Short Trips: A soothing soak when it's dripping gray outside

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Thursday, February 9, 2006

Short Trips: A soothing soak when it's dripping gray outside

By JEFF LARSEN
P-I PHOTOGRAPHER

Northwest weather sometimes can ruin even the best-laid plans. The almost daily deluges lately can wash away travel plans faster than you can shout "Please stop raining!" A couple of weeks ago my plans were swept downstream -- literally.


		JEFF LARSEN / P-I
	A family enjoys a dip in one of the resort's swimming pools. The pools are heated to 94 degrees year-round.

The day started gloriously for this time of year -- partly sunny, broken, white puffy clouds, with the temperature hovering in the mid 40s. Rain, however, was in the forecast. How far out wasn't clear.

My original plan was to explore Mission, B.C., a small community on the banks of the Fraser River about 15 minutes north of Abbotsford. The town's most dubious distinction is that it is the site of British Columbia's first train robbery.

After I crossed the border at the small, dreary town of Sumas, northeast of Lynden, and drove the final 15 minutes through Abbotsford to Mission, the sky had darkened and the rains cut loose with a vengeance. By 1:30 p.m. it was so dark and the rain was so heavy it was obvious I would have to change my plans.

What can I do now, I thought? I already had reservations for two nights at the Best Western Mission City Lodge, which, by the way, looks better in print and online than it does in person. The lodge needs some physical attention and serious staff training before I would recommend it.


		JEFF LARSEN / P-I
	A fresh snowfall on the hills above Harrison Lake makes an inviting backdrop for a photo at Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa.

Mission proper reminds me a little of Shelton -- a blue-collar, timber-industry town so close yet still so far away culturally from a major metropolitan center (Mission is about 50 miles east of Vancouver).

Staring into the rain, I remembered that Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa was only about 30 minutes east of Mission. The resort, if my recollection served me, would be a comfortable, indoor winter destination and out from under the confounded rain. Previously, I had only visited the resort during the hustle and bustle of the peak summer tourism months.

Visions of a luxurious room, warm, almost hot, indoor and outdoor pools, and good food danced in my brain as I scanned the stark, depressing interior of my Best Western room in Mission.

So I called the resort, which had a vacancy. The winter bed-and-breakfast getaway deal for $76 (U.S.) included a room in the main building and free buffet breakfast in the famous Copper Room. Ask me how long it took me the next morning to check out of the Best Western Mission City Lodge.

OK, my first impression of Mission may have been tainted by the dreary weather and the lousy hotel. I'm sure, according to the descriptions I've read, that the town and vicinity have a lot to offer visitors during the summer months. Topping the list are a popular local provincial park, dam tours, Fraser River activities, and historical venues.


		JEFF LARSEN / P-I
	The hotel's Healing Springs Spa offers a relaxing heated indoor soaking pool as well as an indoor swimming pool.

The first bridge across the Fraser was built at Mission. The first B.C. rail link to the United States connected at Mission, as well. Near town is one of the province's first hydroelectric dams. Mission also is home to the Western Canada Soap Box Derby.

But in the rain, deep into winter, Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa can soothe even the coldest and wettest distressed traveler. Its slogan is, "Rest, Relax, Rejuvenate." But best leave the golf clubs at home this time of year. A canoe would have been more fitting than a golf cart for the nine-hole track affiliated with the resort, which provides access to two other local golf clubs as well.

Harrison Hot Springs -- the town, which is not part of the resort -- was a stop for weary prospectors on the gold rush trail north in 1858, and they discovered the hot mineral springs. The town is nestled among the snow-capped hills on the south shore of Harrison Lake, the largest body of water in southwestern British Columbia.

The south shore is lined with vacation condominiums situated just a stone's throw from one of the most popular beach and swimming destinations in the province during the summer months. The town -- still considered a village by the locals -- is pretty quiet during the off season.

The rights to the hot mineral springs are owned by the Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa, which pipes the soothing waters into three outdoor and two indoor pools on resort property. The temperatures in the pools range from 85 to 104 degrees. A public hot mineral pool also is available in town for a nominal charge and visitors can rent towels and lockers there.


		JEFF LARSEN / P-I
	The winter condo living in Harrison Hot Springs is a little quieter than during the summer peak tourist season.

The resort, which currently boasts 334 guest rooms, has enjoyed a long and storied history that goes back to the late 1800s and early 1900s, when the soothing and thought-to-be-healing waters drew visitors from all over Canada to the St. Alice Hotel and Bath House, built in 1886. The hotel burned down in 1920 and was replaced with today's main hotel building in 1925. A gallery of historical photos, some showing carloads of arriving guests, lines the walls of the hall that leads to the Copper Room, the main dining room. Some early menus, including one that featured a 50-cent breakfast, also are on display.

Today, hotel guests can "rebalance" their bodies at the indoor Healing Springs Spa, which focuses on treatments based on the soothing properties of the hot mineral spring water. The facility is the centerpiece for the steaming outdoor pool complex, reached from the guest rooms via covered walkways. On cold nights the outdoor pools glow from the steam generated by the hot mineral waters. One of the outdoor pools is reserved for adults, who can soak quietly and rejuvenate themselves away from the children in a nearby pool.

Just off the hotel lobby, guests can enjoy fresh-baked pastries, deli sandwiches, espresso and coffee at Miss Margaret's Espresso Bar. Shortly after I checked in, I feasted on a fresh-toasted blueberry bagel with cream cheese and a hot cup of coffee served in a giant blue porcelain cup. I sat at the window bar facing Harrison Lake, where I watched what seemed like two or three inches of rain accumulate in about five minutes.

For dinner, instead of eating late in the Copper Room (there was a convention in the hotel), I enjoyed a large bowl of good seafood chowder and a glass of wine earlier and quieter in the Islands Bar in the lobby. The lobby features a giant fireplace and was a popular gathering spot for many of the guests. The more casual Lakeside Cafe in the East Tower was closed for the winter.

Unless you drive a very small car, I would recommend valet parking instead of trying to park your vehicle in one of the narrow spaces behind the hotel. Also, depending on how far away you have to park, it can be a long walk back to the hotel in the rain.

From what I've seen, there isn't a bad room choice at the resort. Graciously, the hotel staff upgraded my room in the main hotel, which was lovely, to a larger room in the East Tower with a balcony and stunning view of the lake. Since I checked in early, and with the convention in the hotel, they figured the room would be quieter. I like that kind of service and consideration.

The next morning I grazed through the buffet breakfast in the Copper Room and enjoyed a poolside table while I read the National Post. Now that's a winter retreat.

P-I photographer Jeff Larsen can be reached at 206-448-8150 or jefflarsen@seattlepi.com.