| If you like soaking in Hot Springs and you like | | | | another five will take you to the unique ghost town |
| Mountain scenery, this is a tour you should try to | | | | of Three Valley Gap and nearby, the waterfall at |
| make because it serendipitously combines the two. | | | | Crazy Creek Falls.Back on your quest for Hot springs, |
| It's in the Kootenay region of B.C. where there is a | | | | you now travel south from Revelstoke on Hwy 23, |
| number of luxurious, relaxing, mineral-rich hot | | | | take a short ride on the cable-operated Galina ferry, |
| springs.You can start your tour from any point along | | | | then on to Halcyon Hot Springs. A short dip here and |
| the route, but for purposes of this article we'll start in | | | | down the road a short distance you come to the |
| Cranbrook.Cranbrook is about 30 miles north of the | | | | town of Nakusp, with - what else - the Nakusp Hot |
| US border and directly above the state line between | | | | Springs. Nakusp is a nice little town situated on the |
| Montana and Idaho. It is well served by several major | | | | shores of the Upper Arrow Lakes. These lakes were |
| highway routes, in addition to a local airport, where | | | | once serviced by sternwheelers and the Nakusp |
| rental cars are plentiful. Cranbrook was once a | | | | Museum can tell you all about them. There is also a |
| thriving railway town and is now the regional centre | | | | nice evening stroll along the Waterfront Japanese |
| of the East Kootenay region. There is a | | | | Gardens, particularly just at dusk with the lights |
| reconstruction of an 1890s fort called Fort Steele | | | | dancing on the water. Nakusp and the Arrow Lakes |
| where the NorthWest Mounted Police were once | | | | are in a deep valley, so nightfall comes early in this |
| stationed. Now it is an outdoor museum and stages | | | | mountainous area.Further south on Hwy 23, you'll |
| summer theatre for visitors.Driving north along | | | | come to New Denver and Silverton. This area was |
| Highway 95A you'll come to Kimberley, once a very | | | | once the centre of extensive silver mining; now only |
| busy mining town, but has now become a | | | | a few small privately owned operations with at most |
| four-season resort instead. The downtown centre | | | | 5-6 men are still working the drifts. Sandon, a true |
| has been modeled to resemble a town square in | | | | mining ghost town with a fascinating history is well |
| Bavaria and is called the Platzl. Well worth a short | | | | worth the side trip.From New Denver you take Hwy |
| stop.Heading north on Hwy 93/95 you'll come to the | | | | 31A across a stretch of forested wilderness to Kaslo |
| first Hot Springs in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park, | | | | whose natural harbor once bustled with the activity |
| located along the Lussier River. They are only | | | | of orebarges, steamships and sternwheelers that |
| accessible in good weather via a forest service road. | | | | were traversing the 120 mile long Kootenay Lake |
| However, just a few miles farther along, are the | | | | from north to south. Here you will find the SS Moyie, |
| Fairmont Hot Springs and these pools are odorless, a | | | | still well preserved and billed as the oldest surviving |
| rarity among mineral rich springs. They are located in | | | | sternwheeler in the world. It was launched in 1898 in |
| the midst of a large resort development, skiing in the | | | | the heyday of sternwheelers throughout |
| winter and golfing in the summer, but the springs are | | | | southeastern B.C.; there seems to have been a |
| open to the general public.Up the road a bit and you'll | | | | steamboat of some description on every body of |
| pass through the village of Lake Windermere and the | | | | water deep enough to float one.From Kaslo it's a |
| turnoff for Invermere and the Panorama Mountain | | | | short trip west on Hwy 31 to Ainsworth Hot Springs. |
| Winter Resort. But this is a Hot Springs tour so you | | | | This unique hot springs has a horseshoe shaped cave; |
| press on to the next town, Radium Hot Springs. | | | | you get an opportunity to remember which is the |
| These were the first commercially developed Hot | | | | stalactites and which are the stalagmites. There is |
| Springs in the entire area and still one of the best. | | | | also a main pool that overlooks Kootenay Lake. |
| You can soak in the springs while gazing at the red | | | | Ainsworth has built a resort around the Hot Springs |
| cliffs of Sinclair Canyon and if you look sharp you | | | | and is a convenient place to stay for a night or a |
| may spot some Bighorn Sheep that have long been | | | | week. It also has a very decent restaurant.Leaving |
| resident in the area. They've grown unafraid of | | | | Ainsworth, you take the Kootenay Lake Ferry across |
| humans, so look - but don't approach.As you continue | | | | to Crawford Bay and then travel south on Hwy 3A |
| on Hwy 95 north to Golden, you'll see the Columbia | | | | to Creston. The area along the highway adjacent to |
| river basin on your left; this is North America's largest | | | | Crawford is home to many self-employed artisans, |
| wetland. At Golden you join Hwy 1, the Transcanada | | | | you'll see their signs everywhere. Some of the |
| Highway and travel west through Glacier National | | | | articles produced here are of quite high |
| Park. At the park's western edge, is the Canyon Hot | | | | quality.Creston is well known for its orchards and of |
| Springs natural mineral hot pool, a welcome place to | | | | course its brewery which produces the famous |
| relieve the aches of travelling.Continuing to drive | | | | Kokanee Gold beer. If you like birding there is a bird |
| west, you enter Mt. Revelstoke National Park and | | | | and waterfowl refuge for more that 250 bird species. |
| come to the city of Revelstoke. This was a major rail | | | | You can take the boardwalk trail or visit the |
| division point in the days of the steam locomotives | | | | Interpretive Centre.From Creston you travel back |
| and there is a very good Railway Museum here. This | | | | east on Hwy 3 and return to Cranbrook, your original |
| is an alpine city and there are plenty of very | | | | jumping off point. You have seen some of the |
| interesting walks, one of them takes you along some | | | | Kootenay Region's best scenery and not to forget, |
| of the over 60 restored period buildings. For the | | | | you've dipped your toes (or soaked) in seven Hot |
| children there is also the Enchanted Forest's Wild | | | | Springs. |
| Land Interpretive Walk about five miles out of town, | | | | |