Cranbrook & Kimberley - Golden Views and Craft Brews

This fall my partner and I visited Cranbrook and Kimberley for a unique two part trip. We wanted to make the most of the very short fall season for the colours. What we didn’t know is that this area gets an extended shoulder season! The colours pop in the high alpine around the end of September and then when you think it’s over, all the lower elevation deciduous and larch ripen mid October into November! Come along with us and see for yourself how we captured the colours. We may have sipped on a great craft brew and had a whole lot of fun in the process too!

The Road to Adventure

We paired our first trip with a Tasting Passport that the BC Ale Trail helps put on. This passport has a stamp as you go format where every-time you visit a restaurant, cafe or pub that is participating you will get a stamp. Six stamps gives you the chance to win an amazing prize. This year it was a Helicopter Picnic and other various prize packages! The great news is that it includes both Cranbrook and Kimberley, so there is a lot of choices. We found some great spots, the competition runs from mid September to mid October.

We really focused on hiking in our first trip. The Larch at the higher elevations peak in late September and there are some breathtaking hikes in this area. We started with Tanglefoot Lake. Having spent time in this area, I have heard about this lake for so long and was so happy to finally make it up there. All the stories are true! This place is magical and with the Larch colours it was spectacular! It was a bumpy road to the trailhead, so a 4x4 is recommended, however there is a second access that takes a bit longer to hike but is a good option if you have a small car. We just used All Trails to get the trail information.

Tanglefoot Larch Madness

Valley View

Brush Colours

Blue Tanglefoot

“I just love taking in slow crisp mornings and watching the deer and the birds. What a way to wake up.”

We stayed at Elizabeth Lake Lodge on our first trip. I always pass this lodge and wanted to stay here because it has an amazing mini golf course! It is also right beside the Elizabeth Wetlands and if you like birds, this is the place. The place was so lovely and had very nice people managing. We took our coffee (graciously provided by the Lodge and fresh ground) and walked around the wetland at sunrise. I just love taking in slow crisp mornings and watching the deer and birds. What a way to wake up.

Bear Lake

Our second hike was to Bear Lake. I have never heard of this one but was told it had some amazing views and good larch trees. It is a shorter but steep hike but the final destination is worth it! This glassy blue lake had dozens of fish surfacing and a landscape of yellow larch on the shoreline. We really enjoyed this hike, I’ll be back next year.

After hiking we found great places to have a craft beer and a great dinner. I didn’t realize that this area had such an amazing food scene! We had no problem filling our tummies with great fuel after our big hike days.

There are various Breweries in the East Kootenay’s which means there are so many options when you are looking for that post hike thirst fix. We were still enjoying most of the patios at the end of September, it was still really warm and felt like mid summer. I like the vibe of this area so much, Kimberley and Cranbrook have a chill relaxed feel.

We wrapped up our first trip with full hearts and lots of photos. The next trip back to these little mountain towns would look a little different but still just as adventurous!

The Lower Larch and Valley Adventures

We came back to the East Kootenay’s just at the right time for the peak of the lower larch trees. This second trip was October 24-26 and the trees were just popping with colour! We had a few different activities planned and decided to spend a bit more time in Kimberley. It’s still prime time to paddle-board, hike and bike and can sometimes last into November. You might just need to add an extra layer. We planned a small hike and paddle board our first day. The second day we did the North Star Rails to Trails bike path from Cranbrook to Kimberley!

Lower Elevation Larch are usually larger/taller. Some areas have more density than others.

We woke up to some insane fog our first morning. I instantly wanted to get out on the water because the conditions were insane. It always seems to be this time of year when the outdoor temps drop that the lakes start to have a beautiful fog to them. We pumped up our paddle-boards and headed out on Moyie Lake. We originally wanted to paddle St. Mary’s lake, however we were closer to Moyie and didn’t want to miss these conditions. The Larch were surrounding the lake and the sun was just peaking over the mountain adding a magical gold to the lake. It was a feast for the eyes and so peaceful.

The next stop was to grab some breakfast in town. We love Hot Shots cafe for it’s yummy breakfast and of course some good coffee. We then ventured to Kimberley to discover some larch hikes near the ski area. We drove up to the trails area and it didn’t take long to find some beautiful trees by just exploring the bike and hike trails.

We came back to Downtown and wandered around some of the shops. They have some amazing clothing and organic shops in this German inspired town. We kept busy until hunger told us to find some dinner. We decided to grab some Pizza at Stone Fire. They have a wood burning stove oven so the food was delicious of course! There is usually live music on the weekends here as well. The town is quiet this time of year and starts to get very busy come ski season.

Downtown Kimberley

The next day we prepared for our bike ride. You can rent bikes from either Cranbrook or Kimberley however we decided to use our own. You can also e-bike this North Stars Rail to Trails. Where we started, it was a 24.5km ride one way. It took us about one and half hours while taking photos for the one way. It is relatively flat because it follows the old rail line and that adds a lot of joy!

Larch all along the Rails toTrails path!

Once we arrived in Kimberley we were hungry! So what better than some burritos from the Burrito Grill! We love this little Mexican inspired grill. We fuelled up and wandered around downtown again until the ride back and took a nice slow cruise back to Cranbrook.

After getting back to Cranbrook we decided to share the most insane Veggie Burger at the Firehouse Kitchen and Tap. We had some celebratory craft brews and then headed in for the night.

Both of our mini trips were amazing and so different! The versatility of this area always astonishes me. We can’t wait to get back for our Winter trips!

This trip was in Partnership with Cranbrook and Kimberley - All opinions are my own.

The Golden Triangle Road Trip

The Golden Triangle is a stretch of highway that includes three National Parks and some wonderful places to stay along the way. Why choose this particular road trip? There are many reasons why I was interested in exploring this route, one being the absolute beautiful stops in these places as well as the more quiet nature of these spots. If you like to get away from the crowds of Banff, but still want to get into cute mountain towns and see nature then this might be the trip for you!

The Triangle starts from Castle Junction if you are coming from Banff or Calgary, and you have a choice between two directions. You can drive North towards Golden or, like we did for our trip, you can start down the Hwy 93 South towards Radium.

I have written the blog in the direction and the itinerary that we followed, starting in Kootenay National Park. I have provided links to all of our stays, eats and fun if you want to follow our footsteps!

Kootenay National Park

We started our drive down the 93 South and boy are there some gems along this stretch of road! Not only are the views just breathtaking but the stops along the drive are not worth missing. We didn’t have time for everything along this road, but we stopped at all that we could. Marble Canyon was the first and a short walk will take you to the crystal clear waters of this sculpted canyon. It is only a five minute walk to discover the first part of this beautiful stop, and if you want to continue further, you can follow the canyon higher.

Looking up Marble Canyon

Looking down Marble Canyon

Our next stop was not much further down the road. Look for the signs for Numa falls, you won’t be disappointed by this gem. Again this is a short walk to the main attraction where you will lay your eyes on deep blue waters crushing down a turbulent waterfall and gracefully flowing down the river canyon. This stop is a favourite of mine in the winter, but in the summer the water is so blue it’s hard not to be mesmerised by it.

The River Flowing from Numa Falls

We kept driving towards Radium where we were camping for the night. We couldn’t stop at The Stanley Glacier hike due to lack of time but it’s a short 4km breathtaking hike that would be an excellent fit for this itinerary. We decided to pass a few other hikes close to Radium as it was getting late, but we revisited these the next day so I will circle back to that during the Radium portion of the blog.

Radium British Columbia

We got into Radium just in time for Dinner and we were told the Horsethief Pub was the spot to go. Will and i are both plant based so I was a tad skeptical that they might have limited options however they had some amazing in house made veggie burgers! It was exactly what we were craving.

Redstreak O’Tentik

After dinner, we worked our way up to The Redstreak Campground where we had an O’TENTik booked for the night. These “glamping” style tents are provided by Parks Canada and have six bunks with sleeping pads, a table, outdoor fire pit and bear bins for an easier camping experience. They are so darn cute!

The next day was a busy one! We started off our day exploring the campground. There are so many trails and walks nearby I wish we had more time! We then headed to the Info Center to get some information about Radium and see the local hikes or activities in the area. If we had more time, I would have loved to rent some bikes and take them on the Old Coach pathway. Instead we grabbed some breakfast at the local Big Horn Cafe.

We packed our bags and drove back down the Hwy 93 South to grab some shots of the ionic Sinclair canyon that we drove through and then headed towards Dog Lake for a like hike. It is only a 20 min drive from Radium.

The hike is beautiful! It starts by crossing a suspension bridge over bright blue water and then a lovely fresh smelling hike through the woods. You then pop out at a beautiful green-blue lake! We saw a few frogs and different species of birds along the way. It only takes a couple hours and doesn’t have very much elevation so I would say it is a very child friendly hike.

We drove back towards Radium after this with a short stop at Olive Lake. These crystal vibrant bluish-green waters always captivate me when I drive past. It is directly off the road so you can’t miss it. The lake is really something spectacular when it is a perfect reflection and you can even spot fish!

Lunch Time calls for Leo Burrito! Every time I drive through Radium in the summer this is the spot to get the best Burritos. I am a frequent customer here. They also have a mini Golf if you want to play a round with the family! You can get Ice cream here at Leo but Will and I opted to go a bit more traditional with heading to Screamers for some sorbet.

After some food and treats we decided to go for another small hike down to the Sinclair Canyon. You can do the entire canyon hike which not only gives you the below to top look at the famous canyon in Radium, but also a great view of the valley on the other side. We decided to just check out the waterfall in the interest of time. The waterfall is powerful and beautiful and gives a unique perspective looking up. You can also go to the lookout above and look down the canyon.

After our walk, we headed to our hotel to check in, The Piccadilly. This little accommodation was so quaint and adorable! It has a double decker bus from England that has tables in it for their amazing breakfast. It felt like a little B&B.

Will and I freshened up and then went for dinner at The Old Salzburg restaurant. This is a European style place with lovely food and a nice patio. We enjoyed some drinks and Will ordered very German inspired beer and food to keep the theme!

Our last stop for the night was a little walk to Valley View Lookout for sunset. It is just on the way up to the Redstreak Campground and you can walk up from behind the visitor centre. We were treated to a stunning sunset over the town of Radium. Orange, yellow, red, pink and purple danced across the sky. It was a lovely way to spend our last evening. We took photos until dark and then headed back to our hotel.

Wildlife at Redstreak Lookout

The next morning Will and I enjoyed an amazing pancake breakfast in our Piccadilly bus and then headed to the Hot Springs for an essential soak! You can’t come to Radium without a soak in the Radium Hot Springs! This place is such a popular spot and if you come early it’s not too busy. We had a great time chilling in the warm water and taking in all the healing properties of the natural Hot Spring. That wrapped up our Radium Portion of the Golden Triangle quite nicely!

The Town of Golden

Golden was the next destination on our Tour of the Triangle. We drove down Hwy 95 from Radium to Golden. There are a couple nice stops along this stretch of highway. Our first stop was Bee Land. This is an amazing store full of Honey from local hives and preserves. They also have some good wines. If you’re hungry they have good sandwiches too!

From here you can continue on or if you’d like you can venture into Bugaboo Provincial Park. There are some great hikes in the Purcell area. One in particular takes you to Lower Bugaboo Falls which is a shorter hike and very rewarding. We didn’t have time for this but have it on our list for next time!

We decided to explore the Columbia Wetlands Outpost where we rented a canoe and paddled part of the wetland. There are hundreds of birds and mammals to find in this wetland, it is the largest intact wetland in all of North America. Many migratory birds can be found here and it’s almost a guarantee you’ll see an Osprey in the summer! We had a lovely paddle looking for birds and enjoy the beautiful day. It was so easy to have the canoe already at the docks and ready to launch.

Columbia Wetlands Outpost

After our paddle, we continued onto Golden. We decided to get up the Gondola for the afternoon and explore Kicking Horse Mountain! We did a quick stop to Double Black, a cafe at the bottom of the hill and we grabbed a couple of veggie burgers to take with us to the top. Food in hand we headed into the Gondola and had a bird’s eye view of the resort. It is an amazing biking resort in the summer, plus lots of hikes at the top and a Via Ferrata! Lunch was great with the valley view. We explored some trails for a bit and took some photos, then we headed back down to catch the other lift up to the Grizzly bear sanctuary.

Kicking Horse Resort

Boo the Grizzly!

Boo is a rescued Grizzly who’s mother was shot by a poacher. He now lives on Kicking Horse mountain at a large refugee built for him. He can no longer return to the wild but has a happy home and life here at Kicking horse. His presence gives education to visitors about the threatened Grizzly species and provides a way to safely see a Grizzly close up. Will and I joined in for an interpreter talk about Boo and we were very lucky to see him! Sometimes he is sleeping durning the day and his habitat is very large. He wasn’t super close to us but lucky Will brought his binoculars and we had a good look.

After our time at Kicking Horse, Will and I explored Golden Downtown. There is a beautiful pedestrian bridge across the river and a lovey river walk being built for patio’s along the river. Our favourite restaurant in town is Reposados, it is a Mexican place that has the most amazing tacos!

Before Dinner we checked into our Room at the beautiful Kicking Horse River Lodge. We headed into town to have dinner at Eleven22. They have delicious food and great cocktails here! We had one last stop before the end of the day here in Golden.

Downtown Golden

After Dinner, Will and I cruised over to the new Golden Skybridge to check it out. I wanted to enjoy sunset here above Hospital Creek. The two suspension bridges are incredibly long and span across the canyon. They also have just opened their zip-lining! We had some fun looking down from the expansive bridge and getting some nice photos in the Golden light. It was an excellent way to wrap up our time in Golden!

Golden Skybridge

The next morning we quickly grabbed some breakfast at BlueBird Cafe and hit the road to Yoho National Park! The last leg of our journey on the Golden Triangle.

Yoho National Park

The drive back to Banff is along Hwy 1 towards Lake Louise from Golden. This takes us directly through the heart of Yoho NP and some of the most breathtaking mountain areas I have ever experienced.

If you have the time for the short hike to Wapta Falls, this is one of the first hikes you’ll find along the road. We decided to do another hike but this is a good alternative if you have the time.

Our first stop was the Natural Bridge. The turn off is just before Field, BC and it takes you to both Natural Bridge and Emerald lake. The Natural Bridge is beautiful all times of the year, and I have put both summer and winter photos to show the transition of this amazing area. Water has carved solid rock over thousands of years to bring us the phenomenal cave and waterfall.

We can continue from there to Emerald lake. This is one of the most popular lakes in Yoho due to its crystal blue water and towering mountains above. There are some great walks around the lake if you’d like to get a small hike in. We opted to grab a couple cocktails at Emerald Lake Lodge before taking off down the road.

Emerald Lake

We continued driving not far up Hwy 1 to the Takakkaw Falls turn off. This valley road takes you up to the most incredible waterfall that just overtakes the valley with its power. The word “Takakkaw” means Magnificent in Cree. It is well named!

Takakkaw Falls

After our detour to Takakkaw, we continued up the hill to Wapta Lake. There is a small parking lot on the opposite side of the lake that starts the hike to Sherbrooke Lake and Paget Lookout. The lake is a much easier hike if you want to discover another deep blue lake, however if you want to gain some elevation and overlook the Valley, then Paget lookout is the place. We went up to Paget lookout and had a magnificent view of the mountains surrounding us. You can see deep into the valley of Lake O’hara as well!

Paget Lookout

Road up Yoho Valley (Closed in Winter)

What a full day! After we came down the mountain we decided to treat ourselves and wrap up our Golden Triangle Trip with dinner at the Truffle Pigs. The menu here is so amazing and every time we are near Field we have to eat here! They have a great drink menu and some amazing vegan options. We saluted our lovely trip and wrapped it up with this tasty dinner. Back home for us!

I hope you enjoyed our Golden Triangle Journey! Most information about my Blog can be found on the https://tourthetriangle.ca/ Website. There are also itineraries and alternative activities that we may have missed here.

Our Trip was in partnership with Tourism Golden, Tourism Radium and Canada Parks.

Great Train Journey through New Zealand

What better way to travel than by train! It’s a lost art to enjoy the journey rather than just arrive as soon as possible, so that is exactly what Geoff and I did for our trip down to the South Island, we took our sweet time.

Our friends in Greymouth invited us to their beach wedding, which meant some travel to the west coast. Geoff and I have always been very interested in taking the train so we decided this would be the perfect opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint and make a journey around our plans. We planned a Trip with Great Journey’s of New Zealand!

We reside in Auckland so we had a series of all four parts of The Great Journeys components to get us to Greymouth. Northern Explorer, Interislander, Coastal Pacific and the Tranz Alpine. We planned our trip with two nights in Wellington, one night in Kaikoura, a night in Christchurch, one in Arthur’s Pass and a final night in Moana (Lake Brunner) before arriving in Greymouth.

We started with the Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington. This day train was an excellent way to see the North Island of New Zealand. We slowly escaped the bustle of Auckland and soon found ourselves riding through the rolling hills of the countryside. What I really loved about the train was the large windows and smooth ride that meant we could see everything and have little wanders around to stretch our legs. One of the carts is a cafe which was great to get that mid morning Coffee and a few snacks for the ride.

We got off the train just before Wellington in Paraparaumu because our friends live on the Kapati Coast. They invited us to stay for our time near Wellington. There are a range of stops throughout the North Island if you fancy a night here or there.

We had a lovely couple of days in Wellington as we headed to the weekly farmers market on the wharf. We also explored Te Papa Museum (a favorite of mine!). We took in sunset on top Mt. Victoria. We didn’t get around to it this time but I would have loved to visit Zealandia, a bird sanctuary in the city. Wellington is an alive and wonderful place with so much to do.

Our Next day brought us to the second part of the journey, the Interislander across the Cook Straight. We hoped onto the ferry bright and early and quite effortlessly with a shuttle taking us from the train terminals to the docks a few minutes away.

It was an amazing day for a sail across the two Islands of New Zealand. We enjoyed the smell of the sea as well quickly approached the South Island. We had a yummy little breakfast aboard. The best is coming into the Marlborough Sounds. We got into Picton just in time for some lunch and a wander around the quaint little town. Our Third part to the Journey was ahead of us.

Trip number three is the Coastal Pacific down to Christchurch, however we decided to hop off in Kaikoura for the night. This ride is such an underrated trip! It was stunning through the hills and then gradually onto the mountains with the ocean on our left side. Everywhere you look there is something to see. We spent most of our time in the open carriage watching the birds on the ocean and spotting seals laying on the rocks. We got into Kaikoura in time for some dinner and set up camp in a local Holiday Park.

We explored the small town for most of the next day, visiting the seal colony and enjoying a nap on the beach. If you have never been to Kaikoura the place will astound you. It has coastal mountains dropping into a lively blue sea. The wildlife is extremely abundant. I recommend booking either a whale and bird watching tour or a swimming with dolphins tour! If you are in for something low key maybe a kayak trip to the seal colony or rent a couple bikes and ride there, getting lunch on the way.

We decided to only stay one night instead of two in Christchurch. We rather do an extra night in the West Coast instead, it makes for a quick turn around in Christchurch. We got to the city late evening and then had the train to Arthur’s Pass in the morning, staying at an Air BnB close by. I recommend that you get a few snacks and groceries while in the city if you are staying in the Pass or at Lake Brunner. These places are very small with limited choices, however there is food available everywhere (and in any instance you can grab something on the train!).

The last part to our Journey was the ever popular Tranz Alpine. From Christchurch you start on the open flats until slowly you head into the mountains. Vivid blue rivers flood the eyes as you cross over many viaducts. This ride has so many parts and such different landscapes. The ride went by so quickly as we were so captivated in the scenes.

When we arrived in Arthur’s Pass we went to find a place to camp. Once we shed some bags we headed up to the Devil’s Punchbowl walk. There is so much beauty and bird life in this National Park. Geoff and I had a lovely time taking in the sights and enjoying the beautiful mountain area. We had a small Tomtit become friends with us too!

Our last stop before Greymouth was in Moana. This small little village of Batches is a little gem on the West Coast. The lake Brunner is the largest on the West Coast and is a picturesque scene of beauty. We arrived and stayed at a BnB for the night. Funny enough some friends were driving through and we met up with them at the local cafe for a catch up. This is a really peaceful place to stay, and the whole evening we sat on the porch of the cafe watching the sheets of rain in the valley’s afar.

We jumped back on the Tranz Alpine for our last part of the trip to Greymouth. This was another stunning ride through some nicely regenerating Podocarp forest. Lovely stands of Kahikatea and Rimu trees dressed the edges of swamp and bog lowlands. We ended our train trip here in Greymouth.

The Great Journey’s of New Zealand was exactly what we were after, to not only see another part of the country but to minimize our carbon footprint. We managed to make a really amazing holiday from our travels! I would recommend this to anyone traveling in New Zealand, even if you are not going anywhere specific. Geoff and I are keeping this in our future plans to do again for sure!