The drive to Kindersley contained many moments that were truly surreal. It was one of those days where the sun broke through the clouds one moment, turning the prairies to a sea of gold, then the sky opened again dumping rain, which was followed by a rainbow that spanned the entire sky in full, vibrant color. Even as a wordsmith the ability to capture the everchanging scenes eluded me. My camera didn't do much better of a job.

Kindersley is situated in West Central Saskatchewan, near the Alberta border. The community is an endearing cross between city and small town country. More than a hundred miles from large cities in any direction, it has become the centre hub for a wide area, so has developed the facilities to serve all needs.

As I pulled into the parking lot for the Kindersley Inn I gazed around thinking of the great times I'd had with friends during snowmobile races there during the eighties. The summer vacation we'd had a suite overlooking the pool, back when the kids were just into their teens, also popped into my mind. It almost felt like coming home.

The staff at the counter were as friendly as I remembered them. Before long I was settled into my room with all the comforts of home. Gazing longingly at the king sized bed, I pulled out the desk chair instead. With tons of space to spread out my briefcases and bags, I was soon hard at work.

Indeed I wasn't on vacation this time, but was presenting a Library Training Workshop for 20 library workers in a conference room at the Inn. I still had certificates to fill in and paperwork to complete.

Getting organized for the next day I realized the suit jacket in the bottom of my suitcase was a little scrunched. No problem-friendly hotel staff delivered everything I needed to my room in minutes. The only thing easier would have been if someone else did the ironing!

Once that was out of the way I jumped into my bathing suit and set off down the hallway to the pool area. The hot tub was just what I needed to relax after the five hour drive! A young family was already in the pool room, with one child in the big pool with a parent and a smaller one in the kid-sized paddling pool where she was free to splash and really enjoy herself.

I set the timer on the hot tub and lowered myself into the water. Ah…there's nothing like a great water massage to relax the muscles at the end of the day. With the temperature just right and the water feeling fine, I settled in for my standard twenty minutes of mindless pampering, thinking how great it would feel after pounding the snowmobile trails on a winter run.

The bed, when I returned to the room, was just as comfortable as it had appeared. I'd bypassed Charlie's Sport Lounge, which I remembered well from the snowmobile racing days, in favor of an early night. Too bad you can't have everything!

Breakfast was great in the East Side Café the next morning, and I was able to relax over several cups of decaffeinated while I finished getting organized for my training workshop. The menu was varied, but since I like light breakfasts I stuck to fresh fruit and whole wheat toast.

The conference room was just as well-set up and functional as everything else had been during my trip. With everything close at hand, including fresh pots of coffee and doughnuts for my students, we were soon deep in discussions of library maintenance and time management.

Indeed, the time passed quickly for me during my stay at the Kindersley Inn. Whether it's a working stay or a fun stop with your snowmobile to enjoy the trails maintained by the White Knucklers Snowmobile Club make the Kindersley Inn your stopping point in West Central Saskatchewan!

For full details on staying at the Kindersley Inn (including directions), click to: http://www.kindersleyinn.com/