Hometown News

Have you always wanted to see polar bears without the bars or walls that are in the zoo?

If so, I have the trip for you.

You will be traveling to the land of the polar bear and be able to get up close to these 1,000 pound wonders, in their habitat. See the magnificent scenery, natural beauty, rare wildlife, and the Northern Lights while riding on your warm tundra bus.

Your tour will start at the gateway to the Canadian west or, in other words, Winnipeg. When you arrive, you will quickly understand why Winnipeg is known for its importance as a historic supply center.

There are still brick warehouses and rail depots that reflect on the 1920s boomtown. After meeting with the rest of your companions, you will take a scenic ride by motor coach to Thompson, where you will board for an overnight trip on Canada's VIA Rail to Churchill. This town was established in 1929 and it took more than 3000 men to lay the 1,000 miles of rail track between the two towns. It is here that you will travel, via tundra buses, to see polar bear.

A tundra bus has large, over-inflated tires and is designed to safely travel over the fragile ecosystem. Because of this design, you will be able to get within a few feet of the bears and be completely safe, secure and comfortable. These vehicles are well heated and have on board washroom facilities. There are plenty of large viewing windows as well as a special open air observation platform for watching the bears.

While on this tour, your home away from home will be the Lazy Bear Lodge. This lodge is very charming and rustic to the eye. It is an elegant, handcrafted log building, with warm and comfortable accommodations. It is also the newest lodge in Churchill and is smoke free.

Since this lodge is family run, you are treated to the best in personal service and amenities. The breakfasts and dinners are all homemade and lunches are included with the bus tour.

Established in the early 1700s, the frontier town of Churchill is known as the polar bear capital of the world.

The polar Bear is the monarch of the arctic, tipping the scales at over 1,300 pounds and can stand some 10-feet tall. The bears begin to congregate along the coast beginning In October to return to the seal-rich feeding grounds on the ice flows of Hudson Bay. Watch as they search for food, play and roughhouse as they have for centuries. Tours are led by experienced driver guides who are able to provide you with an expert narration.

While watching these fabulous bears, you will most likely be able to sight arctic foxes, hares, caribou, ringed seals and the beautiful willow ptarmigan.

For those of you reading this article, if you hear the call of the wild, call and join this unique tour put out by Mayflower tours. It is too late for this year, but the bears are there every year and will wait to see you next year in October.

Rosemarie Mascarenhas is a travel consultant with

Gadabout Travel. She can be reached at