By Kristyl Clark

The sun was starting to set and my girls were withering into prunes, but we had no intention of leaving the pool anytime soon.

Stretched out like a cat on a lounge chair, I watched as they splashed and giggled, mere inches beyond my toes.

“Aren’t you going to come in?” asked my mom, who floated lazily on inner tube wearing a big floppy hat and giant smile to match.

“The water is perfect!”

Getting up required far too much effort on my part. Instead, I sunk deeper into my seat, soaking up the sun’s final rays of the day and the breathtaking view of the Cheam Mountain straight ahead.

Even though we were just an hour or so from home, it felt like we were somewhere far, far away.

We had found paradise and it would be our home-sweet-home for the next four days.

It was early on a Friday afternoon that our all-female convoy rolled into the Springs RV Resort in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia.

Jason (the hubs) was unable to join us, but didn’t miss a beat poking fun of how much I had packed for our girls’ getaway earlier that morning.

“Looks like you’ll really be roughing it, hey?” he laughed.

“We’re not camping… we’re going GLAMPING!” I informed him, while slipping my flat-iron, curling iron, hair dryer and case of beauty products into a suitcase.

There would be no fiddling with tent poles, sleeping on air mattresses or braving any outhouses in the blackness of night.

Our plan was to arrive at our destination, pop a bottle of sparkling Chilean wine with strawberries and unplug from reality.

Behind the Gates

The Springs RV Resort, formerly known as Bigfoot Campground, is the perfect marriage of luxury and the great outdoors. It’s also one of the few luxury RV parks near Vancouver.

For those who desire freedom from the hassles of pitching a tent or lack of plumbing, this little getaway close to home seamlessly blends the comforts of resort living with Mother Nature.

Inside the gated property is twelve and a half acres of impeccably landscaped property that’s home for 206 RV owners.

Residents and visitors come from all over as the resort is less than 90 minutes from virtually anywhere in the Lower Mainland – a big advantage for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of city living without a long trek or crossing the border to the U.S.

All the Luxuries of Home… and more!

While I’ve stayed in a few RV’s in my lifetime, nothing could prepare us for what we were about to experience. It was Heaven on four wheels.

“Oh My Gawd,” said my mom, as we approached our temporary abode that was more chic than shabby.

“Are you sure this one is ours?”

After double-checking the number on our key, we realized that yes, the spacious RV with granite counter-tops, big-screen TVs, large shower and finishes finer than our own homes, would be our accommodations.

But that was just the inside. The icing on the cake was the spacious deck, private dog run, enormous outdoor kitchen and gas fireplace.

Oh, and let’s not forget the ‘Shabin’: think shed meets cabin, which my girls were very excited to discover.

“This is so cool Mom,” said Molly as she climbed onto the top bunk and unpacked all of her toys.

Molly, 6, and Zoe, 4, were too young to stay in it alone, but it made for the perfect little clubhouse for them to play and have their own space during the day.

Fun for all Ages

“So what are we going to do first Mom?” asked Zoe, whose big blue eyes sparkled with excitement when I went over the list of activities happening that week.

From the look of it, I knew boredom wouldn’t be an issue for anyone in our party — even Tucker (our pup) would be well entertained.

The Springs RV Resort was designed for family fun and has created a very unique community with weekly summer activities.

Visit the Springs RV Resort and enjoy: 

• Brand new three-storey clubhouse
• New adult pool and over-sized hot tub
• Large heated family pool with hot tub
• Spa-like bathrooms with heated tile floors
• 5 outdoor community fireplaces
• Two big screen TV areas
• Library with fireplace
• Games room – darts, pool, ping pong, foosball
• Stone and cedar social pavilion for BBQ’s and dances
• Laundry Room
• Large treed playground
• 1930’s Antique Carousel
• Walking trails, dog walk
• Free Wi-Fi & Shaw Hotspot

The family and pet-friendly community atmosphere of the resort evokes a feeling of belonging, which we experienced on our first evening during ‘Burger Night’ at the pavilion.

After travelling with kids and a dog, the last thing we wanted to do was hit up the grocery store and think about what to make for dinner.

Rather than cook, we followed the aroma of cooked onions, which led us to the pavilion where California Burgers and onion rings were being cooked on the outdoor grill. This was a great way to connect with our new neighbors and to get a feel for the resort.

Sitting amidst the chatter and laughter, it was obvious that most of the attendees, who ranged in ages from young families to retiree’s at the gathering were already well-acquainted with each other.

Many came equipped with their bottle of wine (my kind of people), and were welcoming to us newcomers.

We met grandparents from Surrey who had brought along their grandson and were just passing through. There was also a couple around my age with a young boy who had borrowed a family member’s RV for the weekend.

It was also nice to chat with a retired couple who told us about how they had sold their large home and now reside permanently at the RV park.

While each person we talked to may have had a different reason for staying at the resort, there seemed to be a common theme — everyone was  equally low-key, relaxed and friendly.

The following morning, we ventured over to the playground for arts and crafts –the children were assembling Christmas centerpieces and making cards for the resort’s annual Christmas in July celebration, which was set to take place the following week.

“Do you need some help,” I asked my girls, who were busy adding festive glitter and stickers to construction paper.

“That’s okay, you can go sit over there,” instructed Zoe, pointing a wee index finger at an empty park bench.

She didn’t have to tell me twice. For the next hour I enjoyed my coffee while it was still hot (for once) and a juicy novel. It was only day two of our holiday, but their new-found independence seemed to be a theme for the trip. I wasn’t about to complain.

We spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around the pool until dusk. Once the sun set, all ages gathered at the pavilion once again — this time it was to enjoy a family movie on the big screen under the stars.

Just a Hop, Skip and a Jump from the Beach

One could easily spend a whole day at the resort without growing bored, but we decided to venture out to the charming village of Harrison Hot Springs and of course, the lake.

It’s about a 20 minute walk from the resort, but there was a pretty intense heat wave happening — we knew Molly and Zoe would never make it by foot.

After just a two-minute drive, we could see the sandy shores, picturesque waterfront promenade and Spirit Square Plaza ahead.

Mom and I parked our chairs in the sand, while the girls frolicked along the shore line and built sand castles.

“Cheers to an amazing girls’ trip,” said my mom, tilting a water bottle in my direction.

“And hopefully, many more to come!” I replied, while taking a mental snapshot of the moment.

I’ll always remember my sun-kissed mom smiling from ear-to-ear,  looking the most relaxed I have seen her in years. In the background, Molly and Zoe were looking over and smiling at Tucker, who was content to sprawl out in the hot sand.

Our trip to the Springs RV Resort was one we’ll never forget.

For those wanting to get away without venturing too far, The Springs RV Resort offers overnight rental, seasonal leases and sites for purchase, making the Resort dream within reach. Ownership provides a home base in a resort community of friends and family. Yet, an RV’er is still free to go travel and explore where their time and interests carry them. The owners at the Resort have built beautiful decks, rough-cut timber and cedar shake roofed gazebos with outdoor kitchens. It is amazing just to see what people have done with the home-away-from-home.

Just interested in visiting for a week or weekend? Simply book your reservation online, or by calling 1-604-796-9767.

For more information, visit www.springsrv.com or check out their Facebook page HERE.

 

(Disclaimer: While our stay at Springs RV Resort was complimentary, all opinions are my own).