TRAVEL SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016 SECTION T ON ON2

POSH PERKSLondon’s Berkeley Hotel offers Burberry fashion on loan and high tea inspired by runway collections, T2

GRASSLANDS NATIONAL PARK, SASK.—“Is there going to beanything to do?” My eldest son interrupts my count ofSwainson’s hawks atop passing power posts.

His worry is tied to the increasingly vast prairie vistacomplete with coulees and rolling, soft hills greetingus — one completely devoid of play structures andstores and stuff. I urge him to keep an open mind,reminding him this isn’t a typical trip.

It’s a beautiful day, with light, fluffy, white cloudsdotting an azure sky. After nearly four hours drivingsouthwest, my two sons, partner and I stop briefly inthe Gateway to the Grasslands, Val Marie, Sask.

Grasslands National Park, our end destination, is animpressive expanse divided into two blocks — eastand west.

Visitor maps in hand, we realize we’ll only be able tofit in a few activities over the few days in the park’swest block, as most require driving.

Our cracked windows allow in a slight breeze carry-ing the sweet smell of sage-y grasses as we follow theEcotour Rd. and happen upon a roadblock — a fewhundred, in fact.

Bison as far as our eyes could see litter the panora-ma. Sunning, sauntering and grunting, young calves

mosey alongside 1,000-kilogram giants.Spread out like hay bales, the herd isunfazed as our slow-moving vehicleweaves along.

We arrive at the Frenchman River Val-ley campsite area and cart gear to ourteepee while the boys head off for a well-timed, Parks Canada Junior Naturalistsprogram. Eager to be free, they excitedlybegin searching for evidence of life in thepark, armed with lists and digital cam-eras. Once unpacked, we sit and rest, tak-ing in the camp’s panoramic prairie view.

It’s midday when they return, grinswide, eager to share what they’ve learned.It’s scorching at more than 30 C, so wetake refuge in the teepee, grabbing asnack before hopping back in the van todrive to 70 Mile Butte to hike and take inthe sunset — a spot we’ve been told is thepark’s best vantage point.

Heading back the way we came, we racea badger roadside for a distance before itdashes, disappearing into tall grass.

During a stop on the driving ecotour, the author’s sons Zevin, left, and Finn, work to catch a rare northern leopard frog with Parks Canada guide Shauna Schmidt.JENN SMITH NELSON

Dancing skies

A road trip through Grasslands National Park isn’t a typical family vacation.KEVN HOGARTH/PARKS CANADA

and rolling hillsSaskatchewan’s GrasslandsNational Park makes a perfectsetting for family camping trip

JENN SMITH NELSONSPECIAL TO THE STAR

GRASSLANDS continued on T4

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>>TRAVEL

D.I.Y. ECO TOUR Learn about Grasslands National Park’s archeological sites and conservationefforts via a self-guided driving loop. By Jenn Smith Nelson

Prairie dogsAt the Larson and Top Dog BlackTailed Prairie Dog Colonies, the supersocial and cute protectors of theprairie realm share kisses whilescooting in and out of their burrows.Listen to the sophisticated languageor “barks” of the lookouts (older dogsfound around the colonies’ edge) asthey warn of visitors’ presence. Ev-erything from coyotes and ferrets tohawks and badgers eat this keystonespecies. Endangered burrowing owlsand black-footed ferrets, rattlesnakesand even black widow spiders alsoutilize their deep burrows.

Old homesteadA few weathered buildings may be all that remain at the Larson Homestead.Learn how Walt Larson, an industrious rancher known for raising Angus cattle,lived and worked on the harsh land, eventually selling 52 sections of land tothe park. It’s said, “the history of ranching in Saskatchewan could be read inthe wrinkles on Walt Larson’s face.” Visitors can try their hands at lassoingbefore taking a walk to examine the remnants of three underground barns.Keep your eyes peeled for bison bones scattered across the land.

Pond hoppingA short drive later we pull up to TurtlePond. This roadside stop adjacent tothe Frenchman River Valley, whichflows south and is part of the Missou-ri watershed, is one of the few spotswhere standing water exists withinthe prairie oasis. Parks Canada staffarm the boys with nets and puddlehopping quickly ensues. With help,they work hard to spot, catch andexamine a northern leopard frog,another of the Grasslands at-riskpark species, before setting it freeagain.

Flora, fauna and First NationsA giant rock in the wide-open countryside is the next point of interest. Bisonrub up against it to sooth itching hides. A guide will discuss the mixed grassprairie ecosystem, pointing out a few of the park’s 100 lichens and more than70 grasses. Try to identify common flora, such as spear and sage grasses, bluegrama, buttercups and cactus. You may see rocky remnants that once com-prised a Plains Indian tipi ring.

Rare and endangeredIt’s back to the burrows to learn howblack-footed ferrets are tracked usinga night spotlighting method in whichpark researchers try to see the fer-rets’ green eye shine. Once thoughtto be extinct, these adorable, noc-turnal rodents were reintroduced toGrasslands in 2009. Take a shortwalk for a cliffside view of the couleebelow so you can imagine the long-gone glaciers that once sweptthrough the plains, leaving behind theFrenchman River Valley. Watch forelusive and endangered greater shorthorned lizards, above, or burrowingowls.

> OH CANADA

JENN SMITH NELSON

JENN SMITH NELSON

JENN SMITH NELSON

JENN SMITH NELSON

PARKS CANADA

Jenn Smith Nelson was hosted by Parks Canada and Tourism Saskatche-wan, neither of which reviewed or approved this story.

Then, just before the road-blockingbison, we spot a burrowing owl glar-ing at us from atop a black-tailedprairie dog burrow.

A sign warning of wildlife I didn’twant to see — rattlesnakes — greetsus at the entrance to the butte’s up-ward-winding five-kilometre trail.

Scaling the fence, the boys jet offand keep a steady pace ahead as wemeander along, stopping to readsigns identifying indigenous plantsand to admire lichen-covered rocks.

An hour later, we are rewarded withan incredible view.

Spinning 360 degrees, we marvel atthe sprawling green landscape whilewaiting for the sun to set. Buildingsmall rock Inukshuks cliffside, myboys make me nervous as they creeptoo close to the edge for my comfort.

Soon, the sun begins to dip; goldenrays descend quickly along the prai-rie horizon. We head back knowingthe dark will follow, but unexpect-edly the sky comes alive.

Hues of blue from the sunset deep-en against rich tones of pink andstrokes of violet, stopping me in mytracks — frozen by the display. Wispyclouds shift shapes, dancing acrossthe sky. The boys who are ahead ofme finally notice and stare, mesmer-ized.

Camp is dark when we return, andthe sky decides to put on anotherdazzling display. This time, it’s thegreen swirls of aurora borealis amid aclear, starry night in Canada’s dark-est dark-sky preserve. My eldestoohs and ahhs before heading in tosleep, completely tuckered.

Sitting out in the dark, we attemptto name constellations in betweenrevelling in our day full of wildlife,skies and sights.

Soon after, we head inside the tee-pee, snuggle up in our sleeping bagsand nod off to the yips and howls ofnearby coyotes. Jenn Smith Nelson was hosted by ParksCanada and Tourism Saskatchewan,neither of which reviewed or approvedthis story.

Bison can be seen roaming freely in Grasslands National Park.JENN SMITH NELSON

The sky comes aliveGRASSLANDS from T1

Get there:Grasslands National Park (parksca-nada.gc.ca/grasslands) is in south-western Saskatchewan near theMontana border. Access the WestBlock near Val Marie, a 11⁄2-hourdrive south of Swift Current. Ac-cess the East Block near WoodMountain.Plan ahead: á The park is open year-round andthe West Block and East Blockvisitor centres are open from lateMay to mid-October. á Try to devote three to five daysto your visit. There is much to dohere, including astronomy, birding,conservation, fossil finding, dailyguided hikes/programs and more.Guided Ecotour Scenic Drive toursare $14.70/per person and must bepre-booked by calling the WestBlock visitor centre.Stay:á There is no fee to enter the park.Book a campsite or teepee through

the online reservation system(reservation.pc.gc.ca) or call 1-877-RESERVE.á Teepee rental is $45 per night.An extra $10 will equip you withcots and a lantern.á There are 20 electrified sites andfour teepees in the West Block.The East Block has 12 tent sites,two teepees and 10 RV spots.Camping is $15.70/night. Back-country camping is free.á Non-campers can stay in ValMarie in a restored convent atConvent Inn (convent.ca).Visit Val Marie:á Prairie Wind and Silver Sage(pwss.org) is an ecomuseum, artgallery, café and gift shop. á Triple R Honey Ranch (valma-rie.ca/attractions) has tours byappointment and sells honey.á Harvest Moon Café (theharvest-mooncafe.blogspot.ca) has home-cooked food, including bison bur-gers.

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