'A very beautiful city': Omaha couple loves Winnipeg vacation

An American couple that recently came to Winnipeg for their summer vacation says people here seemed surprised at their destination choice, but it ultimately turned out to be a good one.

Bill Thoms wasn't originally planning on traveling to Winnipeg with his wife for Canada Day long weekend, but when it came time for the Omaha, Neb. couple to look at vacation destinations, it seemed like a good fit.

"I said we should go to Winnipeg, let's go to Canada. It would be fun…and it's somewhere we've never been," said Thoms.

They made the nine-hour drive due north, through Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The couple stayed at the Fort Garry Hotel in downtown Winnipeg. After check-in, the two popped over to The Forks for dinner and shopping before going on a walk through St. Boniface.

On day two of their Winnipeg vacation, Thoms and his wife took in the Splash Dash River Tour at The Forks. He said their guide was very entertaining and informative. "We learned a lot about the city, about the history of the city…we learned about the flooding that happens there annually," said Thoms.

They then went to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), which was offering free admission on Canada Day.

"We were really blown away by it," said Thoms. "Just from an architectural standpoint, that building is absolutely amazing."

He said the exhibits about Canada's residential schools and reconciliation really made an impact.

"As an American, I got the impression that Canadians are more willing to be a little bit more accountable about some of the misdeeds of the past, whereas right now in our country we don’t really have that culture of accountability as much," Thoms said.

"That was something I really admired about Canada."

The Thoms also sang karaoke in Osborne Village, got out to Lake Winnipeg for a day, and enjoyed some relaxation at Ten Spa at the Fort Garry Hotel before returning home at the end of the trip.

"We just overall had a great visit," Thoms said.

He said they had some really good conversations with Winnipeggers while they were here, but one question always came up.

"They said 'why did you come here for your vacation?'" Thoms said. "It's funny because in Omaha, we give the same reaction too when people come here."

"They say 'we came here for vacation,' we're like 'really?'"

When they returned home, Thoms posted to the Winnipeg Reddit community, thanking the city for a great vacation. He said there are a lot of similarities between Omaha and Winnipeg.

"In both cities there are great things to do, and I certainly encourage Canadians to come down and visit our fair city as well, I'll be happy to show them around."

In particular, he says Omaha has a world-class zoo, and the city is planning to open a riverfront park similar to The Forks.

Despite popular opinion, Winnipeg does get a good number of tourists. According to Economic Development Winnipeg, the city attracts approximately 3.5 million visitors every year.

Thoms said they loved their Winnipeg vacation. "I absolutely would love to come back," he said. "A very beautiful city and very nice people."