceland. Icelandic immigrants started the self-sufficient fishing community in the old days. Hecla is an island teeming with different wildlife. You can also visit the Hecla Village Trail which is a self guided tour to the historic houses and monuments of the old times. If the interpretative school is open, check out their old classroom and the taxidermist-preserved stuffed animals of all kinds.
A few minutes away is the Gull Harbour Marina which has a pretty nice viewing deck at the top of the lighthouse overlooking the marina bay. They have the Lighthouse Inn and a waterfront patio resto.
Lakeview Hecla Resort has the amazing Seagulls Restaurant which has yummy food that are locally sourced and support local fishing industry. We had bacon and cheese burger, double smoked farmer's sausage and chicken cordon bleu burger with poutine and tomato soup and it's all good.
Also, the trail to the famous lighthouse and lagoon start here and the beach is also a few minutes of walk from here.
Long walks (had more than 11,000 steps today), a little climbing, a few hikes, great food, and some really nice chats with the locals made this adventure another one for the books.
Sidetrip: On our way back home, dropped by at the Integrity Foods, which is an artisan bakery using natural leavened bread in a wood-fired oven. But wait there's more! They mill their grain on site, and they chop their own wood to fire their oven. Lucky us, it was pizza night when we visited them. Pizza Night is Fridays and Saturdays.The place has live music, good vibes, pretty gardens, cutest table setup, outdoor play area, wood-fired pizza, a mini zoo, and an alpaca -- the cutest alpaca in town! Cool huh! This is just off Highway 8 at Riverton, Manitoba. Look for the tall silo to the right.
GPS coordinates:
N 51° 04.975’
W 096° 58.987’
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