This bucolic ramble among the rolling prairie hills, highlands, and river valleys of western Manitoba loops through the heart of the region's richest farm country.

Overview
The main attraction of this relaxing prairie drive is the sense of infinite space, with rolling farmlands stretching to the horizon beneath the vast blue dome of sky. Museums here tend to emphasize turn-of-the-century rural life, with a special reverence for the grand steam-powered tractors and other complex farm gadgetry that signaled the arrival of the industrial age. But there are some surprises, such as a Cretaceous marine reptile museum and the International Peace Park, marking Canada's border with the United States with a swath of flowers.

Start in Brandon
The route starts in Brandon (Visitor Center, +1 204 729 2141 or 888 799 1111), a once booming 1880s railroad hub, now a major agricultural center and university town along the Assiniboine River. Trains and grain built the city's attractive downtown area, but airplanes and fighter pilots kept Brandon jumping during World War II. For a glimpse of how crews prepared for combat, drop by the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (at the airport, +1 204 727 2444; fee), which displays restored vintage aircraft as well as bomb sights, machine guns, radar scopes, radios, parachutes, staff cars, and an extensive archive.

Stott Site
West of Brandon, visit the Stott Site (Grand Valley Provincial Recreation Park, +1 204 726 0894), a bison-kill area where prehistoric hunters drove the beasts into an enclosure made of brush (now reconstructed).

Chapman Museum
North of Brandon, and a bit hard to find, the Chapman Museum (five miles north on Rte. 270, then west four miles on gravel road; +1 204 728 7396; donation) recalls the region's pioneer days in 16 old-timey buildings stacked to the rafters with cream separators, kitchen gadgets, tools, toys, and other neat stuff.