Scene and Done

Fairmont Hot Springs to Kelowna

This segment should probably be called “The Western Golf and Foodie Trip”, because there has not been much Road to show you!  Most of the stunning mountain scenery is completely obscured by smoke.  The wildfires are still burning in British Columbia, some out of control, and according to an app that I check before we head for our next destination, new fires continue to pop up every few days.

After taking a day off from golf to explore the town of Invermere, we had dinner at an interesting restaurant in the town.  Invermere was looking fairly busy and prosperous, unlike some of the small towns we have passed through on this trip.

Birchwood Restaurant had a very unusual menu.  I would call it fusion cuisine, except that usually means that individual dishes are a combination of food styles from different cultures.  Instead, this restaurant offered a (somewhat strange) variety of traditional dishes from places as diverse as South Korea, Africa, Thailand, Japan, and France.  My initial reaction was to be surprised that Dick had chosen this restaurant, because there didn’t appear to be anything on the menu that would appeal to me!

We began with a shared dish of baked cheese fondue with artisan bread.  Things were definitely looking up after that, it was scrumptious!  Dick ordered the Beef Duo, which gave him a small tenderloin as well as short ribs, served in a delicious gravy with mashed potatoes.  I opted for the tenderloin, with an excellent peppercorn sauce, and for the side I chose lobster mac and cheese.  I generally dislike mac and cheese in North America, finding it is short of sauce and, in my opinion, unpleasantly al dente.  However, this was delectable, with lovely macaroni in a smooth, rich sauce with chunks of lobster.  Might have to revise my opinion!  Dessert was an amazing frozen cheesecake with caramel sauce, berry compote, and candied walnuts.

We had planned to play golf the next day, but it was raining, and expected to drizzle all day, so we were happy to be able to adjust our tee time to the next day.  In fact, this illustrates how much tourism is down in this part of BC this summer, normally we would never have been able to get a tee time at such short notice.

We tried a newly opened Italian restaurant that evening.  It is a tiny place, owned and operated by an Italian couple.  Reservations are essential, as it has clearly become a local favourite, and we saw a number of people turned away.  Dick started with an unusual dish of beets, sliced and topped with melted mozzarella.  I enjoyed a very generous plate of Prosciutto (and had to ask for a box to take away half of it!)  Dick loves lasagna, and his wife doesn’t make it, so he was happy it was offered.  I chose a four cheese fusilli pasta, that was very enjoyable.  Given the quality of the food, I hope the new venture does well and stays open.  There are few good options for restaurants in this part of the valley.

Riverside Golf Course is part of the Fairmont Hot Springs community, and is owned by the same hotel organization that now owns our Mountainside Villas, the lodge, and the hot springs.  It is a stunningly beautiful course, winding around the Columbia River with the Canadian Rockies on one side and the Purcell Range on the other.  Unfortunately, it is in very poor condition.  Part of this is due to an unfortunate failure of the irrigation system earlier in June that happened during a heat wave.  The grass is yet to recover.  However, the whole course, particularly the fairways, is full of lumps and bumps.  Your ball never rolls along the fairway, instead it skips from hummock to hummock and then stops.  I was very happy with my play, feeling that I was finally hitting farther and straighter, but the lumps and bumps meant that my score certainly did not reflect any improvement.  Dick was not happy with his game either.

The temperatures were perfect, and the smoke had been cleared away by the rain, revealing the beautiful mountain setting.  We were paired with a very nice couple from Alberta, whose play was not unlike ours, so we enjoyed the day despite our poor showing.

In the evening we decided to try the lodge for dinner.  I was not optimistic, given the neglect of the entire resort, and our past (albeit many years ago) experience with the food at the restaurant.  Well, I guess they have a decent chef on staff!  The food was excellent, and for a change the portions were perfect, not so large that you either have to share or take part of the meal home!  We started with ginger pork.  This is a dish that we used to enjoy a beef version of when we lived in Calgary but have never found on Chinese menus since.  Thin pieces of meat are dredged in a flour coating, deep fried, and served with a mildly spiced ginger sauce.  The pork version that evening was crispy and delicious!  Dick was looking forward to Arctic Char for his main course, and he was not disappointed.  I decided to try beef stuffed ravioli with mushroom sauce.  It was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had.  We each chose a different dessert, Dick tried chocolate almond torte, and I enjoyed the cheesecake.

The next day was the course we had most looked forward to playing, The Springs in Radium.  It has always been one of our favourite courses, and we were happy to find that it was in much better condition than the other Columbia Valley courses we had played.  That said, it is not as lush and green as it used to be.  Again, we suspect that not enough is being spent on maintenance.

Everybody knows where they were on September 11^th, 2001.  Dick and I were visiting Calgary, and we drove through the mountains to play a round of golf at our favourite course.  As we entered the pass, we caught an announcement on the news about an airplane crashing into the Twin Towers in New York, and then we lost all signal until we arrived at the Springs golf course.  We found everyone in the clubhouse, glued to the TV, watching the attack as it unfolded.

Our round at Springs this time was enjoyable, although neither of us played particularly well.  It took well over 5 hours as there was a large group of men on the course that day.  I heard the starter say that the holdups had started at 10 in the morning, and continued through the day. Afterwards, we had made a reservation for dinner at the clubhouse at 6:45, and we barely made it.  There were just two servers, and the group of men were all seated together at a very long table next to us.  The noise was impossible, so we tried moving outside.  It was incredibly hot, and after ten minutes with the sun beating down on us, we still didn’t have menus or a server to take our order, so we left.

We took a chance that the Black Forest Steak and Schnitzel Haus would have room for us, and we were lucky to be just about the last to be seated, others were turned away.  This has been a valley fixture for many years, and we have had many meals there with my parents.  They have definitely upped their game, the food was better than we remembered.

The next morning we said goodbye to the Columbia Valley.  Will we return?  Perhaps, but we won’t stay at Fairmont again.  There are at least two more golf courses in the area that we didn’t play this time, that may be better maintained, and the town of Invermere is still a nice place to visit.  Our next destination was the town of Rossland, which is just outside Trail in southern B.C.

Dick booked a “Stay and Play” golf package, and instead of a hotel room, he was offered a small vacation rental in the lower level of a house on the golf course.  It was very clean and well furnished, and the washer and dryer were a bonus.  We enjoyed our pre-dinner drink on the terrace, overlooking the first hole.  I decided to take a picture of the building, and when I returned, I discovered that my drink was empty, while Dick’s was still suspiciously full!  He is still laughing and looking very proud of himself.

We walked over to the clubhouse for dinner and enjoyed a relatively casual meal that was excellent.  We started with poutine.  For those who haven’t had the traditional Quebec dish, it is French fries with gravy and melted cheese curds.  It is a popular pub food dish, especially in Canada and some of the northern US states, but it is not often done well.  The fries must be piping hot and crisp, and the gravy must also be hot enough so that the cheese curds melt.  This time the chef got it perfect!  Afterwards I had a delicious and very interesting clubhouse sandwich.  The bread was very crisply toasted, and the fillings were warm with melty cheese.

The next day we played the Redstone Resort Golf Course.  The course was in acceptable condition, and the greens were good, but the cart path was gravel and a total, dangerous mess.  There were huge ruts and potholes, and in several places the path was not banked on the side of the hill, and it felt as though we were about to roll over.  A sign warned on one of the very steep descents that golfers are responsible for any damage to carts.  Dick’s comment was, “Right, see you in court!  No judge would allow that, given the appalling condition of the trail!”  We got through the round, but we will not be returning.  There were some interesting features on the course, and we learned later that it was built in 1928.  However, it was redeveloped in 2006 to become an “alpine golf course”.  We found it frustrating that there are few flat areas on the fairways, your feet are never level with the ball, and a shot that lands on the fairway inevitably rolls down and finishes in the rough.

The next morning, we took time to explore the lovely old town of Rossland.  In addition to many historic buildings, there are interesting sculptures around the downtown, and lots of flowers and trees.  The old fire hall, high above the town with an interesting tower, is now a pub, and there is a pretty church that we didn’t have time to go into.

Rossland began in 1892, when Ross Thompson acquired 160 acres to create a settlement.  There had of course been earlier First Nation presence and some mining claims, but this was the first permanent settlement.  The town was named Thompson, a very common name in this part of Canada, so it was soon changed to Rossland, perhaps at the behest of the Post Office to avoid confusion with other settlements called Thompson.  A number of mines operated in the Red Mountain area in early years.  Interestingly, the ore was mainly transported to the US for processing.  The miners settled in the town, enjoying permanent homes instead of staying in tents and shacks on their claims.  Services appeared (including four resident bartenders) and eventually schools and churches.  In 1897, just 5 years after the initial land purchase, Rossland became a city.  It had 7000 inhabitants.  This early prosperity can be seen in the historic buildings that survived multiple fires and explosions, the depletion and eventual closure of the mines, and 20^th century war and depression.

The interesting old buildings are still there, having avoided the successive “modernization” that seems to sweep across old towns periodically, devastating the old and replacing it with cheap and ugly new!  Today, Rossland is a bedroom community for the larger city of Trail, and it has a moderate tourist presence with Redstone Resort in summer, and a ski hill in winter.  There are interesting shops and restaurants, and the town takes pride in the condition of their historic buildings and streets.  There is a thriving arts community, that has installed a variety of interesting sculptures throughout the town.

Our destination that day was Kelowna, on Okanagan Lake.  Dick booked a package for 6 nights of accommodation in the beautiful and historic Eldorado Resort, and two rounds of golf at local courses.  He arranged for a very comfortable and spacious suite, overlooking the lake, with a separate bedroom, full kitchen, and even an extra half bathroom!

The city has grown tremendously since we used to pass through on our trips between Calgary and Victoria.  Many of the modest houses in the centre have been replaced with modern townhouses, and low- and high-rise condos.  Around the city are large new neighbourhoods.

Kelowna is now the third largest city in British Columbia by area.  Its population doubled between 1970 and 2001, and it was the fastest growing city in Canada for many years.  Much of the growth was fueled by international migration, slowed down in the past few years, and it was a very popular destination for Canadian retirees.  A mild climate, thriving tourist industry, and agriculture was responsible for much of the growth.  Initially the city expanded outwards rapidly, but the City Council adopted a long-term plan to encourage residential growth in the inner city.  Today we can see the positive results of this policy.

The economy today is mainly based in the service industry, with year-round tourism also making a significant contribution.  Agriculture, including vineyards, is a visible presence in the valley, with even very small patches of land dedicated to fruit and vegetable growing.  Fruit stands and small markets are everywhere.

On our first evening, we went to a very authentic French Bistro, Bouchons.  The food was excellent, and served in perfect, modest portions.  Dick was delighted to order one of his favourite dishes, rabbit.  My comment is always, “Poor, poor bunny!”, but he is entirely unrepentant.  The escargots were particularly interesting, because they were served in tiny pastry cups.

Our first round of golf was at Okanagan Golf Course, about half an hour from our accommodation.  At last, we found a course that is in the fantastic condition that we remember was typical of the B.C. courses.  Soft tee boxes and greens, and lush fairways with no winterkill and no weeds and patches of invasive grasses as have been the norm in all but Greywolf so far this trip.  It is not an easy course, very narrow fairways don’t suit Dick’s slightly wild game, and it is a long course for women.  Nevertheless, we both played well and had better scores.

Afterwards we enjoyed a late lunch in the clubhouse.  It was a very interesting menu.  We started with excellent, crisp dumplings that disappeared before I had a chance to take a picture!  Dick ordered short rib, and I tried the butter chicken.  This is an Indian inspired dish, and was served over jasmine rice with poppadums and naan bread.  It was a very hot afternoon, so we were glad to return to the air-conditioned hotel and just relax for the evening.

The next day was a much anticipated visit to friends that we knew years ago in Calgary.  Warren used to play hockey with Dick, and he and Donna were great friends when we all lived in Calgary.  They have retired to a beautiful house (that they renovated themselves) in Kelowna.  We were invited for a delicious lunch of sandwiches with crusty rolls.  It was wonderful to spend time and catch up after all these years!

In the evening we went over to the Eldorado bar with the idea of trying their special whiskey tasting.  Unfortunately, although it does not say so on the website, it is supposed to be booked several days ahead.  However, our waiter was wonderful.  He put together a flight of four different whiskeys, and we accompanied it with a cheese and charcuterie board.  We enjoyed the whiskeys.  The charcuterie was more than a little limited.  For some reason, here in British Columbia, when you order cheese and charcuterie, the cheese and the meat are severely rationed, and the board is filled with fruit and pickles.  This is not the first time I have experienced this!  However, what we were given was nice, and it went well with the whiskeys. 

As we walked back to our part of the resort complex, we could see the sun was just an orange ball.  The mountains had been almost completely obscured by smoke all day.  Little girls were playing on the private beach, and the orange sun and misty mountains made a nice image.

Golf again on Friday, this time at a course called Harvest Golf Club, just outside the city.  This is an interesting, championship golf course carved out of an orchard.  Fruit trees still dot the course, and it is surrounded by working apple orchards and grape vines.  The course looks as though it would be perfect for us, with apparently wide-open fairways and in beautiful condition.  Not so.  There are two cuts of rough that surround and weave in and out of the fairways.  The shorter rough is theoretically playable, but for me, it acts as an instant brake, even for a good shot, so I get no roll at all.  This short rough crosses the fairways, so that for me, to stay on the short grass, I would need a series of nine iron shots that would put me into double digits even before I get to the green.  Dick has a different problem.  The much longer and thicker rough is where his ball tends to land.  Not only is it very difficult to find the ball in that stuff, it is unbelievably hard to hit it out and back onto the fairway.  It was a hot, still day, and by the ninth hole we were both ready to call it quits.  I had picked up on 4 of the 9 holes, and Dick’s arm was hurting from hitting in the rough so many times.  We took our clubs back to the parking lot and repaired to the highly recommended restaurant for an early lunch.

The highlight in the restaurant was a riff on poutine, with bacon and tomatoes added that was plenty for us to share.  It was very well done, and delicious.  For his main course Dick tried a crispy calamari salad.  They were generous with the calamari, but Dick found it had too much deep fried batter.  I went out of my usual comfort zone and ordered Soba Noodle Salad with grilled shrimp.  It was very tasty, but I can’t say I would order it again.

We returned to the Eldorado, and after a rest, we joined a wine tasting gathering in the lobby.  Apart from the wine, a very nice rose from a local winery, it was a pretty unpleasant experience.  There was a group of 12 very noisy women, standing right in the centre of the room, shouting across their circle to each other.  Conversation was impossible, and other guests did not seem to be very friendly.  We finished our wine and left.

To complete a less than successful day, we realized later that we had forgotten to use the generous coupons that had been presented for use in the restaurant when we paid the bill. To add insult to injury, I left my ball in the hole when I putted out on number 9.

The next morning we drove out to the airport, to visit the KF Centre for Excellence, an aviation museum.  There were some very interesting old airplanes that had been restored to flight readiness by enthusiasts.  Also on display were a number of turbine engines that were used in aircraft, but many of these turbines were also used in the oil and gas industry.  Dick enjoyed looking at them (and explaining how they worked in his business).  I remembered my Dad talking about his visits to the manufacturers (Dad worked in the gas pipeline industry).

One of the very interesting old planes was a De Havilland Mosquito.  These Second World War bombers had a wood frame.  They were used as fighters, bombers, for reconnaissance, and even for cargo and passenger connections at night through enemy territory.  They were one of the fastest aircraft in the world, reaching speeds of over 640 kmh (just under 400 mph).  I was fascinated by the wooden tanks that attached under the wings to add to the range of the planes.  These tanks allowed almost 70% greater range for the flights.  If necessary, they could be released in flight to reduce weight and allow the Mosquito to remain as light and agile as possible for the return journey.  This particular Mosquito is one of only a few of the 30 remaining in the world that is still airworthy and fully operational.  The frame is made from British Columbia Sitka Spruce.

We returned to the hotel for “High Tea”.  This was the traditional British offering of small savouries, scones with jam and cream, and pastries, served with a choice of teas.  I am always amused when I see this traditional meal referred to as “high tea” instead of “afternoon tea”.  In the north of England, “Tea” is the regular meal that you have in the evening after work.  In Scotland, “High Tea” means a relatively light evening meal.  Dick and I remember driving all over the place in Scotland with his parents, looking for what we planned to be the sandwiches, scones, etc. “High Tea”.   When we finally found a restaurant advertising it, we went in, sat down, and discovered that the menu featured delicacies like beans on toast, ham and eggs, cheese sandwiches, and other light meal delights!  So, I always use the expression Afternoon Tea, and chuckle every time I hear someone suggest High Tea.

The version served at the Eldorado was quite enjoyable, although someone needs to explain the difference between clotted cream and whipped cream.  They also served slightly weird scones, the one with blueberries was not bad, but honestly, there is no place for jalapenos in scones that are to be eaten with jam and cream!

A rest was required after a short walk in the garden before heading out for dinner at a downtown Italian restaurant, La Bussola.  The food and service were good, except that I made a mistake in my choice.  The owner/chef grows zucchini in her garden, and once a year, she harvests the flowers, early in the morning.  These are stuffed with meat sauce, dredged in batter, and deep fried.  I have always wondered about zucchini flowers, so I decided to try them instead of a main course.  That was definitely an experience that is not to be repeated.  They tasted truly awful.  Desserts were a welcome relief, whisky ice cream for me, and panna cotta with fresh berries for Dick.

The next day we met Donna and Warren again at their golf club.  There had been rain in the night and it had cooled off, so it was the perfect temperature for golf.  Their course is very scenic, with views of the mountains, and it is lots of up and down, with elevated tees and greens.  It was in great condition in spite of drought and water restrictions.  Something that I really appreciated was new, experimental tee boxes for players who are unable to carry the long distances from the usual forward tees to the fairways.  I played my best round this trip!  Dick enjoyed the chance to play again with our friends, but the course is not quite his style, the fairways are rather narrow for his errant tee shots.  Later in the evening we enjoyed a nice meal at the hotel with Donna and Warren.  We will look forward to our next get-together!

The next morning, the sky was clear and for the first time we saw alpenglow on the mountains at sunrise.  We said goodbye to Kelowna and headed for Vancouver.