Tag Archives: Canada

Selkirk Loop-Nelson BC

One of the last cities we stayed in while driving the Selkirk Loop, was  the town of Nelson. It is a hippie, cute town that kinda reminds me of Berkeley in that way.  The people are friendly and very outdoorsy. We spent one of the days at Lakeside Park. It’s a park that  basically has everything you would want for a great summer day. There is grass and beautiful flowers, plenty of benches, an outdoor bar that serves snacks, cold drinks and even delicious ice cream. There is a beautiful beach next to the lake (Kootenay) where you can rent paddle boards, canoes or kayaks for $7/ person for 3 hours!

I think that’s pretty incredible. We had so much fun kayaking and paddle  boarding. My husband lost his  second pair of sunglasses on this trip while trying out the paddle board.


The downtown area is full of boutique shops and restaurants. We stopped for crepes at this adorable place called Sanderella’s boutique and Starbird Tea house. Inside  is a charming boutique selling jewelry, candles and soaps, but towards the back of the store they make crepes, paninis and drinks.


We didn’t have all the time we wanted to explore this little town, but the three days we spent here were wonderful. Hopefully we can come back one day and explore some more.

 Ghost Town of Sandon

Considered one of the last ” true ghost towns” Sandon B.C was booming in the late 1800’s. It had stores, brothels and even a school. A fire almost destroyed the whole town, but it was rebuilt over a period a few years. Sandon was a mining town, silver mining to be exact. It has an interesting story about two men from different places partnering up the find the mother load of silver and strike it rich. One of them betrays the other (sounds like most stories in history) and strikes it rich while the other moves on.


What’s left of the town can still be seen in the leftover shantys and few buildings. The miner’s old housing was turned into a museum. It has great information  and artifacts about the town and its history.


Walking through Sandon a few trolley buses from the 1940’s can be seen on what used to be the Main Street. The buses are awaiting refurbishing and possible placement back into circulation in Vancouver.


It’s believed there are possibly 10,000 silver coins along the bottom of Carpenter Creek which runs along the ghost town.  Anyone interested in a swim?

The Selkirk Loop-Ainsworth B.C

Three and a half hours from the Norther Idaho border is the quaint village of Ainsworth in British Columbia, Canada. It sits on Kootenay Lake and it is a popular destination during summer and winter alike. What is so popular about Ainsworth is it’s natural hot springs resort.

We spent three days at the Ainsworth Hot Springs Inn. The outside pool has natural hot spring water that has to be cooled down as it comes from the underground spring. It’s such a relaxing feeling to soak in the warm waters and take in the beautiful surroundings of Kootenay Lake and mountains. If you prefer a hotter experience, you can head to the caves which are next to the pool. It’s exactly that, a walk through cave with mineral water which comes from the hot springs, it feels like a natural sauna inside. The Native Americans would come after battle and soak in these waters which they believed had healing  properties. When you’ve had enough of the caves take a cold dip in the plunge pool which is filled with natural spring water continuously flowing through a spigot from the mountain. Let me tell you, it’s chilly taking a dip in there!


The resort has its own restaurant, the Ktunaxa Grill. We had lunch and dinner here and were pleasantly surprised. With items on the menu such as bison burgers, venison rack, and fish and chips, there is something for everyone. All the food is fresh and local, and most importantly very tasty.


We didn’t get a chance to visit Cody Caves, which is a very popular destination here as well. I was afraid my car wouldn’t  make it up the 10 km steep and bumpy drive. I was already nervous about doing this 3 week close to 3000 mile road trip, I didn’t want to push my luck. I’ve heard the caves are an amazing experience…maybe next time!

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