Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Discover Harrison Hot Springs Community

By Harriett Crosby


Harrison Hot Springs Community is a small but bustling resort community. Just 3 hours north of Seattle and 5 hours east of Vancouver, it's a great choice for a weekend getaway or a vacation. Stay at a campsite, a B&B, or a resort hotel. Rent a cottage or a condo. Bring your boat and use the public boat launch. Enjoy the warm mineral waters and resort amenities, outdoor activities, art and shopping, restaurants and cafes.

Water fun is the best kind of family fun. There's 2 water parks in the area, a Floating Water Park that replicates Wipeout, and the Bridal Falls Water Park with slides, tube rides, and bumper boats. There's also boats and kayaks to rent, and even white water rafting tours.

Get on a boat for a scenic eco tour, or join a guided shoreline tour. Hell's Gate Air Tram takes siteseers through 7 mountain tunnels through the historic heart of British Columbia. Fishing charters take fishermen to the best spots for reeling in salmon, steelhead trout, or sturgeon.

Visit a living museum of an early 1900's general store at the Kilby Historic Site. Several local farms offer products and tours to the public. Stop at a hazelnut orchard, a dairy farm, or a poultry farm. The Back Porch is an antiques store and pottery studio. The Public Art Gallery hosts monthly showings by local artists. Twice a year the dedicated Multicultural Choir hosts a music concert. And just to say you did a little bit of everything, take in a stock car race at the Agassiz Speedway.

The festival season starts with the Tulips of the Valley Festival in April. June is Sasquatch Days. The local First Nation band returns to the area for war canoe races, a salmon barbecue, and Sasquatch storytelling. July is busy with Canada Day, the Harrison Art Festival, the Dragon Boat Regatta, and the Slow Food Cycle Tour. The Art Festival is 10 days of international music at the Hall and on the Beach, and a fabulous art market. Enjoy Bands at the Beach over Labor Day weekend. October is the Harrison Beer Festival and November the Bald Eagle Watch Festival. And of course December is Christmas in the Village.

Soak in the hot mineral waters at a resort or at the public pool. The hot springs were recognized as a spiritual and medicinal healing place by the First Nations. Since the mid 1800's Europeans have flocked to the hot mineral waters for healing and relaxation. Today's spas offer relaxing stone massages, nurturing body wraps, facials and pedicures.

The snow covered mountains of this area provide a wealth of winter activities. There's downhill skiing, cross country skiing, back country skiing. There's dog sledding, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. Warm up at the end of the day with a visit to the hot springs.

Located in Fraser Valley with a glacier fed lake and natural hot springs, Harrison Hot Springs Community is surrounded by mountains. Explore the nearby Provincial Parks. In summer enjoy water activities and hiking. Winter come to ski in the day, soak in the hot springs at night. The community also has a vibrant art community and several art galleries. Stop at the Visitors Centre to pick up information and maps.




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