A Winnipeg Win at The Forks

I’m a mom. I multi-task. I can’t help but race from one thing to another, to another, and pack as much into a day as humanly possible. So spending a day at The Forks in Winnipeg, well, that was just a perfect fit!

I wanted to plan a special day for my son’s 13th birthday, and show him a great, stress free time. I didn’t want to be driving all over the city, so for our day together I checked us into the Inn At The Forks and planned to spend the evening at the Goldeyes game. 

Right away we put on our sneakers and took a lap of The Forks Market, checking out some of the vendors. It was hard for me to pass up the fudge, but I resisted. I knew I’d be eating perogies and cabbage rolls at the ballpark. (Yup, fabulous Ukrainian food at the ball game!) Could not spoil my appetite. 

It was nearing game time, so we walked across the parking lot, past the skate park (so cool! Did you know Tony Hawk even skated at this park and gave it the thumbs up?) and past the Canadian Human Rights Museum, and over to Shaw Park. Shaw Park is a fabulous facility. There isn’t a much better way to spend a summer night in the city. 

View from the third baseline. At Shaw Park, home of the Goldeyes.

The Goldeyes put on a great show! (And won that night too!) For $15 a ticket we had seats a few rows up on the third baseline. Between innings they had great on-field games and lots of giveaways. My son bought a ball at the gift shop and I was definitely tempted to grab a jersey. 

Then, for a single loonie, Riley had three pitches in front of a radar gun on the concourse. Who knew he could throw a ball 49mph? We both thought that was pretty cool. I would have tried it too, but I have this old elbow injury..... haha. 

After the game we went and had snacks down by the waterfront. Very few mosquitos and the campfire smell from Crab Shack’s fire pits, almost made you feel like you were camping. We felt very safe at The Forks even well after dark. 

At dawn the next day, we stumbled our sleepy walk over to the Johnson Terminal for a coconut latte from Espresso Junction. They’ve been making my favourite Winnipeg cup of coffee for over 20 years now! After grabbing a breakfast special from Danny’s and eating it on the benches down by the river, we decided to use the guest bikes from the hotel and take a bigger tour of the area. I left my camera back at the hotel so I could focus on keeping up with my teenager. We had a blast. There was way more to the river trails than I’d ever walked. The free loaner bikes (and helmets) were definitely a highlight. This was my favourite hotel perk of the year. 

Before I knew it, our time was up. It was time to check out and head back to work. But before I did, I rebooked for another family weekend. It was simply too good, to not do again! 

Danny's at The Forks, my fav breakfast spot.

So many great vantage points at The Forks. Pull up a chair and sit a spell!