This morning was like most of our mornings – up by seven. We went downstairs for a small breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Then, while Mum was getting ready, I walked to Timmy’s for coffee. It turns out that this particular Timmy’s is only open Monday to Friday – that’s just insane. I was forced to return to the room, empty-handed, and tell Mum that she would have to wait until we visited the Mint to get our coffee.
We arrived at the Mint, just in time to make the 10 a.m. tour. We learned about how the coins are made – from the sheets of steel that they punch the blanks from, to the electroplating and painting. We learned about the 75+ countries that the Mint makes coins for, how we are the only country in the world that can put colour on coins, and why we stopped minting the penny. Since we stopped minting the penny in 2012, we have saved $20 M a year. The docent also explained that coins made after 2000 have information in the copper, that tells vending machines what denomination they are. Before this, it was done by weight.
Normally the Mint only operates during the week, but since they were behind on an order of pesos for the Philippines, there were people working today. We weren’t allowed to take pictures, for obvious reasons, but I got some good shots of the outside of the building and also the rows of flags that signify each of the countries that the Mint makes coins for.
After the tour we looked in the gift shop, and I was able to get quite a few things – both gifts and mementos. I also went online to mint.ca as I was writing this blog to get a couple of things that weren’t available in the gift shop. I definitely recommend a visit to the Mint if you are ever in Winnipeg.
After leaving the Mint, we found the closest Timmy’s and satisfied our caffeine requirement, then jumped on the Perimeter Highway and left Winnipeg. It was a fairly nice day with temps in the low 20’s and clear skies. We drove to just before Brandon, where we stopped for a picnic of leftovers at a roadside rest area. Although the sun was shining, there was a light breeze blowing and it was a welcome respite from the recent weather that we have been having.
After lunch, we continued westward for the next four hours. It was fairly uneventful, save for a long-tailed weasel that ran across the road just ahead of us. Yet again, it was too quick to be able to photograph.
When we finally arrived in Regina, we needed a break. Although the drive was easy, it was still long, and we were grateful for the rest. I talked to my sister, M, who was up visiting my Dad, and she sent us pics of Mum’s dog – Chester Cheese Fries. He is the most adorable dog that you will ever see, and this is the longest that Mum has been away from him since she got him in the spring.
Then we took a look at restaurants that we could walk to and decided on the Perkins, just across the street. We haven’t been there for a while and it was a nice change from the heavy meals that we have been eating recently. As we were walking to the restaurant I noticed a Remax hot air balloon flying by – I have used it as the featured image.
Once we were done dinner, we came back to the hotel and did some wiki-research before Mum turned in and I turned to my blog. It is now way past my bedtime and it’s been a long day.
Tomorrow we are slowly making our way to Swift Current, with a stop in Moose Jaw. The weather calls for showers, so I hope that we are still able to walk around Crescent Park in Moose Jaw at lunch. We are also planning on visiting two Food Network restaurants tomorrow. One in Regina for breakfast and one in Moose Jaw for a late lunch.
Thank you for sharing our adventures and I will talk to you tomorrow.
L