Perfectly Timed Sunshine

Greenbean Adventures: Great Timing!

June 25-27, 2026

Sometimes the timing just works out perfectly.

Thursday morning, after what felt like days (and days!) of rain across Alberta (which as I write this it is still doing 😲), the sun finally decided to make an appearance. We didn’t waste the opportunity. Before the wind could pick up, we headed to one of our favourite canoe launches on McGrane Road, before the LLB Mission, near Black Fox Island.

The high water levels greeted us before we even reached the lake—the water had crept halfway down the road where we normally unload the canoe! It certainly changed the scenery.

We paddled towards the Mission keeping an eye on the high water mark near the cabins and houses on the shore. With the water so high, only one small stretch of beach was visible, giving us the perfect excuse to stop, stretch our legs, and search for a few rocks.

The birds were a little quieter than usual, likely scattered by the changing shoreline, and reeds floated across the lake after being stirred up by the recent winds. Still, two and a half hours on the water, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying great conversation, was exactly what we needed.

But that was only the beginning of our adventure.

Back in 2024, I won a two-night stay at Metis Crossing during the Games Night fundraiser for the Regional Health Foundation. Knowing it did not expire allowed me to work it into my life and I finally booked it!! And…somehow managed to pick the two sunniest days of the season (so far I hope!)☺️

Having some time before checking in, we stopped at Victoria Settlement, where Alex, dressed in authentic 1880s clothing, gave us a fascinating tour. We saw the Clerk’s Quarters, which is the oldest building in Alberta on its original site from 1890, learned about the settlement, fur trade, and farming in the area. It was the perfect way to set the stage before our booked experiences later at the Crossing.

Then, we checked into ouir “family-sized camping dome”. Now, we’d never stayed in a dome or yurt before. The layout was incredibly cool—two interconnected bubbles featuring a master bedroom with bunk beds, a kitchenette, and a cute little porch. The downside? It turns out a transparent dome in the afternoon sun doubles as a highly efficient solar oven.

By the time we walked in, the indoor temperature was a crisp, refreshing 37°C.🥵 Let’s just say it felt less like “glamping” and more roasting & toasting😂. The air conditioner was fighting for its life, so to speed things up, we fled to the car just to blast the vehicle’s A/C and drive around on the gravel backroads. It was 10/10 points for a free sauna experience.

If there is one thing I would say about the Crossing, their food is absolutely delicious! We tried some rainbow trout, walleye, bison and elk burgers. 5 stars for the food! The only downside was that the service and wait times could definitely use some work—but the quality of the meal made up for the wait.

Friday included a walking tour around the beautiful grounds and one of the highlights of the trip—a wildlife tour. When they say “tour,” they mean driving right through the pastures with the animals. Our tour guide was incredibly confident in her driving skills, which was great because half the pastures looked like lakes! She masterfully wove her way around the floods so we could see the bison, wood buffalo, elk, and Percheron horses.

We even spotted the famous white bull elk, Fabio, who was playing a pretty good game of hide-and-seek in the trees. Mind you, we almost didn’t make it through a massive water hole to see him—let’s just say we had to find a completely different route to get back out of that field!

We wrapped up the weekend Saturday morning by trying the Crossing’s new spa experience. An hour of sauna and cold plunge was the perfect way to end a relaxing getaway. From 89C to 7C….🥶🥶 It was amazing ..and now I absolutely need a sauna in my life immediately.

After weeks of rain, sunshine, paddling, history, wildlife, and a little glamping adventure made for one pretty unforgettable weekend. Sometimes Mother Nature really does have great timing.