Couples from across Canada take the RAV4 out to play.
It’s not very often that we get a full weekend of sunshine out on the Canadian West Coast. Whenever we do, it’s a real treat, and you can be sure that we’ll make the most of it.
Our family owns a home goods store, where we sell one of a kind ceramic pieces, textiles, and pottery. We’re both passionate about what we do and the products we sell, but our businesses take up a lot of our time, so it’s rare that we get to indulge in a road trip.
A couple of weeks ago, my partner Janaki and I took the blue sky as a sign to plan an impromptu road trip and bring our daughter Lola to Harrison Hot Springs, about an hour and a half from Vancouver. We packed the RAV4 early Saturday morning and headed east to the Springs. Clear skies, full trunk; can’t lose.
Vancouver is surrounded by nature, and we have the incredible opportunity to use our weekends to explore all that beautiful British Columbia has to offer. Obviously, the car we drive makes a difference if we’re going to go out and play; it’s easy to keep driving for hours on end in the RAV4. It holds the road well and has enough cargo space to fit everything we need for our adventures.
On the way, we made a pit stop at Farm House Cheeses to stock up on picnic supplies. If you’re ever in the area or just looking for some great cheese, I highly recommend it. We’ve been using their products at home and at our other business, a café called Le Marché St. George, and we’ve never been disappointed — we carry their butter and of course our favourite: La Pyramide, an amazing, ash-ripened French-style goats' milk cheese. So delicious!
I’d never been to Harrison Hot Springs before, and it seemed like a perfect destination for a quick family getaway. A small village on the southern banks of Harrison Lake, the area is mostly known for its natural hot pools. We wondered if we’d see natural rock pools or some sort of geyser.
As it turns out, hotels near the springs mostly channel the water into what look like regular pools, not the picturesque natural spring we may have imagined, but honestly, once you get into the warm water, all your cares melt away.
The area’s namesake resort was all booked up, but a quick search online led us to the nearby Rowena Inn. Instead of spending too much time in the crowded town, we headed out for a drive and soon enough, reached this small no-name lake with a beautiful sandy beach. Lola got creative, making up a game for us to play, jumping around and climbing on driftwood.
I live for quality family time like this, and I’ll be sure to keep the memories safely tucked away for later, when life gets hectic, as it so often does. Soon enough we’re all played out, and it was time to head back to the inn. On the road, Janaki spotted a waterfall that we just had to stop and see. This area is home to several of them, and it’s little things like this that nature places along the way that make these journeys so great.
Sunday morning, we got up bright and early to make it back to the city in time for Lola’s best friend’s birthday. Lola wouldn’t let us miss it for the world! We hit the road and made a quick pit stop at a farm in Chilliwack to pick up some chickens - yes, live chickens. We usually keep a few in our backyard for fresh eggs to cook with at home, After carefully selecting our birds, it took a while to get our new friends into the car, but the RAV4’s Hands-Free Liftgate made things simpler.
We made it back to the city just in time for the party. Without even having to stop for gas we showed up to Lola’s friend’s place to surprise her with her present (don’t worry, it wasn’t a chicken!). It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. Perhaps on our next trip we’ll get to see geysers, or make it up to the Yukon like I tried to do many years ago. Except next time, instead of making the trip as a solo traveler, I’ll get to go on another adventure with Lola and Janaki.
