Fabulous Fernie and Kimberley

My trip to Fernie and Kimberley in the first week of April with my co-workers was a great success. I had a chance to witness the real beauty of the Kootenays. The trip to Kimberley from Kelowna can take about six hours but along the way you can really see British Columbia's scenery.

Day 1: April 1st - We Started our journey with Tim Hortons Coffee.

Route taken: Kelowna >> Beverdell >> Grandforks >> Christina Lake >> Castlegar >> Nelson >> Creston ( still 2 hours to Kimberley) >> Cranbrook>> Kimberley.

Somewhat tired but full of spirit we finally reached Kimberley. We checked in at Trickle Creek-Residence Inn, Mariott where we are spending first night of our trip. Hunger pangs demanded that we go to the nearest restaurant so we chose Kelseys located just next to Trickle Creek Mariott.

Day 2: April 2nd - I woke up at 7.45 pm. Actually, I was supposed to get up early but apparently the alarm didn't go off. Every party member was supposed to be down in the restaurant by 8.00 am for Breakfast. The advantage of staying at the Trickle Creek- Mariott is that you are entitled to a nice hot breakfast. After breakfast, we explored the resort for few hours. It was a snowy day with light powdery snow making slopes perfect for skiers.

At about 12.00 pm we were off to Fernie which was our next destination. According to our itinerary we were supposed to go to Panorama which is about 1.5 hrs drive from Kimberley but because of bad road conditions we changed our plans and headed towards Fernie.

Fernie is about 124 kms from Fernie. After reaching Fernie, we checked in at our lodge. Our rooms were quite nice. We were staying at Spruce Lodge/Timberline. After relaxing a bit, we all went for lunch at Park Lodge Bar and grill which is considered one of the nicer pubs in town. Since we had kitchen in our units, we decided to go grocery shopping after lunch so that we could cook a nice meal for the dinner.

Day 3 :April 3rd- Next day, we explored the resort. I realised that during busy ski seasons when all the properties on the mountain are booked, people choose to stay in the town of Fernie at Stanford Inn (Riverside) or Best Western Inn.

If someone is looking for solace, away from hustle and bustle of the village then one can choose from Castle mountain villas or Coal Creek estates in the town of Fernie.

On the slope side of the mountain , there are some beautiful ski in- ski out properties like Alders, Cedar Creek Estates. Other nice properties include Elk Lodge, Glowing Ambers, Spirit Bear. Timberline properties consist of four buildings :

1. Spruce Lodge

2. King Fir Lodge

3. Juniper Lodge

4. Balsam Lodge

High end properties on the mountain include Kimber Timbers, Cedar Creek and Snow Creek. Snow Creek lodge and cabins have a spectacular view of mountains.

Day 4: April 4th-We got up early morning to head back to Kelowna . We stopped at Rossland/Red mountain to have a look at this small ski hill. I was home by 3.00 pm.

Learn more about Beautiful British Columbia through BC Travel Guide

Trip to Las Vegas

I was excited when Manoj said " Aditi, Let's go to Las Vegas for a holiday." I precisely remember it was a hot summer evening when he made this offer. Within a week we packed our bags, gathered as much information as we could about Las Vegas vacation from friends, internet and Travel agents, made reservation with Hotel Aladdin and were off to Vegas for a week in July 2006. We caught a flight from Kelowna to Seattle and then to Las Vegas. Our vacation in Las Vegas was an ultimate experience. This city offers spectacular tours, breathtaking shows and an endless list of action-packed activities. While in Vegas I realised every hotel in Vegas was an amusement centre in itself. Cirque Du Soleil shows which we saw in Vegas were absolutely amazing. It was thrilling to see "Zumanity" which was naughty as well as a daring show. On the other hand "Mystere" offered enchantment beyond comparison. These were two of the best shows in Vegas. It was also enjoyable to discover Las vegas through Monorail. Besides paid shows, many Hotels offer free shows like Sirens of Treasure Island and Dancing Fountains of Bellagio. I grabbed a hold of my favourite celebrities at Madame Tussauds wax museum at the hotel Venetian. Other places we enjoyed were Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical gardens and Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. Fine places to eat are Rainforest Cafe(where I was quite impressed by exotic atmosphere and a lightning show) , Ristorante Italiano (if you like Italian Food as much as I do , you can't afford to miss this one), Zanziber Cafe (provides food 24 hrs) and Tamba for Indian cuisine. I also recommend Spice Market Buffet at Alladin which offers incredible variety of food from all over the world. Now, if you are wondering where to party I will suggest "Body English " at Hard Rock Cafe. My Husband and I enjoyed swinging to music that was mainly hip-hop and rock.If you are lucky enough, you might be able to spot a model or two while at this place. All in all Vegas offers you nothing but good time.

Ravishing Revelstoke, British Columbia

My husband, Manoj graduated from Revelstoke High school and during our courtship he use to talk a lot about his years spent in Revelstoke. I was quite eager to visit this town and last year i got this opportunity to spend some days in Revelstoke. I found this town simply ravishing. Set amidst mountain ranges Monashee and Selkirk ,this town is skier's paradise. Railway museum of Revelstoke is one of its kind. The town also offers variety of adventure sports like Hiking, mountain biking, rowing, snowmobiling, river rafting. However,what i enjoyed most was my stay at Canyon motor Inn and visit to BC Hydro's Revelstoke Dam, one of North America's largest and most modern hydro-electric dam. Columbia river running through the town provides such a tranquility to the soul that you feel like visiting the town again and again.

Picturesque Penticton, British Columbia

One of my favourite places in British Columbia's Okanagon valley is Penticton. It's a nice little peaceful town with spectacular natural beauty. It is cradled between lake Okanagan and Skaha. Before I visited this lovely place, I thought it to be a sleepy little town but to my surprise Penticton had a lot to offer in terms of tourism and activities like golfing , hiking , mountain biking, scooter rides, fun water activities etc. You can rent vacation homes, condos, cottages or ready to stay RV's and enjoy serene beauty of Penticton. If you happen to visit Penticton in summers then you can relax lying by the beach and reading a book, eating an icecream, having a picnic, simply sunbathing , playing games with friends and family like beach volleyball, or gaze up at the clear blue skies and take an afternoon nap. One of my favourite places for lunch in Penticton is Saltys beach house, which is a caribbean style restaurant with some mouth watering dishes . If you are looking for a place to escape from craziness of busy daily lives then consider visiting Penticton.

Beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia

It's almost been a year since I have been living in Kelowna and I am completly in love with this beautiful small urban city with a population of about 105,000. If you are a nature lover, I can guarantee that you will love this city. The beauty of Kelowna British Columbia is absolutely enchanting because it is surrounded by green forested mountains merging with lush orchards, vineyards, and golf courses overlooking the sparkling waters of 82 mile long Lake Okanagan. Downtown Kelowna has lot to offer, from fine dining to quiet walk by lake. If you are looking to shop i will suggest Orchard Park mall although Kelowna doesn't offer much in terms of shopping. Kelowna does have some cool restaurants like Moxies, WhiteSpot, Bouchons Bistro, East Side Marios etc. If you want some tongue tickling East Indian food go to Daawat or Chutney. The best place for vegetarian Chinese food is Lake Tai. If you like golfing you will enjoy playing golf at the lovely golf courses that Kelowna has to offer. My favourite is the Harvest golf club. All in all Kelowna is one of the most mesmerising and peaceful cities in the Okanagan. If you are fed up with fast and stressful big city life then come to Kelowna.

Cool Restaurant in Sicamous, British Columbia

If you ever decide to pass by Sicamous, don't forget to visit this cool restaurant "MOOSE MULLIGANS." Believe me, you will find the food delicious and the ambience awesome.I'll definitely recommend chicken parmesan .It's an absolute delight.So if you are in Sicamous and want to have some tasty food..you know now where to go.



Don't forget to check out more about cool places in British Columbia at British Columbia Tours