(Don't Go To) Winnipeg, Manitoba

Day 15 had us get our first oil change, then power on to Winnipeg, which proved to have been a mistake.

The oil change came after roughly 8000 kilometers of ground covered (Montreal-Nova Scotia-Newfoundland-Nova Scotia-Northern Ontario).

The good people at Rust Check outside Kenora, Ontario got the job done quick, and for a fair price.

Engine fully lubed and the day still young, we decided to push on until Winnipeg even though we'd already driven 4 hours that day and originally intended to stay in Kenora.

The drive did take us through the heart of Kenora, which is on Lake of the Woods. I'd heard of both, and it turned out for good reason. It looked like a splendid place and it will likely be one of the few we passed by that we'll regret not having thoroughly checked out. 

... This is especially true after the Winnipeg experience. We stayed outside a brewery located in Pembina, a commercial district craphole if there ever was one. But even before that, the roads leading into the city were an absolute disgrace--by far the worst we've seen near a major population centre. This after not experiencing a single pothole deserving the name for nearly the entire drive through Ontario.

At one point before things got ugly, we did pass the halfway point in Canada, not long into Manitoba. Imagine having come this far and still only halfway...

The brewery location, without being too specific, was clearly not chosen for any reason other than a discount on rent. I took no photos of the place for the same reason you don't take photos of a stained toilet.

The beers were fair, but not great. The owner, was at times friendly, but then somewhat aloof and off-putting.

Either way, I more than managed to put down a few of the offerings on tap, and we retired to the Kodiak with a few more cans before calling it a night. 

Had we checked the weather we'd have known there was a hell of a thunderstorm coming in a few hours. It was, as always, Kenting who alerted us when the storm was near.

Rain pelted our vehicle. Three hours of lightning flashing, thunder crashing, and Kenting panic attacking, and it was time to turn in around 4am.

The only way things could have been crappier would be if a flock of geese had descended upon us.  I couldn't wait to get out of the city, so we drove on at first light with no regrets other than having gone there to begin with.