 |
Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families. I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don't hesitate to contact me. |
The kind folks at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa invited us to spend a night at their hotel and enjoy the hot springs, go on a nature walk and explore Harrison on a quadricycle. Just a 90 minute drive (when the traffic is light) from Vancouver, it makes for a great quick family getaway.
Our room was great - modern, comfortable, cleans and it had a small fridge which is a must for me when traveling with a small child. And the view was beautiful (see above)! Our first order of business was to don our white resort walls and head to the pools. That's right - pools...as in more than one. There are 4 pools at the resort - an adult only pool, a larger pool with surround benches and a water feature, a lap pool that is the coldest of the bunch and in indoor pool and hot tub that is open until 1am.
We spent most of our time in the larger pool which is surrounded by lots of trees and rocks which made it quite the oasis. With it's no entry access and benches along the side, 2 year old Sadie was able to explore the pool on her own made quick friends with other kids. She loved racing into the warm pool. If I didn't have to rush off to a spa appointment (heaven!) I would have stayed in that pool for hours. Pool time for dad and Sadie, facial for mum - win win!
After a yummy dinner and another dip in the pool, we all slept like babies. The next morning we were taken on a nice nature walk and explored the beautiful gardens that surround the resort. We walk a little further and explored a great forest trail that had lots of wooden bridges and was just the right distance for little kids. At the end we saw the actual source of the hot springs which looked hot and stunk.
On the lake across from the resort there are a lot of water activities like bumper boats and aqua bals for kids big and small to enjoy. It wasn't warm enough for us to check out ourselves. Sadie couldn't stop talking about the massive inflatable park on the lake and made us promise to bring her back one day so she could go down the massive slide.
But it wasn't too cold for some sand castle building on the beach. Harrison is well known for an international sandcastle building competition that takes place there annually in September.
One of my favourite activities was exploring the streets of Harrison on a quadricycle. Sadie loved the little seat up front, honking the horn and waving at every passerby. Those things can go fast!
After our jaunt around town we went back to the pools for one last dip (of course) and then reluctantly made our way back home to the city. It was such a quick and easy escape and we will be sure to do it again.
Resort Tips:
- Everyday at 4pm complimentary tea and cookies are served near the copper piano.
- No need to bring your own robe or towels - they come with your room and staff will gladly give you new ones upon request.
- There is a movie theatre and arcade in the resort for kids to enjoy
- The resort offers lots of great packages for couples, girlfriends and families
