Sep 1, 2018
Nelson, Kootenay Bay & Pilot Bay Provincial Park
Due to limited time, I decided to fly from Vancouver to Nelson and use Greyhound buses back. The flight arrived at West Kootenay Regional Airport at Castlegar around 8:30 a.m. Pre-booked shuttle took 30 minutes to arrive at downtown Nelson. Baker Street in downtown Nelson is where most shops, restaurants and banks are located and there are numerous heritage buildings around. On Saturdays (not Sundays/holidays), there are 4 buses going to Balfour Ferry from Nelson - 2 in the morning and 2 in late afternoon/evening. The bus takes about an hour to reach Balfour Ferry.
The ferry from Balfour to Kootenay Bay across Kootenay Lake is the world's longest free ferry - taking 45 minutes one-way. The view is great. At Kootenay Bay, there is a Cabin Restaurant next to the ferry. The outdoor tables overlooking the lake are especially attractive. Food is decent though portion is not big.
A few hundred meters south of the ferry terminal is Soul's Paradise Resort where kayaks and canoes can be rented. Further south for 5 km is the famous lighthouse inside Pilot Bay Provincial Park. Most of the road to the lighthouse is paved with the last section being the trail inside the forest (about 20 minute walk one-way). If walking from the ferry terminal, it takes about 90 minutes to get to the lighthouse one-way. You can actually enter the lighthouse and climb to the top. The view overlooking Kootenay Lake is superb. The ferries between Kootenay Bay and Balfour are frequent (every 50 minutes or so during summer). The last bus leaving Balfour for Nelson is 7:45 p.m. on Saturday.
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| Kootenay Lake |
Sep 2, 2018
Kelowna
The Greyhound bus left Nelson shortly after 9:30 a.m. It passed interesting communities of Christina Lake, Grand Forks and Rock Creek and arrived at Kelowna before 3:00 p.m. Kelowna is the 3rd largest city in BC after Vancouver and Victoria, with a population of 130,000. All the major chains are visible here and I don't see it much different from Vancouver. There is a bus stop on Hwy 97 near the Greyhound terminal with city bus 97 going downtown every 30 minutes on Sundays (15 minutes).
There are two parks on the waterfront of Kelowna - City Park and Waterfront Park. They are nice but nothing special, except for some interesting sculptures including the Bear. There are numerous water sports and boat tours available along the waterfront. Overall it's a nice walk from City Park to Waterfront Park along the lake.
City bus 97 continues from downtown across the bridge to West Kelowna (formerly known as Westbank, 20 minutes). All Greyhound buses heading west stop at West Kelowna. It only takes 25 minutes from there to get to Summerland.
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| Waterfront Park, Kelowna |
Sep 3, 2018
Summerland
The main attraction in Summerland is the famous Kettle Valley Steam Railway. They have two rides daily in the summer - one at 10:30 a.m. and one at 1:30 p.m. The return trip takes 90 minutes, with a break at Trout Creek Trestle. There are a good views of the valley and some orchards and wineries along the way. The train is very popular with tour groups, seniors and families with kids. Since it's not too expensive ($25 + tax), I think it's an interesting way to explore the area.
Other places of interest in Summerland include Giant's Head (overlooking Okanagan Lake from the peak) and Peach Orchard Beach Park (a waterfront park). Despite the name, there is no beach inside Peach Orchard Beach Park, though walking along the waterfront is still quite relaxing as there are not too many people there compared with the waterfront in Kelowna. There is actually a nice little beach south of the park. It's about 45 minute walk from the beach to the Greyhound bus depot in Summerland. Two buses are needed to get to Vancouver - one to West Kelowna (30 minutes) and another from West Kelowna to Vancouver (4 hours 30 minutes).
Overview
West Kootenay is definitely an interesting region to explore. Nelson is a dynamic town to relax with great and healthy food. Kootenay Bay is very laid-back without many visible tourists. Kelowna is too big to feel really relaxed. The waterfront at Sunderland is more enjoyable. The Kettle Valley Steam Railway shouldn't be missed if you're in town.
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