Sundas in the Park with Bear

Nanuk Polar Bear lodge is very comfortable, featuring excellent cuisine and appropriately themed refreshments…

The big attraction is, of course, the bears.  Several black bears stalk around the lodge itself.

But polar bears are what we came for.  We searched for them on foot, slogging through sticky mud….

and on “rhinos”, conveyances specially constructed for the boggy tundra-like terrain…  although they got stuck in the mud more than once, much to Henry’s delight.

Hayden found some moose teeth!

More of Mother Nature’s beautiful wild flowers….  such stand-outs in what most consider a bleak landscape!  Compensation for the white sameness of winter…..

And yes, some extraordinary polar bear moments…… this handsome young fellow was a little too interested and had to be – well – discouraged….

 

Another day, after several hours of fruitless searching, we came upon a point between the bay and a stream with an amazing number of polar bears.  Trust me – from our vantage point in this photo, we can see no fewer than 16 bears.  Some on the shore, some on the land, some in the water.  It was a sighting that rivaled the best that our guides had ever seen.  Hard to convey just how exciting the moment was.  You’ll just have to come visit yourself!

Grand things come to an end, and we had to return to Churchill through rain, clouds and delays caused by the same…..

and from there back to Winnipeg.  

With a full day left before the end of our adventure, we decided to check out some more wildlife at the zoo, including a very cool polar bear area, a pelican feeding and butterfly sanctuary…

Holly arranged a limousine for this outing….. a nice touch before our parting….. Holly, Clay and company back to sweltering Texas, and Henry and I back to Whitehorse in Yukon Territory where the truck and trailer are patiently waiting.

A beauty shot from the plane over the Rockies….

And for us, back to Whitehorse for a few days.  Henry picked up a bug and was bedridden for a day to regain strength before hitting the open road again.

He’ll be back in no time.  We stayed in the same hotel we were in before our dog-sledding trip in February 2015.  The view this summer is much less romantic than it was during that cold crisp winter…..  

We’re pleased with the Manitoba experience with family…. hope they are too.  From here, we have no particular agenda.  Will probably meander east through Yukon and BC and then into Northwest Territory.  No need to get back to Texas until it cools off a bit!

PS – This means little to anyone but me, but this is my 100th post on this blog!  So many memories, lots of photos, and a few miles covered.  Some faithful followers…. thanks to you all!