Want a taste of winter? Come to Winnipeg.

Just when I thought this world couldn’t get any stranger.  In a bizarre case of the grass must be greener over there, Winnipeg is welcoming visitors from Australia and southern United States who want to experience cold.

Val Keenan and Jean Hyrich will welcome visitors to Winnipeg. (Photo - Matt Preprost: Winnipeg Free Press)

Yes, that’s right cold.  Bone chilling lock yourself in the bedroom and crank up the furnace and hide cold.   The six-day winter exchange is all part of worldwide cultural exchange movement called Friendship Force.  Founded in 1977 by US President Jimmy Carter, Friendship Force joins people around the world in an opportunity to explore different cultures and experience the world in a way travellers seldom get to experience.  By billeting, the travellers get the opportunity to stay in a home hosted by a native of the area.  Thus getting an authentic taste of daily life that staying in a hotel just cannot deliver.

Australian Pam Ferguson with host Jean Hyrich. (Photo - Phil Hossack: Winnipeg Free Press)

10,000 Seagulls can’t be wrong.

Another in my ongoing reviews of great hidden eateries, this one takes us a little off the beaten path to Kenora, Ontario.

Husky the Muskie on Kenora's Waterfront

To locals and the throngs of Manitobans that invade the little lakeside town of Kenora there has long been a meeting place that everyone can agree on.  If you have ever been to Kenora you know exactly what I am talking about.

The Ye Olde Chip Truck, or simply The Chip Truck is just the place to satisfy an afternoon craving or simply to fill the void after a long day of fishing on Lake of the Woods.  Their slogan says it all, 10,000 Seagulls can’t be wrong and who am I to doubt their logic.

For a few dollars and normally more than a few minutes waiting in line.  You are presented with a hot steaming container of fried potato perfection.  Using specialty potatoes, and double fry technique they ensure that each and every chip comes out super crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside.

Sprinkled with copious amounts of salt and in Canadian fashion splashed with white or malt vinegar.  They are a yummy treat worth pulling off the Trans-Canada Highway for.   I always make sure that at least once a summer on my trip home to Fort Frances, that I take the long way home and make my pilgrimage for those super crispy and delicious chips.

After all, like the sign by the lake says.  10,000 Seagulls can’t be wrong.

Ye Olde Chip Truck Downtown Kenora