Corner Gas and Rouleau

Written by Leann Pettit
Fans of the very popular CTV show "Corner Gas" understand that the small gas station and convenience store in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, isn't a real gas station. However, that doesn't stop travelers from stopping and trying to pump a tank on the flat Saskatchewan prairie road (the owners even have a "Hall of Shame" photo album on their Facebook page).

The set, located at 100 Weckman Drive, is free to explore and keeps the (very) funny television show playing throughout the day to keep you laughing during your visit.

Visitors can explore the gas station (previously run by Brent Leroy), and The Ruby. Outside, the gas pumps are set up (perfect for your own photo opp), the surveillance bush, and an original Dog River police vehicle. (If you purchase a DRPD item from the store, the owners will open the car for you.)

The set has been refurbished and turned into a souvenir store, with all sorts of goodies for purchase from the show, as well as memorabilia from the show on display. Be sure to purchase a postcard from the store and mail it to yourself *from* the souvenir store (they'll sell you the postage, too. Then drop it in Ofc. Pelly's mailbox). When it arrives at your house, the post mark will read "Dog River Post Office." (Don't feel ashamed about writing "Jackass!" on your postcard, either, you won't be the first and you won't be the last.)

From Corner Gas's set, drive into town and along Main Street for more remnants of Corner Gas. The town tavern still has the sign out front reading "Dog River Hotel," the police station from the show still has the Dog River Police sign in the window, and, until recently, the building that housed The Howler still had it's sign up and copies of the show's newspaper. (The Howler is the building behind the Dog River Hotel.)

Even the grain elevator still has "Dog River" painted on the side. You'll feel like you've stepped into the world of Brent and Emma - be sure check out all of the filming locations here.

National Cafe

Written by Leann Pettit

Restaurants in Moose Jaw offering Chinese and Canadian cuisine (or other combinations of cuisines) were surprising at first, but we realized it was the norm in the southern Saskatchewan town.

We chose to eat at National Cafe, next door to the Tunnels of Moose Jaw.

We ordered some of the cafe's sandwiches, a ham and cheese toasted sandwich and a turkey club sandwich. On the side, we ordered mashed potatoes and original poutine.

The sandwiches were good, well made and simple. The mashed potatoes were under seasoned and needed a lot of butter, salt and pepper to boost the flavor from boiled smashed potatoes to tasty mashed potatoes

The poutine was very good. The fries were previously frozen, but the beef gravy rescued the dish.

Original Joe's

Written by Leann Pettit

We decided to dine at the very popular Original Joe's in Regina in the Golden Mile shops.

We ordered the Butter Chicken, a curried chicken dish over basmati rice, and the Tomato Basil Linguini with chicken. Both dishes we quite large and would have been good for sharing (had we been able to decide on one item).

The chicken in both dishes was cooked very well, keeping the chicken moist and well seasoned at the same time.

We also ordered the Mud Pie for dessert, which was massive and delicious. Sweet chocolate surrounded by caramel, and a combination of warm brownie and cold ice cream is a perfect way to end your meal.

Because of the popularity of Original Joe's, we did wait for a table and the restaurant was very busy.

Beer Brothers Bakery & Cuisine

Written by Leann Pettit

While walking around downtown Regina at dinnertime, we decided to stop and eat at Beer Bros. Gastropub & Deli on Scarth Street, a pedestrian street in downtown.

For dinner, we ordered the Innis & Gunned Beerogies Appy, which are house made with fillings of the day. They were delicious, the filling of the day was brisket and potato. The outside of the beerogies were crisp, the insides steaming hot and savory.

We also ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Poutine, which are house cut french fries, topped with saucy, smoky pulled pork and cheese curds. The poutine dishes are huge - large enough to share between multiple people as an entree or as a snack for multiple friends while having a few beers.

The Creek in Cathedral Bistro

Written by Leann Pettit

In Regina's Cathedral Neighbourhood is a kitschy little restaurant with very upscale food, called Creek in Cathedral Bistro. We stumbled on this one on a whim looking for lunch in the area and were very happy that we did.

We ordered the Kowloon wonton soup and the grilled New York steak sandwich.

Imagine a cross between Chinese wonton soup and Vietnamese Pho. Yup. 

The soup was very light and served with hot sauce and hoisin sauce, so diners can season the soup to their tastes. The wontons tasted home made with a nice thin wonton layer and a lot of thin rice noodles and topped with fresh crunchy veggies.

The steak sandwich was served open faced, served on top of naan bread. The steak was tender, juicy, moist and delicious. It's served with the house fries, which are absolutely mouthwatering poutine - crispy (yet gooey) fries served in cheese and a garlic confit aioli.

The Knotted Thistle

Written by Leann Pettit

Located on Albert St. just outside of downtown Regina, is The Knotted Thistle, an Irish pub and restaurant. Mid afternoon, the restaurant was relatively empty, tables filled mostly with hotel occupants and retirees.

For lunch, we ordered the fish and chips and the Guinness Burger.

For the fish and chips, the fish was cooked well, however, the chips were a little tough for my taste. However, the fish was moist and flaky and the crust was crispy and didn't pull away from the fish.

The burger was all right; burgers are difficult and can be hit or miss at restaurants. 

Creekside Pub and Brewery

Written by Leann Pettit
We came across Creekside Pub and Brewery in Regina driving back into town from the east on the Trans-Canada Highway. From the road, it looked like a local gem and the online menu definitely grabbed our attention with the variety of entrees and house made items.

We were surprised that there is no hostess and diners seat themselves. On a nice night (and especially after a Riders game), it can be very difficult to find a table. Definitely check the second floor and around the bar. We got very (very, very) lucky and found a table on the deck outside and were able to enjoy a lovely early fall evening in Regina.

We ordered the bison burger, a bison patty topped with cheddar cheese and served with fries (or soup, tossed salad, caesar salad, or "lagers" - more on these later). The fries were addicting and the burger was good (nothing to write home about, really).

We also ordered the Pig and Fowl, a chicken breast and a pig "wing" - a marinated pork tenderloin. Both were delicious, the chicken was moist and the pig "wing" was good, shaped like a chicken wing.

We also ordered a side of the house made "lagers" - which are potatoes soaked in beer and then fried. They are the texture and crispiness of potato chips, with a nice hoppy finish, a perfect accompaniment to your meal, or order them as an appetizer to share while hanging out and drinking a few beers.

Executive Royal Hotel Regina

Written by Matt Rosenfeld
We had a 4-night stay in Regina, and decided to make the Executive Royal Hotel Regina our lodging choice. About a 5 to 10 minute ride from the airport, and seemingly the same distance from most other things in Regina, the location was perfect for our stay.

We only had limited interactions with the staff, but in all cases they were very friendly.  The room was pretty spacious, the bed was very comfortable, the bathroom was clean and had plenty of sink space to spread out your toiletries and housekeeping did a good job each day.  The hotel also provided free wi-fi, which is always a very nice amenity.

Overall, this is a hotel we'd definitely recommend to anyone staying in Regina, for business or pleasure.

Address: 4025 Albert Street South, Regina

Wifi: Free

Parking: Free

Restaurant: Yes

Bar/Lounge: Yes

Smoking: Non-smoking

Hidden Fees: None

Breakfast: Additional cost

In-room safe: No

RCMP Heritage Centre

Written by Matt Rosenfeld
Mounties...everyone knows that image.  The mounties, more properly known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, all go through training in Regina, Saskatchewan.  At the training facility is the RCMP Heritage Centre, which gives guests the opportunity to learn all about the RCMP from its beginnings to its present day incarnation. Exhibits vary from how the RCMPs monitor the northern boundaries of the country, to how an officer would conduct an investigation into a crime.

In addition, on certain days, you can head to the training grounds and see the cadets learning in action.  One great opportunity we had was to see the cadets put on a parade/show on the grounds, which happened mid-day and is something we'd highly recommend timing your trip to see. Ask at the ticket desk for the goings on for the day.

The Royal Saskatchewan Museum

Written by Matt Rosenfeld

The Royal Saskatchewan Museum is free to enter, but a donation is appreciated.  Here, you can visit various general exhibits on different portions of history, mostly related to Saskatchewan.  You can learn about the "First Nations" of Canada and all the way back to the dinosaur periods of Saskatchewan.  The main draw though is for Megamunch, the robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex who'll roar at you and give your kids a little thrill.

Tunnels of Moose Jaw (The Chicago Connection)

Written by Matt Rosenfeld

The top tourist attraction in Moose Jaw (and probably all of Saskatchewan) are the Tunnels of Moose Jaw. Located right on the main street of town, this attraction gives visitors two choices of tours, "The Chicago Connection" and "Passage to Fortune."  We decided to go with "The Chicago Connection" for our tour.

Upon entering, you'll need to purchase tickets if didn't pre-book in advance.  When we showed up, the next tour wasn't available for 3 hours.  We did find some other things to do in town during that free time, but in hindsight, it would've been better to pre-book the tour in advance to avoid that waiting.

For the tour itself, you are led outside across the street to another building where you meet your first of two tour guides.  She is an actress, who stays in her role very well of being on of Al Capone's lackeys. Throughout the tour you get a good understanding of how the bootlegging business worked in Moose Jaw, but it isn't just informational, it is VERY entertaining and hilarious.  You'll eventually be passed off to another "guide," who takes you through the actual tunnels.  Again, he did an excellent job entertaining us, as well as improvising on the spot.

This is something we'd highly recommend to everyone visiting southern Saskatchewan!