When I was a kid, I had a shirt that claimed, “Even a goat can float at Manitou Beach”. I don’t recall where it was that I got it, but it was one of my favourite t-shirts! Though I did have the t-shirt, I had never been there or done that. This summer, I wanted to check out Manitou Beach and see for myself! Disclaimer: no goats were forced to float during this trip. Though I did try to force my children to at least attempt floating, and it was like I was trying to drown them… So…
For those who haven’t been, Manitou Beach is just a small resort village, near Watrous, Saskatchewan. We made the drive up from Regina and met our family at the beach, to see if the claims were indeed true. I can tell you with 100% tried, tested, and true certainty, that you CAN float, without any device to assist you! I walked in to chest deep water, picked up my feet, and just floated! The reason you can do this is because of a very high salt content, which results in effortless buoyancy. This lake has a mineral density three times saltier than the ocean! It is actually IMPOSSIBLE for you to sink! This lake in Saskatchewan, of all places, is often compared to the Dead Sea because of its very similar qualities. Now, I’ve never been to the Dead Sea, but Manitou Beach is a much more cost effective trek!
After spending time at the beach, we ventured down the road to the WORLD famous Danceland. I heard stories of how cool it was, but I was admittedly a little skeptical. YOU GUYS- it is so awesome! Aside from the fact that through the summer they host dances a couple nights a week, with live bands, there is so much history. The floor is built atop horsehair woven ropes. I didn’t quite understand why this was great for dance experience, until I stepped on the floor. It makes the floor bouncier and would be awesome for dancing! Danceland has been open since 1919, and hosted many big names and events over the years, including Elvis Presley! It was really neat to hear all about the history of this amazing space. For those of you couples who are big into dancing, Danceland would make an incredible reception venue!
We stopped in for a rousing game of mini golf at Manitou Mini Golf. The kids LOVED it! It was a special kind of chaos with 9 kids, and 7 adults attempting to get through each hole. Hands down, I am the world’s worst mini golfer. Children who never have played before are better than I am. I seem to struggle to find that balance of not hitting it too hard, with hitting it so hard that it hits the guardrail, and hits a child at the next hole… Yeah, truly horrible *face palm*. Before heading home, we stopped for supper at Pepper Tree Family Restaurant in Watrous. For those of us that aren’t gluten free, there were a ton of great options to choose from. The gluten free in the crowd found that there were few options, but we had some pretty good nachos.
If you have never been to Manitou Beach, I would highly recommend it! It is really cool and well worth the trip!
{ Watrous & Manitou Beach }
I also had that shirt (and wish they would reissue them so I could buy one for my kid!), but spent time there pretty much every summer. Thanks for the memories!