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