This history exploring gig can be demanding and tiring work. There’s the endless road, it just goes on and on and on; there’s the walking and climbing, the jumping of fences, dust by the dumptruck load, all manner of dangers to think about, bugs and heat, and wind and rain. People to chat with. A person can get tuckered out on these adventures and then comes hunger and thirst.
Let me introduce you to the Southern Ranchman’s Inn Tavern (or is that saloon, pub, or beer parlour?) in Manyberries Alberta, a backwater dot-on-the-map place smack dab in the middle of nowhere, and it’s this day’s rest stop.
The interior is dark and musty and the decor dated. The walls are lined with obligatory local pictures, dusty old cowboy memorabilia and all manner of kitschy knickknacks. The tables are old school liquor control board issue, beat up and none of the chairs match. An old pool table, shuffleboard and jukebox complete the scene. Is that a pay phone? There’s the wall of local brands on display.
Other than a couple old timers nursing their beers, some good friends and us are the only customers.
There are no trendy craft brews here, no meals of Wagu-beef tenderloin with a red wine reduction, locust flower honey glazed over baby carrots and heirloom fingerling potatoes basted in bone marrow butter. You won’t find it here.
Instead they have ice cold Pilsners and fresh from the fryer wings…and it couldn’t be more perfect.
This post takes us back to 2014 and present day, the Southern Ranchman’s is long closed and Team BIGDoer is now part of the The Beer Parlour Project (It’s Happening). This place would be a perfect backdrop for an episode, if only it were open.
Short Subjects: Reports a few paragraphs in length and brief in nature. Think silly little snippets, vignettes and things of that sort. You’ll be in and out in no time.
**Beer Parlour Fridays!** Here's the bar staff at the Grand/Ben Franklin Hotel in Rimbey, Alberta, in a late 1940s or early 1950s photo. The same cooler door can be seen in our 2024 image. Not much has changed here at the Grand and many original beer parlour tables from the early days are still in use at the bar.
This photo is on display there and while several people have been identified over the years, the rest remain a mystery. Note the sign, "No case sales after 9:55 p.m."
The Camrest Motel, Camrose Alberta. It was spotted while scouting out the hotel next door for the Beer Parlour Project. Based on the exchange we're not yet sure our entourage will be heading to this town soon, but the list of places we'll be visiting is growing daily. The Beer Parlour Project is becoming a monster and it's a thrill ride! _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
**Beer Parlour Fridays!** the Champion Hotel tavern had been closed for a while when this photo from 2020 was captured (no rooms rented either). There was still a restaurant inside, but it seemed to have a lack of business due to the pandemic. This was early in the planning stages of the Beer Parlour Project and we hoped to include it in the "closed hotels" section, but the owners said no.
The building was being worked on last we heard, but we've not had any updates. Does anyone local care to chime in?
(Reposted) 9:31 pm in Burstall Saskatchewan from last summer. That's the town's former train station, down here at the sports fields. An auto club was having a big party in that tent back there and earlier invited us. What a surprise when the building came into view and we didn't know about it before. But then again we're pretty oblivious to a lot of things.😜
The building is from the 1920s and only survives because it was moved here.
Like what you see and want more? Make some NOISE! 👇 _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
The Dvorak Family Plot in Morrissey BC. The bicycle belonged to Frank (1906-1990) and his as a kid. A plaque reads: "After being stored since 1929(?) the bike was reunited with its owner Frank Dvorak in 2018(?) by the Dvorak Family" (dates were hard to read).
Over the summer the Beer Parlour Project visited SE Saskatchewan. Every night we'd visit a hotel to document the buildings and people, then every day, we'd roam the countryside looking for places like this...
No sleep - go - go -go and it was heaven.
Like what you see and want more? Make some NOISE! 👇 _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Connie.
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