Harrison's Secrets

[trip style = active & adventure + sightseeing]

Yesterday we took a trip style = spa + weekend getaway to Harrison Hot Springs for a cozy and rejuvenating escape. Beyond the springs, travel down some of area's country roads to pick up award-winning cheese and fresh-roast coffee, or meander down the Harrison River to view t-h-o-u-s-a-n-d-s of bald eagles in their natural habitat.

Harrison's Secrets Sturgeon Fishing And Eagle Watching Huddled around a heater on a BC Sport Fishing Group jet boat, I asked owner Tony Nootebos if his 22-boat operation catered mainly to men. I assumed reeling in 5-11ft dinosaur-era sturgeons was the ultimate mancation---ok, it is. Turns out ladies like it too, accounting for 21% of his clients, some of whom come for stagettes. During the late-fall/winter grab the binocs and eagle watch! This year, over 400,000 salmon spawning drew in excess of 4000 eagles. It was a party! Know this: - BC Sport Fishing group uses a barbless hook to catch, tag and release sturgeon, working in concert with the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society. - Some boats are specialized for wheelchairs! - Open everyday but Christmas.

Farm Fresh Cheese When local cheesemaker Debra Amrein-Boyes of The Farm House Natural Cheeses was asked to send three cheeses to the White House as a gift to Obama, she obviously cleared her schedule. Within a 12-minute drive of Harrison, this family-run, working farm, makes cheese that pushes the boundaries of non-confrontational cheese with goat gouda, quark and 20+ other varieties. Know this: - Open Mon - Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5. Closed January, Easter Sunday, Dec. 25 & 26. - Buy in Vancouver at les amis du FROMAGE, Whole Foods and Save-On-Foods.

Fresh-Roast Coffee, And Pottery Learn what it's like to live and work off the land by a family of artisans. At The Back Porch, Lynda sells her recently spun pottery and Dan uses his circa 1919 flame roaster to churn farmer-friendly, organic and shade-grown beans. Roasted daily, far, far away from any Starbucks! Know this: - Open Wed - Sun 11 - 5. Closed December 25 to March 1.

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More IMG_FRI Bora Bora Portlandia Honolulu Urbanesque Coffee Shop in Bellevue, WA

[eagle photos by Tony Nootebos, all others by @tripstyler, taken while a guest of Tourism Harrison]

Spotlight :: Harrison Hot Springs

[trip style = spa + weekend getaway + active & adventure + budget conscious]

{Editor's Note: Today is Trip Styler's introduction to Harrison Hot Springs, look out for some of the area's foodie stops and wilderness adventures on Friday.}

—————————————————– Dear Harrison, At multiple junctures we've almost brushed shoulders. It's not that I didn't want to meet you, our paths never crossed.

And then, late in 2011, mutual friends connected our interests and a date was set. Harry, apparently you were making up for lost time, pulling out all the stops with a soak in the spring-fed mineral pools, massage in the spa and an evening of dinner and dancing. xoxo, Trish —————————————————–

It was a cold and rainy late-November day and with a weekend bag and still-warm Creme De La Crumb scone in tow, I made the arrow-straight, highway journey to Harrison Hot Springs from Vancouver. This road is well traveled in summer; in winter the lake-front destination is quiet and cozy with budget-friendly appeal.

The area's farm-to-table foodie stops and world-class nature exploration notwithstanding {more on this Friday}, the natural hot springs and spa at the Harrison Resort & Spa are the pièces de résistance. Luxuriate in the mineral pools in the early morning or at night {fewer spa-goers at this time} to watch the steam dance and water glow against the surrounding blue-black mountains.

When the clock strikes eight, get dolled-up like Marilyn Monroe and Cary Grant, and go back in time {literally} at the hotel's legendary Copper Room supper club. Dressed-up tables with dimly lit lamps are intimately arranged around the well-heeled dance floor, used every night thanks to the longtime crooners, The Jones Boys. Watching "Erma and Norm" storm the dance floor at the first hint of Moonriver, will make even the most timid dancers bust out their limited moves in the name of love.

—————————————————– Harry, I wish our first date would have resulted in a rose ceremony, but I'm a modern girl, so I'll settle for an itinerary filled with romantic gestures instead.

What To Know

• Getting There: Harrison is about an hour and a half from Vancouver and three hours from Seattle.
• Hotel/Spa/Mineral Pools: A series of adult and family-friendly pools at varying temperatures fit everyone's needs. Comfortable hotel rooms with modest bathrooms start at $99 {includes access to the spa's pools, complimentary parking and wifi}.

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[photos c/o abundantc, harrison resort & trip styler, taken while a guest of tourism harrison]