Bathing Optional

Flying over San Francisco with Bay Bridge and downtown SF views.

Views over San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge from the plane.

Bay Bridge and SF views.

Flying over Denver, Colorado and the Rocky Mountains.

Flying into Winnipeg -- farmers fields as far as the eye can see.

Winnipeg skyline as seen from the highest point in Winnipeg:  a garbage dump turned landfill hill known as Garbage Hill.

Downtown buildings, a mix of old and new.

Ashe with her parents and Maciejs Dad in Winnipegs historic Exchange District.

The Exchange District has a fantastic collection of turn-of-the-century buildings, block after historic block.

Buildings.

Historic brick buildings.

Exchange district street.

Ashe with her parents walking the streets of the Exchange.

Approaching the Exchanges Old Market Square from Main Street.

Historic Exchange building.

Another great historic building.

Historic Exchange District building: the Exchange Building !

Another great building.

Love this one!

Historic advertising.

Another great Exhcange scene.

Old chocolate factory.

Great historic block in the Exchange, now protected and converted into the Red River College downtown campus.

Ashe walking in the Exchange.

Tera and Ashe in the Exchange.

Lamp.

Native Canadian art in doorway.

Part of Winnipegs modest Chinatown

Bob and Tera on Barts Bridge.

The historic Bank of Montreal building at the corner of Portage and Main, Winnipegs main downtown intersection and the windiest intersection in North America.

Winnipegs Provincial Legislative Buildings.

The dome of the Legislature with the famous Golden Boy on top.

The Golden Boy, torch in one hand, bundle of wheat in the other.

Legislature details.

Legislature details.

Fountain at the Legislative Building grounds.

Bison statue inside the Legislative Building.

Legislature dome, inside.

The Lieutenant Governors (representative of the Queen at the Provincial level) residence sits on the Legislature grounds.

Ashe with her Mom by Legislature fountain.

As in many cities, Winnipeg recently had artists paint on a symbol of the city (in this case a polar bear) with the Bears on Broadway later being auctioned off.

Another bear with some fantastic artwork.

Art on the spot -- someone painted up the cracked clay pieces along the riverside and left behing a masterpiece!

Across the Assiniboine River from downtown is bustling Osborne Village. Nice apartment block.

Inside a sheltered Courtyard, Osborne Village.

Osborne Village has a bear too.

The Queen!

Vintage automobile.

Most residential areas near Winnipegs downtown are filled with wonderful, historic homes. These two are in our favorite area: the forward-thinking neighborhood of Wolseley.

Wolseley street corner with Winnipegs only co-operatively owned and run organic market. Therell be more!

Ashe with Ewa in the English Garden.

Ashe with her Mom in the English Garden.

Attached to the Englsh Garden is the wonderful new Leo Mol Sculpture Garden.

Bob and Stan in the Garden.

Interesting sculpture.

Leo Mol loved his female nudes.

Sculpture face.

Ashe with Connor and Ewa in Assiniboine Park.

Duck pond action.

Mother with ducklings.

Geese with gooselings.

Ducklings.

Garden plants.

Gooselings.

Old barn door with tree.

Assiniboine Parks historic Pavilion building.

The new Lyric Stage built to match the historic Pavilion.

Tower.

Maciejs parents back garden.

Ashe relaxing in the garden.

Ashe at the University of Manitoba campus.

The main building at the University of Manitoba used to be the College of Agriculture (a statement as to the history of this university).

Historic buildings surround the main circus at the University of Manitoba.

Another historic university building.

Another one.

Biking in Kings Park with Maciejs Dad.

Ashe and Maciejs Dad riding in Kings Park.

Ashe and Maciejs Dad riding in Kings Park.

Ashe with Maciejs Dad in Kings Park.

Fabulous clouds filled the skies for most of our stay in Winnipeg.

Love those clouds!

Prairie sunset over Winnipeg.

Fathers Day dinner at the Morphys. Bart and Ryan checking out the feast.

Bob with Eliza, Maciejs Mom.

Maciejs Dad with Lauren, the cutest niece around!

Kristin with Lauren -- everyone wants to hold this beautiful baby!

Lauren.

The 3 Fathers -- all dressed up in their matching Fathers Day shirts.

One of the big reasons for our visit to Winnipeg -- the wedding of Maciejs best friend Phil and his new wife Brenda.  Here we are at the church before the rehearsal.

Ashe Maciej and Bart in Cafe 22 following the wedding rehearsal.

Phil dipping Brenda. One of many of their wedding photos.

Phil and Brenda -- nice pose.

Brenda and Phil.

Groomsmen kissing the bride.

Groomsmen -- Maciej and Phils brother Ag standing, Bart with Phil lounging.

Phil and Brenda - first dance.

Phil and Brenda, later in the evening.

Maciej dancing with his bridesmaid partner, Jen.

Bart and Maciej, the brothers are looking good in their tuxes.

Ag with Maciej, Best Man and the MC.

Brenda with Maciej -- the bride looks great!

Brenda, Phil and Phils siblings Rosa, Ag, and Frank.

Maciejs parents at the wedding.

Kristin Maciej and Ewa at the wedding.

Kyle, Tracey and Ashe at the wedding.

Maciej and Ashe at the wedding.

Maciej with Phil at the wedding.

Mom with Kristin at the wedding.

Ryan and Ewa at the wedding.

Ryan with Maciej at the wedding.

The historic East Gate entrance to Riding Mountain National Park, 3 hours east of Winnipeg and Manitobas only National Park.

The historic East Gate.

Park HQ.

Clear Lake, Riding Mountain National Parks main attraction.

Our accomodations for our 2 day stay in the Park: the New Chalet.

Rolling hills -- Riding Mountain offers a welcome change of scenery from the prairies.

Sailboats on Clear Lake.

Sailboats on Clear Lake.

Woodchuck!  This very domesticated guy joined us for lunch at our hotel and was not shy at all.

Woodchuck.

Bikes on the rack.  Bart and Maciej, all set to take off on their 30km ride through the Riding Mountain wilderness.

Bart on the trail.

Maciej on the trail.

Bart on the trail.

Maciej on the trail -- wait a minute, wheres the trail? It seemed like no one had been on that trail for ages, but we still found our way.

Maciej at the edge of the Manitoba escarpment -- the rim of the prehistoric lake that once covered much of the entire province.

Bart and Maciej at the historic East Gate.

Bart checking the map.  Where are we, anyway?

Views from the edge of the escarpment.

Fantastic skies over the escarpment.

Forest stream as seen from our ride.

Another stream.

Flowers.

Dandelion.

Maciej -- now were really lost!  At an abandoned farm.

Stripping down and checking for ticks.  We had plenty!

Ashe and Maciej with Connor in the pool.

Dad with Lauren -- nothing beats a grandfathers love.

Connor in the pool.

Maciej walking with Lauren by the pool.

Maciej out for the count.

Bob with moose crossing sign.

Everyone up high on top of Agassiz tower with birds eye views of the Park and the prairies beyond.

Treetop views from Agassiz Tower.

Grandma with Connor on top of the tower.

Mom with Ewa by Clear Lake.

Mom with Bart in ice cream shop.

Sitting down for dinner by the hotel.

Ewa with the kids.

Lauren -- too cute!

Maciej, Connor and Bart on rental bike.

Bob, Connor and Maciej on rental bike.

Bob, Connor and Maciej on rental bike.

There are many lakes beyond Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park. Heres the shelter at Whirlpool Lake.

Moon Lake.

Moon Lake.

Moon Lake.

Ashe on the Moon Lake dock.

Moon lake shores.

Moon Lake shores.

Moon Lake.

Ashe with Connor on Moon Lake dock.

Maciej and Ashe on Moon Lake dock.

Ashe on Moon Lake dock.

Maciej taking photo of Ashe.

Bob, Tera, Eliza, and Stan on Moon Lake dock.

Everyone on the Moon Lake dock.

Maciej and Ashe in Moon Lake (trying to re-create their infamous Lake Bohinj photo from Slovenia).

Walking the trail along Moon Lakess shore.

Maciej on the Moon Lake trail.

Too many mosquitoes in the forest!  We quickly decided to get closer to shore on our way back to the dock.

Walking Moon Lakes shore.

Ashe at Moon Lake.

So what if Im wearing shoes! Tera takes to the waters.

Ashe in the water.

Driving back to Clear Lake. Front seat alive, back seaters sleeping.

Ewa with Connor

Ryan with Lauren.

Maciej and Bart, early morning bike ride along the lake.

Bart biking the lake trail.

Bob and Tera.

Loon -- a symbol of Canada and the most beautiful bird call youll ever hear.

Sunsets at Clear Lake are brilliant!

Walking down the Clear Lake pier.

Bob Maciej and Tera on the pier.

Fantastic sunset.

Sunset skies.

Sunset skies.

Sunset skies.

Watching the sunset.

Sunset skies.

More sunset skies.

Clear Lake sunset.

Sunset.

Sunset.

Clear Lake sunset.

Clear Lake sunset.

Sunset colors.

Maciejs parents with the sunset.

Ashes parents with the sunset.

On the way back to Winnipeg, quick stop at an antique shop in a Neepawa barn.

Neepawa barn.

Stan and Bob having a chat with the antique shop owner.

Old tractor.

Prairie sunset on the way home.

Back in Winnipeg, going for a walk in the Morphys neighborhood.

Connor and Lauren in their Chariot.

Connor and Lauren in the Chariot.

Unique row of homes.

Lauren in the Chariot.

A final coffee before the Wattles return to San Francisco.

Celebrating Ewas birthday!

A final backyard campfire before we return to San Francisco.  Connor tossing some wood into the fire.

Mom with Lauren by campfire.

Maciej and Bart by campfire.