Peg City Parks

09/19/2024

Terrific visit with a friend walking through Kildonan Park and the Towering Cottonwoods Trail 🌳

I followed that up with a short run on Bunn’s Creek Trail to check out the bridges!

08/29/2024

Top 15 make it to round three! Voting ends at 7pm tonight.

TIA for taking the time to vote for me!

Julie Navitka could win $10,000, embark on a personalized national park expedition in a Winnebago RV, and appear in Outside Magazine.

08/13/2024

So I didn’t think this worked when I entered but apparently it did!

If you’d like to vote for me, you can use the link below 😊

TIA!

Julie Navitka could win $10,000, embark on a personalized national park expedition in a Winnebago RV, and appear in Outside Magazine.

06/27/2024

Fantastic run on the Transcona Trail and Bioreserve today!

04/27/2024

If you’re planning on hitting the water this summer and want I make sure your adventure is eco-friendly, I’ve got some tips for you!
Don’t forget to throw me a like or follow over at Successfully Sustainable while you’re at it ☺️

💧Water Conservation Wednesday💧

Water conservation extends to how we play in and around the water, too! 🏄‍♀️🛶

🌟 Check out our new article “Practicing Eco-Friendly & Safe Outdoor Recreational Water Activities” to learn more ⛵️🤿🚣🏼🏊🏻

Read it here: https://successfullysustainable.com/practicing-eco-friendly-safe-outdoor-recreational-water-activities/

💦If you would like to learn how to reduce your water use at home, check out our article on the website (link in blog post album) ⬆️

04/26/2024

✨Faraway Park Feature

The Tayrona Park is made up of 12,000 land hectares and 3,000 marine hectares, which makes it one of the areas with the greatest diversity of species throughout Colombia and South America.

Many animal species live in the park, which include about 108 species of mammals and 300 species of birds. The Mantled howler, the oncilla, deer and more than 70 species of bats are among the park’s typical residents.

It was the second most visited national park in Colombia in 2022, with 545,760 visitors.

We spent one night at Playa Brava in a glamping tent and then hiked out the next day, visiting all the other beautiful beaches along the way.

Definitely the highlight of our time spent in the Santa Marta area!

04/03/2024

Faraway Park Feature 🌎

Parque Nacional Huascaran, Peru Part 3 🇵🇪

This park is so vast, picturesque, and extensive, it will require more than one post! Check our latest posts for Part 1 & 2 for more of its breathtaking beauty and to keep learning about the park itself!

🌱Around 800 plant species have been documented in this park, the most famous being the endangered Queen of the Andes, known for its giant flower-spike.

There is still seismic activity in the area and three thermal springs exist. Disastrous debris flows triggered by earthquakes occurred in 1945, 1962 and in 1970, when the 20,000 inhabitants of Yungay were smothered by mud.

The most significant threats to the Park are loss of vegetative cover from trampling by livestock and tourism, uncontrolled mining, proposed dams, and global warming that is thinning the glaciers. 

We had made a reservation to do the 4 day Santa Cruz Trek out of Huaraz, but circumstances outside of our control had it that our hike was cancelled not once, but twice! So, we did a handful of day hikes instead, and they did not disappoint!

The photos in this post feature a number of the day hikes you can do in this park:

1 - Laguna Rajupáquinan on the Laguna 513 hike
2, 8 - Laguna Churup
3,9 Laguna Llaca
4 - Laguna Churupita on the Laguna Churup hike
5 - Laguna Radian
6 - Laguna 513
7 - On the Laguna Radian hike
10 - Ranrapalca Glacier on the Laguna Llaca hike

03/24/2024

Faraway Park Feature

🏔️Parque Nacional Huascaran, Peru 🇵🇪 Part 2

This park is so vast, picturesque, and extensive, it will require more than one post! Stay tuned for Part 3 and check our latest posts for Part 1 for more of its breathtaking beauty and to keep learning about the park itself!

Along with it’s impressive mountains, Parque Nacional Huascaran boasts 300 glacial lakes, tremendous valleys, and more than 650 tropical glaciers, making the park the largest tropical glaciated area in the world.

The varied ecosystem provides habitats to a diversity of wildlife including jaguar, cougar, llama, guanaco, white-tailed deer, marsh deer, spectacled bear, tapir, crocodile, vicuna, Andean deer, Andean fox, giant hummingbird, and the Andean condor.

We had made a reservation to do the 4 day Santa Cruz Trek out of Huaraz, but circumstances outside of our control had ti that our hike was cancelled not once, but twice! So, we did a handful of day hikes instead, and they did not disappoint!

The photos in this post feature a number of the day hikes you can do in this park:

1, 6, 9 - Ranrapalca Glacier on the Laguna Llaca hike
2 - Laguna Churupita on the Laguna Churup hike
3 - On the Laguna 513 hike
4 - Laguna Radian
5 - Laguna Rajupáquinan on the Laguna 513 hike
7- Laguna Churup
8 - On the Laguna Shallap hike
10 - Laguna 69

03/17/2024

🏔️Faraway Park Feature 🏔️

Parque Nacional Huascaran, Peru 🇵🇪- Part 1

This park is so vast, picturesque, and extensive, it will require more than one post! Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3 for more of its breathtaking beauty and to keep learning about the park itself!

Huascaran National Park was established in 1975 and also constitutes the core zone of Huascaran Biosphere Reserve since recognition by UNESCO in 1977.

Huascaran National Park is located in the Andes mountains of Peru near the city of Huaraz, in which we stayed for 10 days in February. We had made a reservation to do the 4 day Santa Cruz Trek in the park, but circumstances outside of our control had ti that our hike was cancelled not once, but twice! So, we did a handful of day hikes instead, and they did not disappoint!

The expansive park has an area of 3,367 square km, making it the 7th largest national park in Peru.The Cordillera Blanca range is the world’s highest tropical mountain range, featuring some of the highest peaks in South America, including Nevado Huascaran. The peak of Mount Huascaran reaches a summit of 6,768 m, making it the tallest point in Peru, the highest snow-covered mountain in the world’s tropics, and the fourth highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere.

The photos in this post feature just one of the many beautiful hikes you can do in this park to Laguna 69. The mountain with two peaks is Huascaran, and she was mighty impressive!

01/21/2024

Not all technically parks, but we visited a lot of protected areas, national reserves, and wild spaces during our month here in Cusco! Off on an five day trek tomorrow to Machu Picchu - stay tuned 😊

y

12/19/2023

🇵🇪 Faraway Park Feature 🇵🇪

John F. Kennedy Park/Parque Kennedy, Lima, Peru

I’m sure you’ve heard of a cat cafe, but what about a cat park? 🐈‍⬛

Kyle and I walked through this park in the Miraflores neighbourhood during our first full day in Lima. There was a sign at the entry stating that any maltreatment of cats was to be reported immediately. This seemed like a strange sign to have randomly upon entering any space, but we soon came to realize that it seemed as though whoever runs the the park had taken it upon themselves to put out multiple dishes of food and water for the local stray cats. And they were definitely taking advantage. I’d guess we saw at least 30 or so cats in this 5.5 acre park, most of them lounging comfortably in the grass. To say this was a big hit with Kyle would be an understatement!

Upon doing some research, this is what I found out:

“The park is home to a Catholic church, the Virgen Milagrosa Church built in 1939. The park also hosts the Municipal Palace, headquarters of Miraflores’ local government. The Chabuca Granda Amphitheater and some smaller squares are where you can find everything from handicrafts and artisans to street food vendors and live performances.

Unexpectedly, Parque Kennedy has become a natural shelter for dozens of friendly cats and kittens. The cats wander around the green areas, sharing the space with visitors who can even adopt one.

The municipality carries a detailed account of the cats in Parque Kennedy, including the population size and their sanitary conditions. More importantly, cat lovers founded an association, Gatos Parque Kennedy, to care for and defend the rights of these felines. Along with the municipality, the group provides sterilization for the cats living in the park. The association also feeds the cats daily and oversees the adoption process in case someone wants to take one home.”

As someone who is allergic to most cats, a cat cafe is off limits to me. But I think Lima might be onto something with this park!

Info from: https://www.peruforless.com/blog/parque-kennedy/

12/02/2023

🇺🇸 Faraway Park Feature 🇺🇸

Central Park 🍎 Part 2 (because 10 photos weren’t enough to showcase this icon!)

I visited CP twice during my short stay in NYC before boarding a cruise to New Orleans. Once for a run in the morning, and then again the next morning for a walk with Kyle.

The first thing I noticed was that aside from the ever present hum of the city, the park was quiet. Sirens and honking cars disappeared, creating an escape for peace and quiet.

Measuring 843 acres, CP was the first landscaped park in the US and is the most visited urban park in America, with approximately 42 million visitors annually. The park was created between 1857-76, after the population nearly quadrupled in NYC between 1821-55.

The park is split into three sections - north end, mid-park and south end, and has five visitor centres and eight lakes and ponds.

After a period of decline in the early 20th century, a program was created to clean up the park in the 1930s. The Central Park Conservancy, created in 1980, further refurbished many parts of the park and now it shines as one of the city’s main attractions.

Have you been to Central Park? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

y

12/02/2023

🇺🇸 Faraway Park Feature 🇺🇸

Central Park 🍎 Part 1 (because 10 photos aren’t enough to showcase this icon!)

I visited CP twice during my short stay in NYC before boarding a cruise to New Orleans. Once for a run in the morning, and then again the next morning for a walk with Kyle.

The first thing I noticed was that aside from the ever present hum of the city, the park was quiet. Sirens and honking cars disappeared, creating an escape for peace and quiet.

Measuring 843 acres, CP was the first landscaped park in the US and is the most visited urban park in America, with approximately 42 million visitors annually. The park was created between 1857-76, after the population nearly quadrupled in NYC between 1821-55.

The park is split into three sections - north end, mid-park and south end, and has five visitor centres and eight lakes and ponds.

After a period of decline in the early 20th century, a program was created to clean up the park in the 1930s. The Central Park Conservancy, created in 1980, further refurbished many parts of the park and now it shines as one of the city’s main attractions.

Have you been to Central Park? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

y

10/28/2023

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted…we’ve been too busy living it up down here in AZ and Utah the last few weeks!

Excited to have some Faraway Park Features coming your way soon 😉

y

09/08/2023

What a fun ride! I joined the Projects in Parks Bike Tour put on by some awesome Winnipeg groups last night.

We met at Agassiz Ice in Assiniboine Park, rode down Wellington, Harrow and the Rapid Transit line to Crescent Park, back to the RTL, making our way to St Vital Park. We stopped and learned about many art installations and notable park structures and the ride finished with s’mores!

Thanks & for organizing 🚴🏼

y

09/05/2023

🌷Coronation Park 🌷

Did you know that in the 1930s the site of this park was informally used as a local dump?

In 1937, the eight acres officially became a park on Coronation Day, May 12.

The cenotaph honouring fallen soldiers of WW1 and WW2 was unveiled on July 6 1947, with commemoration for the Korean War added later.

This pie-shaped park can be found wedged between St. Mary’s Rd, Eugenie St & Tache Ave. It also features an outdoor stage and pleasure rink during winter months.

Check out nearby and support a local business like I did when I picked up some running shorts this afternoon! 🏃🏼‍♀️

Now get out there and 🌳

y

08/19/2023

🌊 Elk Island Provincial Park❄️

This Wednesday I hike-ran the loop trail around Elk Island for the 3rd time in as many summer seasons. Last July the water crossing was shoulder high at its deepest and took around 25 mins to span. This year my shorts didn’t even get wet and I was across within minutes. It rained on me on & off but otherwise the weather was pleasant enough.

I hiked the east beach, and then made a slight wardrobe change before entering the inland trail, which I ran until I hit the west beach. The rain began just as I started this portion, and finished by the time I reached the drop off at the west beach. By now I was pretty soaked from the rain and the sections of luxuriant foliage on the trail. The drop down to the west beach was more treacherous than last year, but very doable if you don’t mind heights, are nimble enough, and can handle some sand in your pants 😅

After the boulder field (which was completely underwater last year), I ran the west beach - (not purposely) chasing some bald eagles as I went. I got so focused on not rolling an ankle as I picked my way through the next slippery boulder section that I overshot the inland trail section by a few hundred meters. Once back on track, I ran this section as well.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover the beach on the west side on the way back to the crossing was runnable too. It started to rain on me just a few mins before I reached the crossing again, which I didn’t bother to take off my shoes for this time as they were already very wet. I then ran most of the rest of the way back along the main beach and to the vehicle (which I parked at the small cemetery on the west side of the road about 300m from the end of the 504).

All in all, from car door to door and with my roughly 700m oopsie, it was a 19.3km, 3:50mins trip - including all the WC stops: water crossing, actual WC, wardrobe changes, wildlife captures and water chugging (+selfies of course!)

This is definitely one of my favourite MB hikes, and I’m still torn about whether or not I prefer it in summer or winter!

Pic 1-5 this year
Pic 6 & 7 winter 2021
Pic 8 & 9 winter 2020
Pic 10 Last July

08/06/2023

🌿Assiniboine Forest🌿

Located at Chalfont Road and Grant Avenue, you’ll find this 700 acre park where you can lose yourself in nature on the 18km of trails. Pack a picnic to enjoy at the observation structure near the 12 acre Eve Werier Waterfowl Pond built in 1976. Admire the 256 species of plants and keep an eye out for deer as you roam through tall grass prairie and aspen and oak forest. Make a whole day of it and visit Assiniboine Park and The Leaf on your adventure!

One of my favourite places to run in the city, Assiniboine Forest was once slotted for development way back in 1920. The area was preserved as a municipal nature park fifty years ago after persistent efforts from citizens and the Assiniboine Park Centennial Committee. It is one of the largest urban nature parks of its kind in Canada. Currently, there are no by-laws that protect it from development. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is lobbying for Assiniboine Forest to be fully certified as a national urban park and permanently protected from future development. You can help by using their online form to send a letter to Mayor Scott Gillingham and all 15 city councillors found at https://action.cpaws.org/page/116765/action/1

We currently have a self-guided hunt for the park! Message me for details or visit pegcityparks.com for more info 😊

Now get out there and start exploring! 🌳

y

07/22/2023

🍃The Leaf at Assiniboine Park🍃

One of the things I was excited to check out once we got back to Winnipeg this summer was The Leaf 🌱

Kyle and I went last Sunday and it wasn’t too crowded, making it much easier to enjoy and take photos easily. We saw so many flowers and plants that were growing in the wild along the trails of Santa Elena, making me miss Colombia!

If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s a great activity for a weekend to follow up with a walk in Assiniboine Forest (as we did!)

y

07/17/2023

I went for a lovey run the other day on one of my favourite urban trails in the city, Bois des Esprits! 🌱

The (Seine) River was lower than I can ever remember seeing it before, but I was happy to discover some new carvings since I was on the trail last in the fall of last year!

I’ll have an updated version of our ‘Peg City Parks Scavenger Hunt for this trail soon - a great activity for a unique date, or some family fun!
Let me know if you’re interested in purchasing one for $10 😊

y

07/07/2023

Do you have a favourite tree in a Winnipeg?🌲🌳

I don’t think I could pick just one, but there are few standouts for sure.

Let me know if you have a fave or if you know where this one is in the comments! 🌳

y

07/03/2023

Went for a lovely morning run to beat the heat in Wolseley this morning! Happy Monday! 🌱☀️

y

05/31/2023

If you don’t already follow this account, you should!!!

Free Things To Do In Winnipeg This Weekend June 2-4

For the complete list go to: https://shorturl.at/duEP8

Check out these awesome events happening in Winnipeg! 🎉

Show your pride at the Pride Festival @ The Forks and rock out to some live music! 🌈

Celebrate the Transcona Hi Neighbour Festival 2023 with your family and enjoy free entertainment, midway rides ($$), and more! 🎡

Stay fit and healthy by visiting any City-run aquatic and recreation facility for free on National Health and Fitness Day, June 3! 💪

05/17/2023

Now I know where to eat to go for meals out this summer!

In the last few years the Indigenous culinary scene has more than doubled here on Treaty 1...

05/11/2023

Take advantage!

05/03/2023

What a neat idea! Might have to get one for ☕️ obsessed Kyle!

Get free shipping.

04/27/2023

Looking forward to checking this one out this summer when I’m home!

04/24/2023

🌱Faraway Park Feature🌱

⛰️Torres del Paine National Park, Chile⛰️

Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and the eighth wonder of the world in 2013, words simply cannot describe the beauty of this park.

Throughout our 8-day, 130km Otrek, I found myself saying “this doesn’t even look real” MANY times.

Just under 227,300 hectares, this national park has it all. The four zones of pre-Andean scrubland, deciduous Magellanic forest, Patagonian steppe and Andean desert bring us turquoise lakes, plateaus, plains, rivers, snow-capped mountains, dramatic towers, glaciers, valleys, and all kinds of forests.

The fauna here is also plentiful and diverse. I was so lucky to spot two Zorro Culpeo (Red Fox) on our trek, but alas did not see the ever-elusive Puma.

This will definitely go down in the books as one of the most majestic and beautiful places I’ve had the pleasure of exploring.

Choosing only ten photos for this post may have been harder than the hike itself! 📸

y

04/17/2023

Earth Day is coming up!

Fact: Manitoba is on Earth...and we are so proud to call this beautiful slice of the planet home. Celebrate Earth Day with these 30 amazing facts on Manitoba's wildlife, ancient history and landscapes.