OFF THE RECORD: Traveling now helps you and the industry
Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, October 3, 2001
I was somewhat skeptical about making a run for the border three days after the terrorist attack on the United States. In fact, a number of friends wondered if I should be fleeing at all. Their concerns ranged from my personal safety to long lines at the U.S.-Canadian border.
Neither one fazed me…I couldn’t think of a safer haven for my heart and mind at this trying time. It would be refreshing to take in the sights, talk to some new folks, get a foreign perspective on what just transpired in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Long border lines? Big whoop. Any islander who has earned his/her resident stripes knows how to travel lightly and carry a big stack…of reading materials.
My destination was Harrison Hot Springs Resort (www.harrisonresort.com) in British Columbia, a Canadian getaway that I had intentionally avoided over the years. Like a lot of travelers, I occasionally slip into the bad habit of destination profiling. It’s the lame, “I’ve never been there but it doesn’t sound like my kind of place,” excuse. And Harrison Hot Springs had been at the top of my “I don’t wanna go there!” list for nearly 30 years. I jokingly called it a place for the “newly wed and/or nearly dead,” and turned up my nose whenever somebody mentioned.
That snotty response quickly changed after receiving a press release this past summer that Harrison Hot Springs Resort had completed a $2.2 million renovation of its health pavilion…which included the new Healing Springs Spa. I’m a sucker for spas.
I was outta here.
It’s a pleasant drive from South Whidbey to the town of Harrison Hot Springs (about 3.5 hours door to door), and the border at Sumas was not a problem either way. Just be prepared to have your car inspected and do carry some official personal identification…a passport is best. Sno-Isle Library cards don’t cut it.
Harrison Hot Springs Resort has been around for more than a century. The original resort was called the St. Alice Hotel and Bath House, when Fraser Valley families journeyed up the Harrison River by canoe and river steamer to the resort on the lake. Back then, it cost only a buck a night for a guestroom above the natural mineral hot springs, which were said to cure such ailments as rheumatism.
Unfortunately, the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1920, but six years later it was reincarnated. After decades of building, remodeling and various owners, it finally seems to be hitting its stride. And with the still strong U.S. dollar and last minute specials offered by the hotel, you can get a room in the main hotel for around $70 U.S. The rooms are all being upgraded, so if you’re picky about décor you may want to ask for a newer version.
I arrived at the resort on Friday, Sept. 14, our U.S. National Day of Mourning. When I checked into the room, there was an invitation from the general manager to join a memorial service in the resort’s ballroom later that afternoon. As our neighbors to the north, Canadians are sorely saddened by the recent events in the United States, and on this particular weekend the resort was subdued…there was an air of contemplation and thoughtfulness throughout the town.
I was pleasantly surprised to run into a half-dozen South Whidbey folks while up there…some on business, others for pleasure. And I was highly amused to see young and old of all configurations bundled up in the resort’s white bathrobes, strolling through the lobby on their way to the indoor/outdoor natural mineral hot spring pools. Or like me, off for an hour-long massage at the Healing Springs Spa.
The spa is beautifully designed, using lots of natural wood, stone and sinuous curves. There is nothing frou-frou here. A 30-foot waterfall greets guests as they enter and there are a variety of treatment rooms. The primo room is a private two-person mineral pool set beneath a simulated starlit sky…I’ll try that next time.
Coincidentally, I ran into friends from Portland at the spa…they were feeling somewhat guilty for being so self-indulgent during our nation’s tragedy. But for me, taking care of one’s body and soul is never as important as it is right now.
I left my guilt at the door and enjoyed the respite from the storm.
OTHER LOCAL GETAWAYS: There are plenty of other close-to-home places that make for great getaways. Three of my favorite Pacific Northwest cities have great deals for visitors now through the end of the year: Vancouver, BC (800.HELLO.BC, www.tourismvancouver.com); Portland, Oregon (877-678-5263, www.travelportland.com; and Seattle (800-535-7071, www.seeseattle.org) are all offering off-season packages beginning this month. Save on hotels, entertainment and transportation while giving a boost to the beleaguered tourism industry.
Sue Frause’s e-mail address is skfrause@whidbey.com.
