Saying Goodbye to Sweet Jilly!
Sadly we had to put our sweet Jill down a few weeks back. Unfortunately, she had a tumour in her lung which resulted in fluid around her heart. The good news was she didn’t seem like she was in a lot of pain until the night before and even then she wanted to play fetch in the water with her beloved tennis ball. As time passes, it’s less heart wrenching but I miss having her around as we continue our journey.
After loosing Jill, we continued travelling through the Kootenay Mountains. We headed to Golden, a small ski town near Kicking Horse Resort. It’s quite small and quaint. I think the skiing is a bit too steep and deep for my intermediate, reserved way of skiing but I’m sure we will be back in a couple of months for Brent to experience it.
During our two day overnight, we drove to Canmore to get the van serviced. I really like Canmore. I got a positive “feel” even though we were only there for a short while. We spent a bit of time in Canmore when we crossed the country a few years back. It’s a great home base for skiing and outdoor activities.
We left Golden taking the 95 To Radium Hot Springs. We stayed there a few nights giving us time to drive back to the Colombian Icefields from the South end of 93. It has been deemed one of the more beautiful drives in the world and that held true in our experience.
Next, our journey took us to Fernie. I really like Fernie. Again, the ski hill is apparently steep but good for families too, and the town itself has a small town vibe. Everyone knows everyone vibe. The Main Street is well developed with restaurants and shops. I’m always on the look for a great Main Street.
Our next stop took us to the Nelson area. Apparently, many Americans came to the area to avoid the Vietnam war thus creating the “hippy” scene back in the day. I got the “laid backness” coupled with a “hipster” feel for sure. Again, it has a well developed Main Street that is frequented by both locals and tourists.
The highlight of the area and highly recommended by both of us is a visit to the Cody Caves followed by a stay at the Ainsworth Hot Springs. All of the hot springs driving across the country have been closed due to Covid but Ainsworth just reopened to those staying at the hotel. After our beginner tour of the Caves the hot pools and natural cave were a special treat.
While we were planning our trip, I really wanted to make sure we got to the Kootney region and it didn’t disappoint. The mountains, wetlands and ranches provided nonstop interest for our drive. It provided a much needed distraction after losing sweet Jill.
Kootenays Mountains
