Columbia Valley Chilln' 😎

Feeling rested and relaxed after the Hotsprings soak, and a good, but short, sleep. We were on the road by 10am. Our first stop was Invermere at the north end of lake Windermere.

Invermere means "at the mouth of the lake" or "confluence of waters at the lake," combining Scottish Gaelic and Old English roots. Windermere means "Vinand's lake," combining an Old Norse personal name (Vinandr) with the Old English word mere, which means a lake or pool.

J found the local bakery, boasting fresh pretzels. After missing out in Jasper, we were rewarded with a selection of pretzel options. We also had to get an orange infused Boston creme donut, bacon cheese twist, and a cream cheese cinnamon bun.

Once sated with the delicious treats, we circled down to the beach, and then off to the Dutch Creek Hoodoos for a hike. J found a less traveled and more relaxing route along the west side of the lake, aptly named Westside road. We noticed a paved pathway that parallel the main road for cyclists and walkers that almost traversed the full length of the route (Markin-MacPhail Westside Legacy Trail).

The morning definitely warmed up quickly. We doffed the riding gear, then headed to the 3.5km loop trail. There were a few other vehicles in the lot, but otherwise had the trail to ourselves.

Afterwards we were paralleling Columbia lake, zipping past Canal Flats, and Skookumchuck, finally arriving in Kimberly late afternoon. A found lodging at The Larix hotel just off the Platzl, Kimberly's historic pedestrian only shopping area. The Larix used to be the Kimberly hotel, and before that, the main office for Cominco.

Cominco (Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company) ran operations of the legendary Sullivan Mine (discovered by prospector Pat Sullivan in 1892), a massive lead-zinc-silver for over 90 years, and transformed the region into a major global mining hub. The Sullivan Mine officially closed in December 2001 after producing roughly 150 million tonnes of ore!

The hotel was cozy and stylishly decorated with classic cottage and modern elements. Once settled, we walked a loop of the Platzl, and enjoyed the serenade of Hans from his Cuckoo clock. The hotel had complimentary e-bikes to use, so headed for the rails-to-trails pathway to Marysville to visit with A's aunt and uncle, A&M.

A short walk to The Marysville Pub (MVP), A&M treated us to dinner. They frequent the pub often, but not typically on week days. It was much busier than expected, and the meal arrived about an hour after the initial order. This alloted us a nice long visit. As it was much later than expected, we said our goodbyes and peddled back expeditiously before it got too dark.

Before retiring for the evening we enjoyed a sweat in the wood-fired sauna, and a tea in the library, conversing with other guests.Read more