This summer, Jack, Hazel, and I packed up the car for an impromptu road trip to Estevan, Saskatchewan — my hometown and where Grandma Lori lives — before school kicked off in the fall. We hit the road on our 10-hour drive from Calgary, ready for an adventure!

Stops Along the Way

Our first major pit stop was in Medicine Hat, where we took in the impressive Saamis Tepee. Standing 215 feet tall, it’s the world’s largest tepee, and we couldn’t resist the chance to stretch our legs and stand underneath this iconic landmark for a few Mom+Jack selfies as Hazel took advantage her mid-trip zoomies, greeting every other family at high speeds and showing off her roll-over tricks.

Next, we made a special visit to Souris Valley Memorial Gardens to say “hello” to Great-Grandpa Krupka. In true family fashion, we left him a proper Hot Wheels car—flowers were never his thing, and Jack ensured to remind Great-Grandpa to take good care of it as the green truck was his favourite truck and he expected it back the next time we stopped in…

Estevan: A Hub for Sports and Small-Town Beauty

We had seven days to soak in all that Estevan has to offer, and we packed them with action. The annual Bruin’s Summer Hockey Camp was in full swing, and the kids hit the ice at Affinity Place for some serious skills development. It’s great to have our mini-reunions with the “boys” back home and always competing for who grew the tallest in the past 12 months. Estevan LOVES its sports, and it shows—this community’s heart beats for hockey, baseball, and golf with top of the line facilities throughout the close-knit community of 10,000 residents.

We couldn’t miss stopping at the Dairy Queen (FUN FACT: Canada’s very first DQ opened in Estevan in 1953!) and taking our treats to check out the scenic views around the ball diamonds, especially with SaskPower Boundary Dam Power Station in the background. My dad worked there for as long as I can remember before his retirement, and my 7 year old thinks it’s pretty cool to learn about power and electricity — and his little imagination runs wild as he explains what happens inside of the power-plant — a real Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story if you ask me!

And, of course, the stunning and most popular Woodlawn Golf Course hosted Jack for Juniors Night, where he made new friends and took in the beautiful Saskatchewan scenery. 

Local Love: Shops and Eats

No trip to Estevan is complete without a stop at my favorite women’s boutique, Jenny Joans. This gem of a store serves shoppers from across Canada and the USA, and every visit feels like catching up with old friends. They’ve got the latest in fashion, and trust me, the team of women running this empire is simply unmatched!

For food, our first stop is always the legendary Tower Cafe. This family-run restaurant has been around forever, and their ham and pineapple pizza (yes, I’m team pineapple!) is a must. I’ve been ordering the same thing for years, and it never disappoints — I even had special requests to pack a cooler and bring back some frozen pizzas back to Calgary!

Another hometown favorite is Michael’s Coffee Shop and Bakery, a short walk from my mom’s house. The cinnamon buns here are REALLY famous—they’re easily the most-talked-about “buns” on the planet! One (or a dozen) is essential, and honestly, calories don’t count when you’re home, right?? It’s a true blessing and a curse that this delicious coffee shop is only a short walk from Moms.

Slow-Paced, Family-Filled Evenings

While Estevan’s got plenty of action, the real magic is in the slower, quieter family nights. The BBQ grill fires up, cocktails are poured, and we gather by the pool for good times with old family friends… and sometimes the guitar comes out from Uncle David! There’s nothing like those warm prairie nights, where life feels a little less rushed, and memories are made under the big Saskatchewan sky. The question of “Can we move to Grandma’s?” is constant and a contrast to the hustle and bustle from Calgary — a kid’s dream to roam free down the streets with friends from dusk to dawn without a worry in the world and an entire community offering a lending hand whenever possible.

Saying Goodbye (and Sweetening the Drive Home)

As much as we loved every moment, hitting the road back to Calgary always feels bittersweet. It’s a long drive, but this mama has a trick up her sleeve—ice cream stops in every small town we pass! Jack and our pot-bellied Boston Terrier typically get plenty of sleep after the first stop as the sugar crash is in full effect.

Driving through the prairies is a constant reminder of the beauty in simplicity. The open skies, endless fields, and the feeling of being rooted in small-town life is above everything else.