Let’s just say our day isn’t going well.
We woke up early on Saturday June 18th, rented an EVO rideshare, and made our way to the YVR airport with the expectations of going to Puerto Vallarta. Only to be let down when we found out that one of our passports had expired. After numerous phone calls and getting credits and refunds where possible, we took what remaining funds we had to make a road trip into the Kootney’s.
We had no set plan, and didn’t expect to. We decided that 2 nights in Ainsworth Hot Springs might help us relax. A 702 kilometer driven in a brand new Subaru STI Hikari edition to a place we’ve only seen pictures of on the internet. The Crowsnest highway feels long and twisty. Excellent for breaking in the new motor. Two gas stops, and 2 meals later, we arrived at the Hot Spings around 6:30 pm, given that we left at 9:45 am.
The drive into town emphasized exactly where we were and where we were not. No major city. No nearby liquor store, and small cash only hippie stores that close early. This was all justified once we reached our hotel. The Ainsworth Hot Sping Resort feels grand the minute you arrive. The check-in went smoothly and we were off to our room which was nicely situated directly in front of the pools main entrance.
All it takes is wearing your supplied robe and locker key to gain entrance. Once inside, we started off with the middle temperature pool, which is also the larger pool. The temperature is perfect for relaxing without over heating. After the boredom set in, it was time for the Caves. The Caves is where the natural hydraulic pressure in underground waterways presses hot water up canals into a horseshoe shaped cavern. The water is brown and murky and obviously filled with natural minerals. The steam trapped in the caves mimics that of a sauna. A natural hybrid of a sauna and a hot tub buried under the mountain side.
We drove up to the JB Pub, a 9 minute drive north of the resort to pick-up some off sales liquor. We ended up buying some organic brown ale from the Nelson brewing company. Not our typical beer, but tasty enough to help us sleep after our long day.
Waking up on the 19th with hungry stomachs, brought us to the Appy Cafe and Artisan. The place should have been called the Appy Cafe and Gem store as that’s how it really felt. Organic coffee and vegan wrap paninis filled that void we were looking for. Great coffee, but only disappointment was that they only has coconut milk being a vegan location.
We stopped at a few places on the way back including the beautiful beach of Kokanee Creek Provincial Park. The white sand beaches, breath taking views of the mountains reflecting in the stillness of Kootney Lake felt surreal.
As we searched a few more place along the way back, we also stopped at the ferry terminal. Here we found an old hippy guy making handmade tie-dye shirts with his business called the Kool Bus. We both laughed at a sign that read Wife Huggers opposed to Wife Beaters, the classic sleeveless muscle shirt.
By the time we returned, it was time to book a reservation for dinner, and go for one last dip in the pools.
Dinner reservation was at 6:30pm and was busy. We got two glasses of wine, and both decided to go with indian dishes for our meal choices. The Tika Masala, and Chana Veggies served with rice and a salad. The food was top notch, and the service was great! The restaurant was very outdated for a place that was renovated in 2012. It felt like it was stuck in the 90’s with carpet floors and white doylie style drapes with a mix of brown painted aluminum window frames and wood banisters around the bar. Despite the decor, the food prevailed. Not only was the indian food very flavorful, but the portion size was fit for a king! The price was reasonable for the food and service, but by no means cheap.
The plan was to return to the pools for a late night under the stars dip, but we were both so stuffed that we ended up falling asleep watching some Die Hard with Bruce Willis.
Waking up on the 20th, Robert went on a GoPro mission to capture the pools while there were only a few people swimming. A quick dip and record before 11am check-out. Decision was to go to Penticton for a wine tour. We booked at the HI-Penticton Hostel. Jenina has never been to a hostel, and this was just a cheap excuse to go. Plus the Subaru was due for its 1000k service, and Penticton was the closest Subaru dealer.
In 4 hours time, we’d be in the Wine Capitol of British Columbia!
