Moose Jaw family vacation
When the pandemic first hit, my family canceled our Disneyland plans and made the most of it in-province. More than a year later, we re-booked Disney… only to re-cancel. But this time around, we weren't as crestfallen: Saskatchewan had come through for us last time and we knew we could find a unique experience once again. We brainstormed and came up with Moose Jaw.
“MOOSE JAW?” Said anyone who hasn't yet been. But I had visited twice before: once with my former band during the Western Canadian Music Awards and once with my husband for a spa trip. People like me who have experienced that gem of a city know it's something special, and I’m excited to be working with Tourism Moose Jaw to share with you our awesome family getaway.
After a quick pop-in at the Tourism Office to visit Mac the Moose, our trip began at the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, something that you’ve got to DO to fully understand, mostly because there are no photos or video allowed on the tours. These photos were taken off-tour. Tyler and I had done the Chicago Connection/ Capone tour before but it was the kids’ first run at any tunnel. What I can tell you is the Chicago tour does a great job imagining and dramatizing Moose Jaw’s fascinating history of booze-running, weaving Al Capone into the story. Their most recent release, Bunker 24, was two years in the making and is worth whatever amount of money they spent to make it sing. It’s Hollywood quality. It begins in a fruit factory and quickly takes you into spy life in the middle of the Cold War. If you live in Saskatoon, this tour alone is worth the drive to Moose Jaw.
Deja Vu Cafe is renowned for its enormous selection of chicken wing flavours and bespoke milkshake flavours and has been featured on Prairie Diner and You’ve Gotta Eat Here! Being vegetarian, we were mostly interested in the milkshakes. And can you imagine that out of the over 100 flavours of milkshakes, Petra chose VANILLA?! I laughed. But wow, were all those shakes amazing… as were the house made deep fried pickles and other yummy pub grub. Plus, the service was stellar. I recommend!
We checked into the Heritage Inn for the evening which offered a clean and comfortable room but the real win here was the pool. Very warm water and half of it at a depth where my kids could touch the bottom made it a huge hit. We had the pool to ourselves for well over an hour— a relaxing end to our first day.
In the morning, we relived my own childhood with a trip to Smitty’s. Oh how my brother loved the Jell-O when we were little! It’s the kind of place where a hearty breakfast is served by genuinely nice people which is a perfect way to begin a vacation day. Paris polished everything off, including extra oranges, which amazed me.
The Saskatoon Western Development Museum is beloved by my family and we have an annual pass which gives us entrance to all 4 locations but somehow, this was the first one outside my city we visited. And it shouldn’t be a surprise but it was: the Moose Jaw WDM is just as awesome as the Saskatoon one! Being that MJ is home to the Snowbirds, military and aerial exhibits abounded and whoever worked on the murals that backed many of the exhibits deserves praise because WOW. We spent quite a while exploring but I’d love to go back.
That afternoon, we spent shopping along the main drag. I bought sunglasses at Rowan, a bunch of olive oil and balsamic at Lions Creek after a private tasting, and the kids spent the cash my parents gave them on stuffies and candy. The street reminded me a bit of Saskatoon’s Broadway area in that the boutiques were locally-owned and unique. I really wanted to go to The Perfect Find but it is closed Mondays. Something else we didn’t explore is the many murals that paint the town, something I’d like to spend time on when I return
Then, off to Little Chicago Entertainment for our first time doing an Escape Room! We did the “easy” mode so the kids could be involved and I’ll admit, we still called for hints… but it was a lot of fun and Petra was really good at it! After the full hour (okay, plus five minutes), we were out and found Pictionary Jr. in their board game cafe.
The Crushed Can Rec Room & Bar is a restaurant and arcade that is a can’t-miss on your Moose Jaw trip because not only is Mario Kart a great time for the whole family but the food was sooooo good. Tyler and Petra really liked the veggie burger, I thought the Greek salad was excellent, and when Paris only had a few bites left of his cheese pizza, I ate them happily. Plus, a few SK brews were on tap! Go.
We checked into the historic Grant Hall Hotel that evening and were wowed by the whole place. The gorgeous details throughout, our magnificent, spacious room… plus, we had the pleasure of a private movie screening in the house theatre. For those of you who are planning on a group trip to MJ (or maybe you live there and could use a birthday idea), renting the whole theatre is $150 for up to 4 hours and there are popcorn and candy combos available. Like the rest of the hotel, the theatre feels luxurious and comfy, complete with oversized reclining seats. So fun, right?
The next morning, we popped into Hive at the suggestion of Moose Jaw area alum Megan Nash, the Juno-nominated singer-songwriter whose new release is out now, wouldn’t you know it? Her serving suggestion was indeed worth the stop!
The day was chilly but the kids wanted to run so Monkey Bars indoor play centre was just right for burning off the energy from Hive cookies. There were climbing tubes, a bouncy castle, and a wall to scale.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the trip was Mitsu Sweet Cafe and Sushi Bar. Who thinks of Moose Jaw as being a sushi destination? I didn’t. But here it is, and that volcano roll dish (made vegetarian) was perhaps my favourite bite of the trip. And we really weren’t going to have dessert. But they brought us their Honey Toast to try and good lord, don’t skip dessert here. Just writing this, my mouth is watering.
And that’s it! Closed for the season were Sukanen Ship, the Trolley Ghost Tours, and the Burrowing Owl Centre, all of which I’d love to visit. And can you believe I didn’t hit the spa at all? I think it calls for a girls’ trip next summer. I hope you’re feeling inspired to hit up Moose Jaw with your family or a friend!
Know even more destinations that tourists would love to explore? Leave your notes in the comments :)
xoMaygen
