Have you hiked the Gem Lakes, explored the Beechy Sandcastle and Sunken Hill Trail, visited the Nipekamew Sand Cliffs or walked the Crooked Bush? If not, make a plan and go.
The Crooked Bush
15 New Year’s Resolutions to Commit to if You Live in Saskatchewan
January 26, 2018
The New Year is a blank slate: A good time to start over or start up. And Saskatchewan is the perfect place to make those goals and dreams happen.
Here are a few Sask-based resolutions to make in 2018.
1. Get off the beaten path and explore further
2. Volunteer
Saskatchewan has one of the highest volunteer rates in Canada. Nearly 60% of locals take time to support their communities with fundraising and organizing events.
3. Make more of an effort to enjoy winter
It’s here and it’s not going anywhere for a while. Get outside and enjoy all the fun that comes with snow: cross-country skiing, fat biking, tobogganing, snowmobiling, ice skating, winter camping and drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate (with or without Bailey’s to take the edge off the cold).
4. Download apps and games on your phone that are actually useful
The days of Plants vs. Zombies and Pokémon Go are over. Instead, download Super Stickman Golf designed by Saskatoon’s own Noodlecake Studios while you wait for your appointment. Or connect to the Mysask411 app to find more of what you’re looking for in Saskatchewan.
5. Try something new
Face your fear of heights and jump out of an airplane with Skydive Saskatoon or try ziplining at Treeosix Adventure Parks and Blue Mountain Adventure Park. Rent an electric fatbike from Biktrix or turn your mind off with a sensory deprivation experience at Float Now.
Skydive Saskatoon
6. Make more money
Did you know 99% of businesses in Saskatchewan are small businesses? That means there is a lot of support to help you launch your great idea. And 2018 is the perfect year to finally make it happen.
7. Watch a sunrise or sunset every week
We’re known as the Land of Living Skies for a reason. It’s not hard to see why.
Sandy Lake
8. Cheer even harder for the Riders
We bleed green when it comes to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. And despite losing against the Argonauts in the last minute of the division finals in 2017, things look positive for 2018. We’ll be there supporting and cheering them on no matter what.
9. Drink less beer
This resolution doesn’t count if you’re supporting local. In that case, pick up a six-pack or growler from any of nearly a dozen craft breweries in Saskatchewan. But always make sure to plan a safe ride home (hint: use the Mysask411 app to call a cab).
District Brewing
10. Lose weight
You can join a gym like Encompass Fitness in Estevan, practice goat yoga with Grotto Gardens in Maple Creek or hop on a bike with Wheelhouse Cycle Club in Regina. Or you can take off your toque, scarf, mitts, winter jacket, ski pants and boots. Both will help you lose at least 20 pounds.
11. Share with the world how “not flat” Saskatchewan actually is
Did you know Cypress Hills is home to the highest point in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains at 1466 metres above sea level? Please tell anyone visiting the province to venture off the Trans-Canada Highway. Its flatness does not represent the entirety of the province.
Conglomerate Cliffs – Cypress Hills
12. Wear sunscreen to avoid a farmer’s tan
Saskatchewan is home to several of the sunniest cities in the country clocking in more than 2300 hours of sunshine a year. If you’re heading to Kindersley, Swift Current, Estevan or Regina (or anywhere outside), slap on some sunscreen to avoid sun damage and that red neck look.
13. Watch the stars and northern lights
There are few places in this world with access to a clear view of the billions of stars in the sky. Take extra time this year to appreciate both the Milky Way and the incredible aurora that’s so easily seen in Saskatchewan.
Northern Lights
14. Spend time with family and friends at the lake
The province boasts 100,000 fresh water lakes and 84 national, provincial and regional parks. If you ask people what they’re doing on a weekend in the middle of summer, they’re likely to answer “heading to the lake.”
15. Wear less plaid
Just kidding. Plaid is practical, warm and stylish. Keep rockin’ it.
– Ashlyn George is a travel blogger extraordinaire and former Saskatchewanderer.