Day One of Lower Mainland Road Trip: Bellingham to Harrison Hot Springs BC

We've been in the States for a few weeks. With the fall foliage out, we decided to take a road trip on our way home to Powell River to enjoy the colour.

The Peace Arch at the Canada-United States border.

From Bellingham we headed north on I-5 to the Peace Arch Canadian border crossing then BC Highway 99.

I love the messages on the arch, "Children of a common mother" and "Brethren dwelling together in unity." These beliefs are so important right now.

We use Nexus cards. If you cross the border frequently, this is the way to go. Pre-screening and special lanes reduce delays.

Rosie's Country Cafe in Surrey.

We made a quick stop in Surrey to take our car to the Mazda dealer.

While we waited, we had breakfast at Rosie's Country Cafe across the street. The food was great and I especially loved the crispy home-fried potatoes.

From there we headed east on 32 Avenue to Highway 15 then north to intercept Highway 1 eastbound.

This route took us through fertile farmland in the Fraser Delta and Valley regions. As Vancouver's population expands, many areas are developing, but in between you find fields of berries, potatoes, fruits and nuts, greenhouse vegetables, chickens, dairies, cattle and hogs.

Chilliwack farmland.

Highway 1 east of Abbotsford leaves the populated lower mainland. It's scenic, more like a rural road than a major highway. Here we started seeing the turning maples and oaks we were seeking. Unfortunately, the skies were gray and rain was falling.

Fall colours on a gray rainy day.

Highway 1 is the Trans-Canada Highway that starts in Victoria on Vancouver Island, uses BC Ferries to cross the Strait of Georgia, runs from Vancouver across the southern part of Canada to North Sydney in Nova Scotia, then by ferry to Newfoundland and end in St. John's.

Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge across the Fraser River.

We crossed the Fraser River on the Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge to take Highway 9 north through Agassiz to our destination, Harrison Hot Springs for a night at the resort hotel.

Harrison Hot Springs Resort Hotel and Spa.

The Village of Harrison Hot Springs and the resort are at the south end of Harrison Lake. The area is famous for it's thermal pools including several at the resort and a public pool in the center of town.

Fall colours at Harrison Hot Springs.

Old Settlers Pub within walking distance.

We arrived  at the Resort in the late afternoon and walked along the shore on our way to dinner at the Old Settler Pub. Pub food and good beer are my favourite dinner meal.

I ate here several years ago when I was on a respite getaway while caring for my mother. It was just as good as I remembered and they now have an outside heated area making dinner on a rainy day even better.

There are several accommodation options in town, but this time I wanted to try the resort.

The lake view from our room.

Our room has an expansive lake view. A wonderful way to end a busy travel day. -- Margy