Solo adventures in pristine destinations. That is a win-win if you ask me. There is nothing like being disconnected from the world, and totally immersed and connected to nature. That is where ultimate recharging happens. High heeled in the city and barefoot in the bush. Continue reading Takakkaw Waterfalls And The Whiskey Jack Wilderness Hostel
Tag: Explore BC
Spring At Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park
Emerald Lake, in Yoho National Park, is a classic beauty. Discovered accidentally over 100 years ago by a famous European mountain guide named Tom Wilson, while he was searching for his horses who went astray.
It is a destination that will never cease to impress you with its natural splendours. With spring having arrived, things are beginning to melt and seemingly come to life again. It is always amazing to watch the transformation of nature every year. Especially if you make sure to always take the time to stop and appreciate it all.
In the summer Emerald lake is so magical, with the sun glistening over the aquamarine water, creating a vibrant iridescent colour that can drop your jaw and ignite your soul.
The snow and ice-covered lake and mountain peaks, of winter and spring, are equally as picturesque as they come and also known to be some of the most impressive in the Rocky Mountains. With the lakes claim to fame being the stunning emerald colour of the water, one might think that it would be quiet during the off-season months.
However, that is not the case what so ever. As you stroll the paths, taking in the sunshine and spectacular views, there are plenty of other nature enthusiasts paying a visit to this unforgettable spot all throughout the various seasons.
On this fine spring day, the birds were chirping, and the flies were buzzing around. Two clear indications that summer is on its way. As opposed to what mother nature is making people think when winter seems to be lingering well into spring. Don’t you worry, I am certain, summer is right around the corner.
I do love all of the seasons, I think the only thing that gets a bit hard is the lingering when seasons are supposed to change.
The Emerald Lake Lodge which is situated right beside the lake is actually open all year round, and there are plenty of activities to enjoy in the area during every season. In the winter it is known for its cross-country skiing, and in the summer for its canoeing and hiking.
Let me just say, the thought of a nice cabin style room, with a warm fire blazing in the corner on a chilly spring night, truly seems so appealing.
Emerald Lake is a breathtaking place, with endless beauty to be appreciated, rain, shine or snow. An absolute must see if you find yourself in the area on a beautiful spring day.
A day of rain forest and suspension bridge adventures in Vancouver
It’s so funny how you can visit a place numerous times in your life and always miss out on one of the coolest places to visit while your there. Seriously I wonder how on earth it took me so long to go and check out the Capilano suspension bridge park?!
I was in Vancouver and craving an escape from the city life. The Capilano suspension bridge park had caught my eye, so it was a done deal.
Upon entering the park you are immediately surrounded by totem poles. Appreciating this traditional art is something I always welcome.
The area is lush, green and smells amazing! It’s those intoxicating smells of nature. Also very cool that it is in a rainforest. I have spent a lot of time in the rainforests in Central and South America, but never in Canada. So this was a treat!
The Park itself is beautiful and sprawled out perfectly.
First stop was the cliff walk.
To my surprise it definitely provided a bit of an adrenaline rush! Even my legs were shaking a bit. Which was fine by me. I am always up for a healthy dose of adrenaline.
As you walk along the one bridge that stretches out over the edge, you can totally feel it moving, and that combined with looking down is was brings on that surge of adrenaline.
The views are amazing!! Seriously beautiful. My soul was drinking it right up.
There was lots of peek-a-boo beauty to be appreciated along the way.
And the landscaping was speaking straight to my heart.
The main suspension bridge didn’t provide as much of an adrenaline rush, as opposed to what I had expected, but the views were spectacular.
Once you get across it you really get into the deep forest feel, and the intoxicating smells get even more intense. The walkways are smooth, super easy to navigate, and the landscape is once again on point.
The tree top adventures brought me straight back to my childhood.
It had me reminiscing about that time when I was 10 and built myself a tree house.
I spent weeks, day in and day out, cutting and hammering away. I only had help putting the floor and support beams up, and the rest I did myself. I had a hinged door, carpeting, the whole works.
So now, I have decided I would like to add a classy tiny home tree house with suspension walkways from tree to tree to my book of desires. I would be in my total happy place.
Another great addition is the posts all around the park sharing information about the workings of nature and all that is around us.
Knowledge is power, you can never do too much learning.
Don’t forget to hug a tree while you are there. It provides a healing surcharge like none other. Yes, those know me, know that I am what one would call – a tree hugger!
This was hands down one of the best days ever! An ideal way to recharge and connect with nature, and a highlight of 2018 for me for sure.
What a fantastic way to spend an afternoon if you find yourself in the Vancouver area and need an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city life.
A Little Bit Of Fall Love
Fall is hands down one of my favorite times of year. From the colors, smells in the air to the temperature outside. With the cooler temperature comes layered fall fashion and warm drinks. I love it all. The only problem is that fall is way to short. If feels as though, that as soon as it arrives, it’s gone. With that said, I am always motivated to get out and take it all in.
Nature walks during the fall season, never cease to me stunningly beautiful. The crisp feel of the temperature is perfect for a brisk walk. Not to hot and not to cold.
I enjoyed a beautiful stroll here in Quesnel, BC at 10 Mile Lake.
What a stunner of a spot. I could imagine how fantastic picnics would be here in the summer. I was also totally diggin’ the outside theater.
I would have no problems planning a few awesome events for this little location.
The smells in the crisp fall air was absolutely intoxicating, I could not help but to continually inhale as deeply as possible to take the aromas in. From berries to trees, they were exuding scents of bliss. Nothing like pure clean oxygen to fuel your cells with.
With all the chaos in the world, it can be hard to stay mindful and present, and not let fears and anxieties take over our thoughts.
I always make it a point to ground and center myself. To live as mindfully as possible and stay in this present moment. Mindfulness is a state of being, something that takes daily practice to maintain, but toning that mindfulness muscle will enrich your life and create bounds more happiness for you.
For myself, being in nature is the best place for me to re-energize and be present. Soothing my soul, nourishing my mind, and taking a moment to reflect on everything I am grateful for, so I have endless high vibe energy and love to share with the world.
It is amazing what taking a moment to stop and just appreciate all the beauty that surrounds us keeps your heart open to seeing more and more endless beauty.
I also love nourishing my body from the inside with loving and warm things in the fall.
For instance I indulged in some warm homemade miso soup. It was divine! It’s so easy to make. Literally 15 minutes, and just a few ingredients. Miso, nori, tofu, green onions and water. So simple, and yet so comforting.
Accompanied with a fresh green juice and some of the highest rated cellular nutrition in the world, and you are well on your way to having a healthy high vibe fall.
If you are interested in fueling your cells and having tailored supplementation for your individual needs,to get your glow on, skin rejuvenated and energy soaring you can learn more about that here.
You know, at times it is as simple as taking myself on a ‘me time‘ date and indulging in a warm coffee at pristine location.
I do love my ‘me time’ and I always provide myself with some pretty darn good company. If I do say so myself. Not to mention, I always pick the best places to take myself.
Heck yes to being awesome, and treating yourself to the best. Happy Fall beautiful people! xoxo
Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
Lounging in hot spring is always a wanted experience in my books. No matter where in the world I am, as soon as I see hot springs, I am all over it. Or should I say, straight into it. So clearly visiting a town that is named after its hot springs is a no brainer.
Harrison itself is a beautiful place, situated right on the shores of Harrison Lake, and surrounded by mountains, it is a prime vacation spot for adventure enthusiasts looking for all sorts of activities. Strolling through the town along the lake shores invigorates one with a very romantic feel.
If your on your life long search for the Sasquatch, apparently this would be the area to go on that expedition.
This particular visit though was all about the hot springs, we even stayed at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort so we were in crawling distance of the Springs. There is something incredible and completely rejuvenating about even just looking out your balcony window and seeing hot springs there. Just waiting and calling out to you.
There are three different outdoor pools to choose from. A family pool with a temperature of 28 c/ 83 f.
A lap pool with a temperature of 28°c/ 83°f, for those of you whom want to make sure you get your fitness in.
And my personal favorite, the adult hot pool with a beautifully toasty temperature of 37°c/98°f.
So there is the option to pool hop, or simply enjoy your ideal temperature all day. They also have an indoor swimming pool and hot pool if you fancy you fancy a more enclosed environment.
The ambiance of the Resort is very classy. Historical classy would be another way to describe it, as it dates back to 1886. The resort truly has history and class, two things that rate high in my appreciation list. The decor is very chic and warm, it makes you feel right at home. Seriously, I was contemplating moving in and never leaving. Even the bed was so comfortable I didn’t want to get out of it.
We spent most of our time in the Springs. What else would you expect in a situation such as this?
Our itinerary consisted of hot springs dip, then quick break for a freshen up, then hot springs dip, then get ready for dinner, then after dinner hot springs dip, then wake up and start the day with none other then a hot springs dip(after coffee that is… Priorities!), I am sure you get the picture.
I was loving it so much I could not resist hugging one of the resident tree’s.
Yes that’s right, I am a tree hugger.
With four various restaurants to choose from to dine, it can be difficult to decide when you are not there for a few days to try them all. Oh, who am I kidding. It wasn’t hard for us to pick one.
The Copper Room has live music and a dance floor surrounded by linen covered tables. Dining and dancing is such a rare pleasure these days, it really made me feel as though I was transported back into a classic romantic movie. Although this evening was a romantic dinner with my sister – and I would not have had it any other way. Sister getaway’s are the best.
The music was fantastic, and the service and cuisine are to boast about. I was in a little slice of heaven, a dream that I didn’t want to wake up from.
Having the amenity to enjoy an after dinner evening soak in the springs, just made the evening unforgettable. In fact the whole experience at Harrison Hot Springs Resort will be one that I will not soon forget, and should the opportunity arise to revisit, I will be there in a heartbeat.
Nature And Horse Riding At Spruce Hill Resort In BC
I have been lucky enough to ride horses plenty of times in my life. Although far and few between, it is always an activity that I thoroughly enjoy. Except for that one time when I was riding a horse and it starting bucking and I jumped off. FYI – your not supposed to jump of a bucking horse.
Being at a resort located in the middle of a working ranch with horses roaming free around the property, only served to make us want to hop on one and enjoying a leisurely afternoon in the company of one of the most beautiful animals out there.
I though it was very cool that upon checking into Spruce Hills Resort when were en route to our room, the horses that were freely strolling around walked straight up to us basically demanding a bit of attention. I was hooked right off the bat.
It is such a stunning and secluded feeling area, perfectly pristine for a horse ride. We booked in for an afternoon trail ride through the forest.
From the get go the horses were super chill. Which is exactly what I like. I was having flashbacks of the not so chill horses I have been on in the past.
There is something so soul soothing about being in the middle of nature on the back of a horse. Not gonna lie, I felt cool as heck.
My horse’s name was General, he was so obedient, and loved being told he was a good boy. I couldn’t help but continually tell him what a good boy he was, as he was soaking it right up and turning his ears and head towards me every time I said it.
What a relief that he was so obedient. I mean, I am pretty good at controlling a horse, but I ain’t no horse whisperer.
Well there was that time in South Africa, when I got to try my hand at it. I was locked in a training ring with the horse whose name was Dougal, and it was my job to get him to submit to me. Ummm, can you say adrenaline rush?! With him running in circles around me in this small ring, kicking and bucking, and me trying to maintain my classy composure while also not falling over from being dizzy, and keeping my eyes locked on him, praying that he would submit and not kick me. In the end, I won the battle of who’s going to control who. What in incredible, heart pumping, and unforgettable experience. So yes, I suppose you could say I have dabbled in horse whispering once upon a time.
This afternoon however was so relaxing, and I fell in love with my horse. My only problem was that the horse in front of me was having a bit of gas issues, and I happened to be downwind of them.
Seriously, he was letting them rip, left, right and center. Geez, com’on! Give a lady a break why don’t yah?! I wasn’t sure how many more times I could hold my breath. Alas, can’t win them all can we, those fresh farm smells will get yah.
Due to a sighting of a mama bear and her two cubs we had to cut our ride a bit short. It’s the time of year where bears are fattening up for winter, so there are plenty of run ins to be had. As we all know, you don’t want to mess with a mama bear. So turning back was the only way.
Once back at the barn, we decided what better way to finish off the excursion then to give the horses a good brushing. You always gotta return the awesome energy bestowed upon you.
An absolutely fab way to spend an afternoon. I truly didn’t want it to end. That’s okay though, all good things must come to an end – and I will absolutely be back for more. Until till next time….. Giddy Up!
A Pursuit of Life - Barefoot& High Heeled 