We took an early morning flight from Toronto so that we could make the most of day once we landed in Calgary. Because we pre-booked our rental car, we were able to walk right up and select a car and go. Wahoo!
We headed for some quick food and then onwards straight to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump UNESCO World Heritage Site. I first learned about this site from an elementary school friend. It's been on my travel list since then. It was a super neat place to go and worth the wait. We found it very windy and there is good reason for this - it is one of the windiest places in Canada! There are fantastic views and even animals to be found along the trails. Above all this, the history and displays are very interesting. Maybe the most impactful was the story blanket.
We travelled onwards along the Crowsnest Highway, the highway of my early childhood. I forgot how stunningly beautiful it is along this drive! It's so under rated. We gained an hour in the Crowsnest Pass. We passed through Fernie and scoped the ski hill. We passed through Cranbrook and then stopped in Creston for a quick bite.
There are two ways to get to Ainsworth Hot Springs. You can continue along the Crowsnest 3 and then Highway 6 via Nelson. The other route is to head up the 3A along Kootney Lake. This is the route we chose to take Ainsworth Hot Springs! We kept stopping and enjoying the scenery. Kootney Lake is majestic. We couldn't believe how few people were out enjoying the lake on a sunny, warm late July evening. This is definitely a place to revisit and spend time in.
We were so caught up in the scenery that I forgot was that there was a ferry at the end the road. We needed to cross the ferry to reach Ainsworth. When I finally realized it, we were in jeopardy of catching the 6:10pm ferry. We got there a little late, but the Kootenay Bay Ferry hadn't yet let the eastbound vehicles off. We were at the front of the second row and made the 6:10pm M.V. Balfour Ferry. This gave us more time to experience the hot springs. Phew! Here is a link to ferry schedule for your planning. The ferry is free by the way, but don't wing it like us. I wouldn't want anyone to miss the ferry, because it's over an hour back to Creston.
The first few times I experienced Ainsworth, was when the cave was much more natural. I was young and found it kind of scary, but when the stalagmites were removed for a smooth concrete floor and the larger stalactites were removed it made me more sad than less scary. I still love the place, but am happy to have know the rawer version of this incredible place.
End-to-end this was a 24 hour day.
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