Stay In Scandinavian-Cool Cabins @ Rowena’s Inn In Harrison, B.C.

Less than two hours’ drive from Vancouver, natural serenity awaits at Rowena’s Inn on the River at Sandpiper Resort. Here, you’ll find the two-person cabins of your dreams—outdoor red cedar soaker tub, included. —Katie Nanton

STAY 

Ten years ago we stayed at Rowena’s Inn to experience their rustic log cabins with wood-burning fireplaces by the Harrison River; we revelled in the natural serenity and vowed to return. When they built six slick new Woodland Series cabins recently on the 160-acre property—which is also home to Sandpiper Golf Course—we found our reason. These state-of-the-art open concept spaces sleep two luxuriously and feel like something out of a design magazine. Bonus: there are two luxurious tubs to soak the worries of city life away: a white porcelain standalone inside, and an extra-deep Ofuro red cedar soaker on your private porch, the ideal place for an evening (or anytime) soak. We loved throwing on thick robes post-bath to play Scrabble while the raindrops tapped against our skylight at night, gas fireplace alight. Bedtime came with a spritz of lavender eucalyptus pillow mist, and the deepest of sleeps ensued. 

EXPLORE 

A 15-minute drive away, the town of Harrison Hot Springs is an easy place to lounge the day away lake-front. Hike around part of the lake, or take to the water for a different vantage point with Harrison Eco Tours’ Scenic River Tour on a heated, covered jet boat. You’ll venture to where the clear Harrison River dramatically meets the mighty, muddy Fraser and be treated to history lessons and wildlife-spotting along the way (likely eagles, deer, seals; sometimes black bear and coyotes). Open since April, we spent way longer than we expected to at the interactive Sasquatch Museum, which really has it all, from newspaper clippings of sightings from the late-19th century to a kiosk where you can search an index of those who claim to have seen the mysterious mythical creature. (A snippet: “December 2020: Two motorists sighting of a Sasquatch 4 miles south of Silverton BC”). The exhibit also includes an indigenous room, the Sts’ailes Longhouse, with multimedia stories about the importance of the Sasquatch to indigenous identity and spiritual beliefs; indeed, the word Sasquatch is believe to have been an Anglicization of the Salish word Sasq’ets, meaning “wild man”. Pick up a Bigfoot action figure in the gift shop or an indigenous puzzle, then take your photo with the 8-foot-tall Sasquatch on-site before returning to the solitude of Rowena’s to take in some Sasquatch-hunting of your own on the trails surrounding the property—or from the comfort of your cedar tub. 

SAVOUR

In Harrison, you can head for a bite of farm-to-table food at Muddy Waters Cafe or grab a few chocolate Sasquatch feet from Rocky Mountain Chocolate next door, but we recommend saving most of your meals for Sandpiper Resort; excellent hearty-casual fare is available at River’s Edge Clubhouse, just steps from the cabins, and boasts a large covered patio as well. One indulgent, rainy morning we ordered a Golfcart Sandwich (a fried egg ‘n bacon sandwich on brioche with a side of signature smashed rosemary-lemon potatoes) and Housemade Granola with mixed berry compote and Greek yogurt to-go; we took it back to the room to devour it with a movie on the sleek Samsung Frame TV—this is vacation, after all. Last but absolutely not least, be sure to check if there are any special cocktail-and-fine-dining events happening during your stay at the resort. If so, they’ll take place at the stunning, historic English-style manor on-site—often with live musical performances—where it’s all part of the experience to pack a fancy outfit and feel like you’re time-travelling, Bourbon Sour in hand.