Although our next spa visit wasn’t a far drive we decided to break up the drive with a night at Moyie Lake Provincial Park which we have stayed at twice before and really like. It seemed a good halfway point as we had to catch another ferry which could add a couple hours to today’s driving time.
Driving back to Balfour, we arrived at the ferry terminal which would take us across Kootenay Lake. Thankfully we had allowed plenty of time because waiting to board were a large group of vintage car and trucks enthusiasts.
The ferry was full, but everyone was boarded. Knowing the highway on the other side would now be very busy, we looked for a park very near the landing at the other end. The ferry took about 45 minutes or so, and once off, we veered quickly away from the mass of cars toward Pilot Bay where we did a great short hike to a lighthouse overlooking the large lake. The lighthouse has been beautifully preserved and open for anyone to climb the very steep ladder like steps to the top for great views.
The drive along Kootenay Lake was similar to that of two days prior with a narrow highway high above the lake, twisting and turning.
We arrived at Moyie Lake and found that yet again it was surprisingly empty of visitors. Our double site was spacious and worked out great for having a campfire that night.
We took our time the next morning having just a short drive to Fairmont ahead of us. The very popular resort has a variety of camping options and we chose a mid range, but still expensive, option. Our sites were on paved pads with grass and hedge, but little privacy. A few trails are available for walking, but we discovered they aren’t well used. A short walk over a wooden bridge leads to the spa and hotel area with a large grassy area for lounging and admiring mountain views. The pools consist of a large lukewarm pool, a slightly smaller and warmer pool, and a deep pool for doing laps. Having such high ratings it was all a little underwhelming and seemed outdated. Definitely the least favourite spa we had visited this trip.