Journeying Geographer: Day 7: In Search of Topography

Actually, topography was all around us today -- mostly flat, as far as the eye could see. The exceptions were noteworthy. Continuing our quest to explore the geography of this vast continent, we ventured east on Saskatchewan highway 13 toward Manitoba. This was a true superhighway (unlike the pothole-dotted "highways" we drove yesterday). Out of Weyburn we almost immediately encountered oil rigs, each steadily pumping up and down, up and down, like giant mechanical robins searching for worms in the prairie grasses. We passed dozens of them.

The small town of Souris, Manitoba yielded some pleasant surprises. A quick pit stop at the local park/campground/RV park (Victoria Park) turned into an extended photo op and walking tour of the core of the community. The picturesque downtown is perched on a bluff about 100 feet above the Souris River, which ran high and muddy due to very recent torrential rains in the area. We also discovered that the town is home to the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Canada (604 feet long). This bridge was just completed in 2013, replacing earlier bridges that were destroyed by floods. Interestingly, a much shorter and smaller bridge was closed today due to the recent flooding.

We proceeded on, passing miles of aspen forest. We must have seen literally a million trembling aspen (white poplar) trees! Other deciduous trees included oak, maple, and poplar. In late afternoon, we turned south, back toward the U.S. Upon reaching the border, just past Turtle Mountain Provincial Park, we took time to explore the International Peace Garden. The garden actually spans both sides of the border, so people have to pass through either U.S. or Canadian customs upon leaving the park. The flowers themselves were on par with those of the Butchart Gardens near Victoria, B.C., but the overall layout, design, and building architecture surpassed it.

Exiting the garden, we passed through customs, which took all of five minutes. Back in the U.S., we dropped several hundred feet in elevation as we headed from Canada's "deep south" (many signs referred to southern SK that way) to America's "Northern Plains" in North Dakota. It's all a matter of perspective! Our day's journey ended in Rugby, North Dakota, the "Geographic Center of North America."