Quickly answer these trivia questions. Which Manitoba town has an Icelandic heritage? What lake has beautiful white sand beaches? Where will you find a desert in Manitoba? If you missed any or all of these questions, you need a lesson on all that this exciting province has to offer. Manitoba is diverse, it's interesting, and above all, it's unique -- and you're about to find out why.

The Whiteshell region at the Ontario-Manitoba border is a good place to start. Here, you'll enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Canadian Shield -- rocks, woods, lakes, rivers and wildlife. Leave the Trans-Canada Highway that runs through this area, and take Highway 44 for a more intimate look at Whiteshell Provincial park, one of Canada's largest. Stop at one of many roadside campsites for a picnic lunch, or take time to make a few casts into one of the many lakes and rivers. The fishing is excellent, and if you find yourself enjoying the spot or the scenery, choose a campsite and stay. Or book into one of numerous hotels, motels and resorts that populate the park.

If you decide to stay in the park, take time to visit the Whiteshell Natural History Museum at Lake Nutimik on PR 307. Or take some pictures at Rainbow Falls on the northeastern tip of White Lake and Pine Point Rapids, north of Betula Lake.

Also in the eastern part of the province, you might want to stop at the town of Beausejour, home to the Canadian Power Toboggan Championships in February. Near here is Garson, the site of a Tyndall stone quarry. The Canadian Parliament Buildings in Ottawa are constructed of the fossil-filled limestone known as tyndall stone.

Lockport, an historic set of locks over the famous Red River, and Lower Fort Garry, beckon you to the area northeast of Winnipeg. Lower Fort Garry is a Hudson's Bay fur-trading post that has been restored to its mid-1800s glory, when settlers, Natives and Hudson Bay traders exchanged supplies and furs along the mighty Red River. Costumed "animateurs" recreate mid-19^th century life for the enlightenment of visitors.

Near Lockport, you'll find Selkirk, home of the Marine Museum of Manitoba. North of Selkirk is Winnipeg Beach on the western shores of Lake Winnipeg -- Canada's seventh largest lake -- with white sand beaches and one of the best wind-surfing bays on the lake. Keep heading north, if the attractions of the beaches don't distract you, to Gimli, the largest Icelandic community outside Iceland. The Gimli Historical Museum preserves the Icelandic and Ukrainian heritage, and Lake Winnipeg's commercial fishing history.

At Gimli, you can continue north to Hecla Provincial Park. Here you can relax away from the hustle of city life by watching for deer at the wildlife viewing tower, playing a game of golf at Gull Harbour Resort and Conference Centre, or strolling along the Hecla Village Self-Guiding Trail, which traces the history of this Icelandic settlement.

Stonewall, straight north of Winnipeg, is an historic town that boasts of Quarry Park. It features lime kilns, museum, interpretive trails, picnic area and campground. Make time to drive from Stonewall to Oak Hammock Marsh, the home of 260 kinds of birds and 25 mammals. The marsh is recognized as one of the best bird-viewing Wildlife Management Areas in North America.

From Stonewall, it is a short drive to Winnipeg and all the sights and activities it offers. Manitoba's capital has a variety of museums and art galleries, historic architecture (including the Legislative Building), restaurants, sporting events, shopping, parks, The Forks riverfront re-development project -- and much, much more.

From Winnipeg, it's not far to the Costume Museum of Canada in Dugald. This fascinating costume collection boasts 15,000 pieces, including some garments worn by prominent Canadians. Southeast of Winnipeg, the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach is a 40 acre complex that recreates a Manitoba village of the late 1800s. Plan to spend some time visiting the buildings, and then stop in at the Livery Barn Restaurant to sample some traditional Mennonite fare.

St. Pierre-Jolys, west of Steinbach, is home of the Frog Follies in August. West again, you'll find the wide open spaces of prairie farmland -- and the town of Morris, home to the Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition in July and the Morris and District Centennial Museum. West of Morris, you'll pass through Roland, home of Canadian 4-H. Carman, site of an exceptional golf course, and Morden, home to the Morden Research station, are scenic towns in this area worth a visit.

Farther west, approaching Manitoba's western border, is Boissevain, host of the Canadian Turtle Derby. South of here, the International Peace Garden, the world's largest garden dedicated to peace, straddles the Manitoba-U.S. border. In this area, a trip to Souris will provide you with the opportunity to walk across the longest suspension bridge in Canada.

Also in the southwest area of the province, you'll find Brandon, Manitoba's second-largest city. Here, you can visit the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame or Thunder Mountain Water Slide -- just a few of the many diverse options in this friendly city.

Near Brandon, you won't want to miss Spruce Woods Provincial Park. It's an outstanding family park that is the site of Canada's only desert. A stop in Austin, east of Brandon, will give you the chance to visit the Manitoba Agricultural Museum. Further east, in Portage la Prairie, you can see the Fort la Reine Museum and Pioneer Village.

In west-central Manitoba, Riding Mountain National Park, one of Manitoba's only two national parks, rates two stars in the Michelin Guide to Canada. Once you get here, you'll see why. The park covers almost 1,150 square miles, and is home to a wide variety of wildlife -- including a herd of bison and many species of birds. Plan to spend more than a few hours in Riding Mountain National Park. If you forget your camping gear, there is a variety of accommodation in the resort town of Wasagaming.

If you pass north through the park, you will experience the hospitality of Dauphin. Should you happen to arrive the first weekend in August, you can take in Canada's National Ukrainian Festival. North of Dauphin, you will come to the Swan River Valley and some of the prettiest farmland in the province.

But what of Manitoba's vast northland? It, too, is an experience unto itself. It is covered with pristine lakes and rugged forests, so the recreation opportunities are fantastic. Fishing, fly-in fishing, recreational and wilderness canoeing, and whitewater rafting are but a few of the many adventures northern Manitoba has to offer.

The northern town of The Pas hosts the Northern Manitoba Trappers' Festival, western Canada's oldest winter festival, each February. In the summer, the town's Opasquayak Indian Days is a must, as are its museum and a tour of a pulp and paper mill. North of The Pas, the bustling town of Flin Flon is perched on the Canadian Shield. The Flin Flon Trout Festival takes place here each summer, and the Annual Sled Dog Races are a winter highlight. Farther north, the city of Thompson rises out of the northern forests. It features an excellent museum, zoo with animals indigenous to the north, tours of the nickel mine that put the city on the map, and in the summer, Nickel Days, the annual summer fair.

Even farther north -- on the shores of Hudson Bay -- is a sub-Arctic community that is gaining fame around the world for its spectacular sights. Churchill is where hundreds of bird species, polar bears, and beluga whales create a paradise for nature watchers. The northern lights (aurora borealis) are another feature attraction, and so is the fur-trading history of the area. Outfitters will provide excursions so you can experience any or all of Churchill's world-class attractions.

Perhaps now, you can see why Manitoba has good reason to boast. There are many more attractions, too, that you'll find in Manitoba -- and not anywhere else. 

photographs and articles courtesy of