A long weekend in the mountains - Kootenay Park Lodge

This past weekend was Canada Day. Officially we're 151 years old, which as far as countries go...is pretty young. That history is checkered with good and bad - but there's no place I'd rather be. There's also no place I'd rather celebrate Canada's birthday than in the mountains.

The Cabins

We spent the weekend at the Kootenay Park Lodge, just over the Alberta Border in British Columbia. Rustic, would be the best way to explain the lodge. Everything from the main buildings to the cabins are showing their age. The interiors are simple and clean (although given the age it does smell a bit of mildew/wet). Nice linens and soaps etc. All what you would expect. The owners have done a nice job with what they have to work with. It's expensive, but then again everything in the mountains is.

It's a cute place to stay on your way through the Rockies.

The food

All that said - the disappointing bit of the trip was the food. Reading the sales pitch on the website it makes it sound like you're going to get a fabulous meal at the little restaurant. And to be honest, we kind of expected something amazing - as just down the highway is another set of cabins with a GREAT restaurant (Storm Mountain Lodge). However it was terrible. The dressings for the salads were packaged, the burger (i'm pretty sure) came from a package. The buns tasted like I imaging drywall would taste. The kid didn't even make it past bite one of her pizza... yuck. We're pretty sure they just made a big trip to Costco and that's what we got.

Being a bed and breakfast - they gave us $12 vouchers for breakfast at the store. Simple pastries, sandwiches that were so rubbery you'd have to chew them for a week. To be honest, the best food was the packaged yoghurt.

I don't usually like writing bad reviews of places. But given the price of the lodging I think it's only fair to have a restaurant to match. If you're going to stay at the lodge, DON'T eat at the restaurant. It doesn't take much to make good food...

Stay at the lodge...go to Storm Mountain Lodge for food, or into Radium or Banff.

To leave on a positive note. I love the first image I shot - but can't decide if it's better in colour...or B&W. What do you think?