Explore BC

Waiting for a ferry ride at Galena Bay

Back at the beginning of July my brother made the long flight back to Canada from Australia to visit. For the crazy distance across the globe we manage to talk to each other weekly if not daily, however it had been a year and a half since seeing him last so I was truly excited to head out on a road trip adventure and explore parts of BC that we had never seen before. We headed out from Calgary on a Southern Kootenays route with the plan to loop back to the city in a week’s time. Key highlights and stops along the way:

Creston 

This sleepy little orchard and farming town is a great stop along the route. The pretty little valley reminded us a lot of what the Okanagan used to be when it was quieter and less developed, plus you can’t help but stop and grab some of the fresh fruit along the way. Some of the places we visited:

Columbia Brewery Tour:  Home of the infamous Sasquatch, this brewery offers tours of it’s cool facility for $5 plus you get a brew or beverage of your choice after the tour in the lounge. The brew over 17 different beers and produce over 1 million cans per day!

Lay’s Orchard: Ok, this is a bit of a local’s secret- but if you are able to find Lay’s in Creston, it has some of the best fruit going in the valley. Hint- it’s close by the brewery…. 

Skimmerhorn Winery & Baillie- Grohman Winery: Winery tours go hand in hand with fruit shopping. These two are distinctly different in decor and style however both offer amazing wines produced right in the valley. Also pinched on time? You’re in luck because these are side by side.

Kootenay Crate Company: If you’re doing a little shopping on main street. be sure to check out Kootenay Crate Company, they have a wide variety of unique crafted home decor.

Here’s a little video overview of our trip! Check out more of my brother’s drone footage on his IG account @ejfaris.

Nelson:

For such a quaint little town, Nelson is rich with history and has over 350 designated historical buildings- you can take a guided walking tour of the district downtown. Strolling around downtown, you’ll also find lots of quaint shops, coffee stops, diners and cozy restaurants. One of my favourite boutiques was Scout Clothing.

Kokanee Mountain Zipline: Located about 20 minutes outside of Nelson, this zip line offers a great experience in the provincial park and beautiful scenery. Make sure to book your time online if you plan on going you don’t have to wait around! 

Ainsworth Hot Springs: 

The hot springs  were a great stop after a day of touring.  An all inclusive stay, we overnighted and enjoyed the hot pools, caves and had dinner at the resort which was a nice break from a day of travel.

Kaslo:

We really enjoyed this little town on picturesque Kootenay Lake. We had the best breakfast here and lounged around the lake and shipyards. There are also some cute little shops to tour on mainstreet or if you’re spending a day you can head out on the water in a kayak or boat.

Revelstoke: 

After a ferry ride across Kootenay Lake, we headed to Revelstoke to take on the Pipe Mountain Coaster. My brother and I both being adrenaline junkies were surprised how fun (and fast) the ride felt. It was definitely worth the drive. Just a tip- this attraction is gaining popularity so be prepared for a bit of a wait- we found going around dinner time and then grabbing a bite on the beautiful deck overlooking the valley was the way to do it.

After, head into Revelstoke to experience one of the main street fests the hold on a weekly basis on mainstreet. The Village Idiot is a great place to relax and grab a local brew after.

Kicking Horse Mountain:

One of our last stops on the tour was at Kicking Horse Mountain. We opted for a gondola ride to the top and went for hike before deciding to hike the rest down to the bottom. The ski resort offers lots of great mountain biking trails in the summer, a grizzly sanctuary or if you just want to take in the views- head up to Eagles Eye Restaurant for some jaw dropping 360 degree sights.  You can see more of it on the video in the post!