Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/144909
– pushing your margins, doing something you've never done before and coming out with an absolutely unique experience that you'll never forget." As the bison loses interest in the bumper of our vehicle, he lumbers away. I reluctantly slink back down into the car, as my son enthusiastically shares his point of view, which includes having witnessed the giant animal actually lick the vehicle. We confirm Logan's eyewitness report when we inspect the car later and see the "lick track" made by the bison's large, slimy tongue. When Buzz bids us farewell, we all give him bear hugs. And just when I think our cycling encyclopedia is going to explain the origin of the bear hug, he invites us back to his beloved park to experience the fall elk rut. Sure enough, we quickly vow to return to this fascinating Manitoba park where we know many more natural and perhaps a few more man-made secrets await discovery. Where to stay? The Mooswa Resort (mooswa. com) at the park's entrance in Wasagaming is a great place for families with its heated outdoor pool and A-frame chalets. i earthrhythms.ca, travelmanitoba.com cruising beauty Jazz music greets us as we walk onto the lengthy pier that reaches out into Clear Lake. Our dress shoes click on the wooden wharf as we approach the source of the soothing music aboard a 95-passenger tour boat. With cocktails in hand and a three-course dinner on its way, we peer out onto the lake from the top deck as the rhythmic hum of the motor's engine takes us to a place of peace. The spectacular shoreline transforms before our eyes, with the main beach of Riding Mountain National Park fading out of sight to reveal dense evergreen forests dotted with cabins and the occasional family dock. The setting could not be more serene nor better suited to a gourmet supper of chicken cordon bleu artfully plated with summer's fresh nasturtiums, basil, dill and chives. "The boat itself is gorgeous, and, when you combine that with great food and some interpretive history about the lake, you just hit so many birds with one stone," says the captain of the Martese, Kelsey Connor, as he chats with a few of his passengers at dinner. "If you want to see all parts of Clear Lake, this is the easiest and best-tasting way to do it." The Martese takes visitors out for lunch and supper tours, as well as onehour evening cruises highlighted by a Manitoba sunset and that deep sense of relaxation that only a boat cruise can deliver. —C.F. i theclearlakemarina.com W Walt Disney World W AAA Vacations V AAA Vacations V AAA Vacations W Walt Disney World W r (one card per package;; nontransferable and void if sold). nr f r WESTWORLD p34-39_Prison_InPark.indd 39 >> S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 39 4/13/12 12:36:00 PM