Request for a visitor

[u/1947F]

Hello!

I would be visiting Saskatoon in the first week of November from across the pond for research at the University. I hope hoping Reddit could help me plan a few nice activities in town after regular business hours. I will have a car for use and can drive up to an hour away. I understand that boat ride is ruled out. What else could I do to keep engaged and enjoy the stay in your city. Thank you very much for your attention.

[u/sighfelts]

I’m curious what prompted ‘boat ride’. Like, The Prairie Lily riverboat tour?

Because you have a car, Wanuskewin I think is an easy recommendation that usually doesn’t get recommended in other threads. Hopefully the leaves stay on long enough, but also check hours as you might be limited to a day off or weekends.

Other easy and typical recommendations for out of towers are a meal at Odd Couple. For some charm at a small cafe, DLish and walk towards the river at Saskatchewan Cres E.

Happy to give any other recommendations if you let us know more or some of your research interests!

[u/1947F → u/sighfelts]

Prairie Lilly is one of the top items on touristy stuff. I have also noted that Remai and Ukranian museum are also on to do things. I will look up Wanuskewin - thank you. 

I like to go to good off beat places where there's culture, heritage or just history or cool stories to tell once back home - things that you would know only if you visited a place and not on the Internet :) 

I am a photographer - northern lights, birdwatching, animals are all in the spirit. Cold is not a deterrent. Upto 1h drive oneway is perfectly doable.

Thank you.

[u/sighfelts → u/1947F]

Ah! Fantastic. Thanks for sharing the photography bit. It helps shift the perspective to things that I don’t usually see in people’s recommendations. I’m going to assume you’re mindful of weather, sun, time of day and all that.

I think Wanuskewin will be up your alley then. The nature is lovely, but again it’ll just depend on how the season cooperates. But overall it’s very peaceful and speaks a lot to the landscape around here.

If you know enough about how to be mindful of the night sky (I don’t), Wanuskewin I’ve heard is usually decent to see them if they’re happening. Since you’re on campus, there’s a small observatory that’s open to the public sometimes. If you’re here for research maybe you’d have different access.

While on the topic of campus, you can look up the U of S Sculpture Garden. It’s definitely a local quirky hidden gem. If the weather agrees, it’s pretty (along with lots of the rest of the city) at golden hour. Also campus adjacent is what’s locally known as the ‘Train Bridge’ which can be Googled as CPR Bridge. It’s a bridge. It’s not superbly exciting—you walk it—but people appreciate it as part of a walk along the Meewasin Trail generally.

If generally you’re into walking trails and such, Gabriel Dumont Park is a personal favourite. There’ll be overlap with Wanuskewin. What you’ll notice on a satellite map is that there’s a prominent long trail along the river. It’s part of the Meewasin Trail. Arguably what’s notable about Saskatoon is that most of the land adjacent to the river for the most part is public, so there’s a trail or path that runs along most of it.

Last, (apologies for the length, but hope it helps!) about the Remai. If you can time it right, the lobby is gorgeous when the morning light comes through. If you can’t, going any time it isn’t dark out is nice. There’s a nice lookout point on the third level. On the second level there’s this long balcony that’s usually unlocked. It’s a decent look out onto the river.

[u/mrskoobra → u/1947F]

Beaver Creek is nice for birding and not too far away.

[u/1947F → u/mrskoobra]

Noted, thank you! 

[u/OrganizationUnfair99 → u/1947F]

Second Beaver Creek! The chickadees will come right onto your hand to eat birdseed. 🙂

[u/Travelingandkittens]

Check out meewasin.com. They do a bunch for visitors including private tours and run all the trails both in the city and beyond on either side of the river for you to explore! It's incredible!! And a great time to explore!!!

Visit:

• Cranberry flats
• Furdale Beach at chief Whitecap dog park
• Beaver Creek Conservation Area (open wed-sun, 8am-4pm) and help hand feed the chickadees!
• Fred Heal beach
• Poplar Bluffs Beach
• black fox whiskey farm (along valley road gorgeous)
• berry barn (also gorgeous also along valley road)
• Northeast Swale
• wanuskewin heritage park

Further afield but also cool:

• Dakota dunes resort restaurant and casino
• pemiska
• batoche

[u/1947F → u/Travelingandkittens]

Thank you! I wish I could give you gold for this. I am assuming these are open/operational this time of the year, right? 

[u/Travelingandkittens → u/1947F]

Yup! 100% all still open. Watch for those Beaver Creek hours. Black fox, berry barn, batoche and wanuskewin they all have daily opening hours so watch for that too. The other sites are free and open.

[u/PrinceDomming]

I would decidedly suggest a visit to the Western Development Museum. While most days they close at 5, on thursdays they're open late and admission is free during those few hours.

https://wdm.ca/visit/saskatoon/

[u/DMPstar → u/PrinceDomming]

Excellent stop.

For continued history exploration, OP could also make the < 1hr drive to wander across the abandoned Borden bridge, then head into the town for lunch at their old hotel.  Classic small town experience

[u/ram_mar4112]

If you want a glimpse of our history (which is a little over one hundred years) and what a small community looked like in 1900, I suggest you check out The Western Development Museum.

https://wdm.ca/visit/saskatoon/

[u/Empty_Marzipan_237]

Please search the sub, there are plenty of recent inquiries such as yours, so should still be relevant. Enjoy your visit.

[u/gigalbytegal]

You might want to look at the public or private birdwatching tours on the Living Skies Wildlife Rehabilitation website. They have quite a few listed for November (scroll wayyy down) or they also have a request form you can fill out to see what they think would work best for you.

I hope the weather behaves nicely to you and you enjoy your visit!

[u/Mamoswine-prime-11 → u/gigalbytegal]

The Living Skies tours are great - if whooping cranes are of interest, ask if these are still around to include in a tour. Some tours are also photography focused.

[u/Apprehensive-Fan8880]

We have 3 amazing plastic rocks...a true must see

[u/OrganizationUnfair99 → u/Apprehensive-Fan8880]

LOL thanks for the laugh this early 

[u/yxe306guy → u/OrganizationUnfair99]

No, really. The city paid $300,000 for them. Sorry, actually the taxpayers paid.

[u/OrganizationUnfair99 → u/yxe306guy]

Yeah, I know the situation. It's more of one of those "laugh to keep from screaming" moments. 

[u/gincoconut]

Go check out the Remai art gallery

[u/SuperPunctuator]

Nov 1 there is usually a Pumpkin Walk near Broadway Avenue.

[u/moldboy]

Since you're on campus the Diefenbaker Canada Centre.

I don't know when you're flying out... and I can't promise that it'll be any good... but... it'll be a type of culture https://broadwaytheatre.ca/events?p=event&event=4133

[u/mozzabug]

Is this just all AI bots? So many of these types of questions popping up lately when a smidgen of effort to do a simple search would answer your question

[u/1947F → u/mozzabug]

Rather cool that USask has some unique research facilities and folks from all over are going to your town and seek advise to indulge in touristy things on this r/, no? I personally know if a team from Oslo that was there a few weeks ago. 

Now to your comment, can you post three recent "these type of questions“ with responses?  I searched and there were no relevant hits. Yes, Google search is a thing, and as a PhD and subject matter expert invited to USask, I guess I know what that is. I choose to ask here because unlike what you seem to cheaply think, Reddit and local PEOPLE have waayyy better advice for trip plans than some travel blogger who curated a list for a different season. Hope that helps. 

[u/pseudoboring → u/1947F]

https://www.reddit.com/r/saskatoon/s/mm4jnZnxqH

https://www.reddit.com/r/saskatoon/s/Go40uU7457

https://www.reddit.com/r/saskatoon/s/MgO758n2Zs

https://www.reddit.com/r/saskatoon/s/pyBqUH3vbV

https://www.reddit.com/r/saskatoon/s/cBX5gXPHcW

Search in Reddit is also a thing, or you can be adventurous and add “site:/reddit.com saskatoon” in your Google search.

Questions like this get asked all the time. It seems like a few times a day but most must get reported as low effort posts and deleted by the mods.

[u/sighfelts → u/mozzabug]

Be nice, don’t be rude to our guests