Small towns. Big mountains!

Typical September weather

September is my favourite month of the year in British Columbia. Cool nights. Warm sunny days. The aroma of ripe peaches, apples, plums, and pears. And clear skies.

Well, usually clear skies. This September started with an explosion of wildfires in diverse areas from the upper northeast corner of the province to the southwest, and on Vancouver Island. I planned to explore a variety of small towns nestled in the mountain ranges between the Okanagan Valley and the BC/Alberta border.

Gatzke Orchards Oyama BC

Driving north from my home city of Penticton at the bottom of Lake Okanagan, toward Vernon at the top of the lake, I stopped at Gatzke Orchards in Oyama to stock up on fresh fruit, and at the Village Green Coles bookstore to check on their supply of my Death in the Vineyards mystery novels.

I continued to Revelstoke, a former railway town in the Columbia Mountains. It is a popular skiing, cycling, paddling, and hiking destination. I had a pleasant night at a condo-style hotel in downtown Revelstoke, located near restaurants and shops. The next morning, I fueled up with a large latte and tasty omelet at the Main Street Café before heading toward Golden.

Golden BC

Situated in the Rocky Mountain Trench between the Canadian Rockies and the Purcell Mountains, Golden is surrounded by six of Canada’s most stunning national parks: Yoho, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, and Mount Revelstoke. 

Unfortunately, the spectacular mountains were well hidden by the smoke. Luckily for me, I have driven through this area several times before, and although I missed the familiar presence of the mountains, the town of Golden was fun to explore.

From Golden, I turned south toward Fairmont Hot Springs for a two-night stay. Fairmont Hot Springs is located in British Columbia's Columbia Valley, situated between the Purcell Mountains to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the east. The resort has both mineral-rich pools for guests and natural, undeveloped hot springs, accessed by a trail from the resort's RV park entrance. The pools are a pleasant way to relax after a long day’s drive.

Fairmont Hot Springs, smoky

The next morning, I drove to the trailhead of the 25-kilometer Markin-MacPhail Westside Legacy trail, running from the highway at Fairmont Hot Springs north to the town of Invermere. 

The paved Westside Legacy trail has numerous benches, picnic tables, viewpoints, and three public toilets. It has a variety of easy sections and tougher areas, including sharp corners and gut-grinding hills.

I confess. I stopped at the top of the last two-kilometer descent into Invermere. It was a steep hill with several switchbacks, and I didn’t have the energy to fight my way back up the incline. My 46-kilometer round trip was an enjoyable workout, even though the view of the magnificent mountains was obscured by smoke.

Markin-MacPhail Trail

Later in the afternoon, I drove to Invermere and poked around the downtown area while listening to the First Friday live music event in the square.

The next morning, I soaked my sore muscles in the mineral pools before heading south. 

With plenty of time to get to my next destination, I took a side trip to Kimberley, a former mining town that in the 1970s marketed itself as the Bavaria of the Rockies to stimulate tourism. The town is nestled within the Purcell Mountains, which are a sub-range of the larger Columbia Mountains system, located west of the Rocky Mountain Trench. 

More recently, the town of Kimberley abandoned the Bavarian theme, focusing on their mining history and mountain recreation to boost tourism. My tacos at the Hourglass Bar & Kitchen were spectacular, as was the ginger-peach iced tea.

Kimberley BC

By the time I arrived at Cranbrook, my patience with the ever-present smoke was running out. I cancelled all of my upcoming reservations and continued driving for a few hours to get closer to my hometown.

Instead of a ten-day slow poke around enjoying the best time of the year for road trips, I decided to go home. It was a disappointing end to my plans, but I had rediscovered Invermere and Kimberley, plus the Markin-MacPhail Westside Legacy trail was a new adventure for me.

You might have noticed Sparky’s absence on this road trip. My little adventure buddy succumbed to age-related problems on May 2nd, 2025. I deeply miss his company.

Cheers

Lynda

Sparky, star of the Isla Mujeres Mysteries and Death in the Vineyards Mysteries!

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