Stories About BC Canada
British Columbia Beckons with Idyllic Winter Escapes
By Judi Lees
With a flurry of adventure for the whole family, one can’t help but embrace winter in British Columbia. This great western province holds a whopping selection of winter treats - and we aren’t just talking about skiing. While it’s a given that BC boasts some of the world’s best terrain for downhill riders and boarders, it’s also fact that the province houses a myriad of other snowy pastimes worthy of exploration.
Girls' Getaway
When girls plan a getaway, two passions collide: there is the need to spa and the need to spend. To really get away from it all, head out of the city -- Hello, Nelson! Overlooking the West Arm of Kootenay Lake and stretching along the slopes of the Selkirk Mountains, its turn-of-the-century facades make it pretty enough to be in the movies. (Remember Steve Martin’s ‘Roxanne’?)
Book into Blaylock’s Mansion & Health Spa, nestled in the province’s Kootenay Rockies region. This eye-catching Tudor estate was built in the 1930’s as a summer home for the president of a mining company. Today, its seven stunning rooms (decorated with antiques and period furnishings) and in-house spa offer the perfect retreat. Begin your day with a walk through the expansive gardens that take on a special glow blanketed in snow. Then head to Blaylock’s Health Spa, which pampers with everything from a hot rock massage to a green tea facial.
While some of the gals are booked into the spa, others can explore Nelson. Stroll heritage Baker Street, visit the Nelson Museum and meander through the array of charming shops. There’s antiques at Chuckleberry Lane; you’ll find a wealth of treasures at the Craft Connection and at Figments Fine Canadian Crafts; glass studios abound – at Our Glass, you can even watch artisans work. For more Christmas gift ideas, Red Moon Rising Gallery features pottery, jewellery, sculpture and contemporary paintings.
When it comes to dining in Nelson, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the range from casual and funky to trendy and upscale. There’s a palate-pleasing selection as you can dine on Indian or African as well as Mediterranean or pub fare.
Other possibilities for a girls’ stay away in this cute town of just over 9,000 are the Willow Point Lodge or the Inn The Garden. The Mountain Waters Spa & Wellness Centre is right in town and caters to hedonists. It also offers spa vacations in a nearby woodsy setting. Nelson may be a little off the tourist-track but that only adds to its getaway appeal.
Guys' Time Away
It’s a given: when lured by winter adventure, guys love to head north. From Prince George to the Yukon border is a rugged region that beckons with wide open snowy spaces and soaring mountain peaks.
While the great mountains of northern BC may appear remote and forbidding, one can find a haven for hikers and climbers. The winter months beckon at the warm and welcoming Burnie Glacier Chalet in the Howson Range southwest of Smithers (accessible by air only). While known for snowboarding and backcountry skiing, here, Bear Mountaineering will also lead adventurists on a scenic ice climb or provide an avalanche course with an experienced internationally-certified Canadian mountain guide.
Revel in the roar of a snowmobile and zoom over frosty untouched terrain. From the little town of Mackenzie, there’s something for every sledder, as they zip along groomed trails, cruise alpine meadows or frolic in virgin powder bowls. Let Rocky Mountain Trench Adventures introduce you to the mind-boggling terrain.
Picture this, you hop on your snowmobile in the town, and, within 30 minutes, roar to high alpine bowls of fluffy powder. You arrive at a small chalet for a warm lunch, then head out for more. Mackenzie’s motto “from porch to powder” is one expression that matches the experience. And this is one getaway that requires your camera - the guys back home just won’t believe it.
Romantic Retreats
You awaken in your cozy bed, surrounded by glorious views, warmed by the flickering fireplace and bedazzled by the roaring storm outside. Beyond your refuge, wind whips and waves crash relentlessly onto Cox Bay - an expansive sweep of sand on Vancouver Island’s west coast.
At Pacific Sands Beach Resort, winter days are in your face. And while indoor comforts prove inviting, storms paint a dramatic and compelling scene outside. Don waterproof, bright yellow slickers, and hold tight to the hand of your loved one, as you head out to make wet footprints in the sand. Okay, this isn’t the same romantic scene as strolling tropical silvery sands, but it’s exuberant to share this mystical, moist adventure as nature performs around you.
Located just south of the oceanfront town of Tofino, the resort borders the famous Pacific Rim National Park, with its stands of Sitka Spruce and towering cedars. (Follow forested trails that showcase a verdant wonderland and lead to viewpoints. At Sunset Point you eyeball the curling surf -- in winter, waves can top ten metres – and, at day’s end, catch the late-day sun highlighting the monochrome ocean-scape).
As romantic as this lodge’s private villas are (other nearby resorts that cater to storm-watchers are Long Beach Lodge Resort, The Wickaninnish Inn, and Middle Beach Lodge), don’t miss the picturesque town. Adventure-packed in other seasons, in winter it’s laid-back and meant for meandering. In the enchanting setting of a traditional Northwest Coast longhouse, admire the work of Tsimshian artist Roy Henry Vickers at the Eagle Aerie Gallery. (To buy silver crafted jewellery for your loved one, check out the House of Himwitsa Native Art).
One of the most romantic places to dine is the dimly lit Shelter Restaurant. (The Schooner, a Tofino institution, is terrific for breakfast). For the ultimate in an amorous evening, book an in-villa spa treatment by Sacred Stone. Then call upon Clayoquot Cuisine. The roving chef, Mark Wrigley, arrives quietly in your kitchen and, ever-so-discretely, prepares a West Coast inspired dinner for two, complete with a killer dessert – chocolate, naturally!
Family Fun
Bundle up the family and head for the Thompson Okanagan - a lake-blessed region that buzzes with excitement throughout summer and shows little sign of slowing down in winter. Renowned for its powder-dry snowfalls, this region offers an eclectic sampling of winter fun during chilly months.
The whole family can make big foot tracks through the white stuff during a guided snowshoe excursion with Monashee Adventure Tours. Participants are transported from the centrally-located city of Kelowna to Beaver Lake Resort - where, in a quiet, white-coated world, they tramp, enjoying a mode of transportation used by early-day settlers. Included in this four-hour excursion (along with lunch) is ice fishing. While it may seem unusual to sit on a frosty lake dangling a line below the ice, it’s high excitement when a trout grabs the bait. “Even young children love these outdoor winter trips,” says Ed Kruger, owner and operator of Monashee Adventure Tours. And for those wishing to customize their excursion to add a personal touch, Kruger adds that he and his team are happy to modify trips to meet all requirements.
When it comes to being kid-friendly, the Thompson Okanagan region rates highly -- kids love action and this region is action-packed. Four renowned resorts – Big White Ski Resort outside Kelowna, Silver Star Mountain Resort just northeast of Vernon, Apex Mountain Resort near Penticton and Sun Peaks Resort outside of Kamloops – are not simply a haven of ski runs. With non-stop activity, youngsters enjoy time in lively centres designed for fun that buzz with kinetic energy. And while the tykes frolic, parents can play -- chilling out at one of the many restaurants or wandering through trendy shops and galleries.
At Big White Ski Resort, you may wish to join your younger set on a gondola lift to Happy Valley and then zoom down what is lauded as North America’s largest tubing park. Little guys will thrill to ride on the mini-Z snowmobiles -- tiny tyke versions of the real thing – plus there’s both a hockey and skating rink. The fairy-tale village of Silver Star Mountain Resort caters to little stars with its Mini-Z Snowmobile Park, Tube Town, horse-drawn sleigh rides and ice skating on Silver Lake . At Apex Mountain Resort, snowshoeing, ice skating and sleigh rides are all options but chances are, the older kids, along with Mom and Dad, will love the one-kilometre ice skating loop that snakes through the trees. This is especially exciting at night when the trail is lit and a bonfire and goodies are part of the event.
Sun Peaks Resort is also a haven of family fun. Treat the kids to an hour-long dog sled ride; they can also ice skate, snowshoe or hit the Tube Park. The older kids may wish to try manoeuvring a ski bike – similar to the ‘banana seat’ bikes of the seventies, only on skis. Day’s end promises an opportunity to compare notes while relaxing back at the condos or taking a soak in the Sports Centre’s hot tub.
The Kamloops region also offers a not-to-be-missed attraction. BC Wildlife Park is a people-pleaser year-round but sightings the likes of bear, moose, wolves and many other species in a snowy setting is magical. Special events are celebrated with great panache, and over Christmas the BC Hydro Power Smart Wildlights show illuminates the park with 400,000 glimmering energy-efficient and bright non-neon lights . It’s a time of wide-eyed wonder for children and parents.
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