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108 Mile Ranch B&B

May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Accommodations
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The Arcona House B&B is convenient for travelers as it is close to the highway. I was amazed to hear how many Loons were singing as I watched them fly over the lake. If you enjoy bird watching this is the spot for you so bring your binoculars. I love hiking and if you do as well make sure to take advantage of the trail system that surround’s the large lake. I enjoyed eating my dessert outside while watching the impressive sunset. Being that we were far from the city lights the view of the lake from my bedroom window and the full moons reflection over the lake was a real treat.

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Posted by Wendy, Nanaimo at 03:28 PM

Hills Health Ranch - What a view!

May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Spas And Wellness

The Hills Health Ranch was an incredible first stop on my Cariboo Chilcotin Coast road trip! I was instantly impressed with the ambiance and friendliness of the Ranch, not to mention the absolutely stunning scenic location! My favourite room of the entire ranch (which is quick large) is the cardio room. As an avid runner (well a most of the time runner!) I quite enjoyed the view, as I stood on the treadmill I looked out through the large bay windows and was greeted by the measureless acres of pristine forest, rolling hills and stunning mountains in the distance, giving the illusion of running outdoors through the native wilderness of British Columbia. If anything could make exercising and running fun and enjoyable, this room was it!

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Posted by TSimpson, Nanaimo at 12:48 PM

Arcona House: 108 Mile Lake

May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Accommodations
Find more information about 100 Mile House, Accommodations

This is a great B&B located in a private setting on 108 Mile Lake.  It’s easy to find and what a stunning location.  You can swim off the dock, canoe, hike around the lake, golf, or laze around a quaint sitting area right outside your door.  The hummingbirds are plentiful and you can enjoy the sun all day long with a beautiful sunset at the end a great day to top it all off.  

Henning, our host, was very helpful and prepared a great dinner and breakfast for our little group of four.  The services are excellent and he even provides wine and beer if you want.  There was a huge, full moon the night we stayed and I tried to get a picture, but didn’t have any luck with the camera I was using.  I did manage to capture the awesome sunset though.  If you are looking for some down time this is a great spot.

There is lots to do in this area and horseback riding can be arranged in addition to other activities.  The lake is my favorite though and apparently in the heat of the summer it can get quite warm. It's amazing how much time can go by when water is involved, the kids would especially love this place and after all the fun you can enjoy a great barbecue on the patio. 

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Posted by Kelly W-S, Nanaimo at 09:53 AM

Delicious Dining at the 1871 Lodge

May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Cuisine

 
Our whole dinner experience at the 1871 lodge at the Hill's Health Ranch was wonderful. The dining room has a cozy log cabin feel to it and had an outstanding view of the hills.
Our service was exceptional, the waitress and chef were genuinely friendly and eager to learn more about us. We had fresh garden salads with Cedar Planked Salmon which gave a delicious smoky finish and paired nicely with the red wine. As we ate a local musician serenaded us with his soothing melodies leaving us reminiscing over this unforgettable dining experience.

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Posted by BecJ, Victoria at 10:33 PM

Baby Donkey and Horses at the Hills Health Ranch

May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Farms & Orchards

The night we arrived at the Hills Health Ranch, we spent a bunch of time exploring the beautiful acreage.  We met Annie, a newly born (only three days old!) donkey along with the other 4 or 5 donkeys on the ranch.  Little Annie was the cutest thing, and a nice touch of reality on this ranch. 

 

Just before dinner, we had a chance to see some of the horses on the ranch.  About 12 or 13 of them had broken out of the fenced in area of the ranch and onto the ski hill just behind the main lodge.  We took pictures of them from the big balcony just off the 1871 dining room.  It was pretty cool to see the diversity of the horses, and funny they believed the ‘grass was greener’ on that particular side of the fence!

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Posted by kamloopstraveller, Kamloops at 06:38 PM

The Hills Health Ranch

May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Accommodations
Find more information about 100 Mile House, Accommodations

I was so surprised when we arrived at the 'Hills' at how relaxing the resort, with a focus on weight loss and health, could be.  We met a bunch of great staff members, all of whom were really friendly and positive, encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle. 

The resort was huge, offering pretty much every activity you could want to participate in, like hiking, Pilates and yoga.  They also have a pool, gym and personal trainers on site to help everyone achieve their goals.  I also liked the fact that the ranch serves as a recreation facility for locals, with a ski hill, terrain park and miles of cross-country and horseback trails.

 

The owner, Pat, was saying that some visitors stay up to 3 or 4 months to achieve weight loss goals.  What a cool experience that would be!  There is a large wall located in the center which has pictures of all the successes experienced at the ranch.  For someone looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, this would be a great weeklong vacation!

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Posted by kamloopstraveller, Kamloops at 06:35 PM

108 Historical Site

May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Historic & Heritage Sites
Find more information about 100 Mile House, Historic & Heritage Sites

  We took a break from driving and stopped off the highway at the 108 Historic Site.  Unfortunately it wasn’t open yet for the season but we did have a great walk around the grounds, looking at the old historic buildings that sit on the edge of 108 Lake.  Many are original to the site including a huge log Clydesdale Barn.  

We'd heard from some locals about stories/rumors about the site, specifically about the famous Angus Mcvee, a Scottish woman who owned and operated the hotel in the area in the 1800s.  Rumors say that she used to kidnap girls who were running from home on their way to the Cariboo gold fields and then sell them to traveling men. She also supposedly murdered a large amount of passing merchants, miners and other prospective buyers of her young girls who visited the isolated hotel and in the course of the following years, more than fifty-nine bodies were found in the small lakes of the area. Agnes Mcvee always buried her ill gotten booty near the hotel and in following years after her death, visitors continued to find buried gold and coin in the surrounding areas.  The hotel was ripped down in 1892 and the wood was used to build a post house and telegraph/store that still stand at the 108 Historical site.

Other highlights of the site that we saw included old farming equipment, logging equipment, a one room school house, trappers cabin and blacksmith shop.  The grassy shores of the lake offer a great place for a picnic lunch stop and there is a large area for parking off of the highway which also features washrooms and area information. 

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Posted by amber, at 04:42 PM

Tooties TLC at the Hills Health Ranch in 108 Mile

May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Spas And Wellness

  I treated my feet in the afternoon to a spa pedicure as they needed some TLC after being trapped inside shoes and socks all winter.  The spa area at the ranch is very clean and the charming country decor encourage relaxation and comfort.  The esthetician was extremely friendly and professional, answering my questions about what she was doing, product she was using etc.  After a lovely foot soak, massage and nail care, my tootsies are soft and supple and ready to take sandal season head on!

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Posted by amber, at 04:12 PM

Pilates at the Hills Health Ranch in 108 Mile

May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Spas And Wellness

At first I was apprehensive of trying a fitness class at the ranch but forced myself out of my comfort zone and thought I'd give one a try.  Pilates sounded like a good option, something I’d never tried before and it ended up being a great experience!  The instructor Cathy was friendly and funny and was great at providing a wide array of options for each exercise depending on skill/fitness level.  There was a range of ages and experience levels within the others in the class but Cathy was awesome at giving us newbies tips and advice to ensure we were getting the most out of the moves.  The studio is a great space as the large windows allow a ton of light to stream in and brighten up the room.  The 50 minute class went by as quick and snappy as Cathy’s jokes and we left feeling strong and able. 

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Posted by amber, at 04:06 PM

Hills Health Ranch: Evening Meal Fun!

May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Cuisine

It gets dark here in the evening and by the time we unpacked it was time to get something to eat.  I was hungry after the long drive to get here.  The dining room is called the 1871 Room, named after the year the Cariboo Region made the decision to join Canada on the promise a railway would be built to bring people and supplies to the gold fields of the day.  The dining room is spacious and the windows look out over the valley and mountains to the east.  There is only one waitress but she was very nice and helpful with our questions.  

The white wine she suggested was great and went well with the fondu that was served.  The meal was fat free and we skewered thin strips of beef and shrimp into a pot of boiling broth to cook.  It was delicious and not too filling.  I appreciate the low fat, healthful approach to cooking and sharing of food.  Loosing weight is a lot of work and its frustrating when you go out for a nice meal and there are no good choices on the menu. Their menu features the number of calories and fat for each item which is helpful.  Dessert was a fruit fondue dipped in a little bit of dark chocolate.  Before we knew it almost three hours had flown by - not sure where the time went.  It was a wonderfully relaxed dinner and I enjoyed the service and ambiance of our first evening at the spa.

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Posted by Kelly W-S, Nanaimo at 01:55 PM