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Inn at the Ninth Hole
The Best Value in the Shuswap
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Following rules
and instructions might very well be the
thing you and your family try to avoid
on a summer vacation, but take it from
me; in the case of a houseboat adventure
in the Shuswap, rules are a tiny price
to pay for what can be one of the most
relaxing ways to spend a few days with
your family.
And if you rent
your pleasure craft from Twin Anchors
Houseboats or other operators on Shuswap
Lake, not only will you get a complete
safety briefing on vessel operation and
local conditions -- you will also get
one of the most luxurious and
comfortable ways to spend a vacation.
After spending a
couple of days plying the H-shaped
network of arms that comprise the
Shuswap lakes, and a couple of nights
tied up to deserted beaches for
campfires and late-night hot tubs, my
family came to regard our two-level
houseboat named Inspiration as a luxury
waterfront townhouse that can be
relocated to another spectacular beach
setting every night.
Up top was an
outdoor kitchen -- complete with
barbecue, satellite TV and wet bar -- a
full-sized hot tub, a waterslide and
tanning space for a dozen or so of your
closest friends.
Below were a
number of bedrooms -- many more than the
four of us required -- and a main cabin
area with a fully outfitted kitchen, a
full-sized fireplace and a flat-screen
TV. The television didn't get any use
during our time aboard, but the large
dining room table saw plenty of card and
board-game action.
Though we were
on the system of four main "arms" that
comprise the Shuswap lakes for just two
nights, the typical houseboat rented by
Twin Anchors is out four days to a week.
Likewise, most are also filled with more
than two adults and two kids. My wife
and I managed okay with anchoring the
boat to the shore each night -- a job
that requires a large sledgehammer and
some good, old elbow grease; however, a
couple of more adults and kids on board
is probably a good idea. (Take the time
because a sudden burst of wind came out
of nowhere -- a not an uncommon
occurrence on the lakes -- and yanked
both spikes out of the beach sending the
boat adrift. A couple more hands on deck
would have been helpful during the brief
panic to secure things.)
Some experience
with boats is also a bonus, as is some
mechanical aptitude. Two banks of
switches controlling everything from
electrical generators to fuses requires
attention a few times a day, and I had
to have a couple of sessions of how to
fill and drain the hot tub.
(Fortunately, a DVD operation manual
walks you through everything you need to
know).
Still, for every
minute of drama there were hours of
near-silent running over the glassy
lakes with no particular place to go.
And the sensation of relaxing in a hot
tub while gliding along alpine lakes
must be experienced to be fully
appreciated.
House boating is
a relatively rare activity in B.C.,
despite the hundreds of lakes and
waterways that are seemingly ideal for
the flat-bottomed craft, primarily
because houseboats need to be beached
each night (rule #1) and require a
somewhat deepwater run-up right to the
shoreline.
The Shuswap's
deep, glacier-cut lakes are ideal for
beaching a houseboat -- which basically
entails steering straight for shore and
running it up on the beach to ground it
-- and the five provincial parks on the
lake mean you won't be camping on
some-one's property. (Just try to find a
place to beach a few houseboats on
nearby Okanagan Lake without raising the
ire of landowners and the authorities.)
So like a
handful of places in the United States,
the Shuswap is custom-made for house
boating. As it turns out, so are the
Twin Anchors houseboats, which are
designed and built by the company. That
means they are perfectly suited for what
they are made to do.
After our
three-day houseboat adventure -- which
culminated in passing through a train
swing-bridge in Sicamous en route to one
of Twin Anchors' two marinas -- we
decided to stick around the area for
another day or two to check out
land-based activities in and around the
Shuswap. We weren't disappointed, and if
anything, we could have spent another
week finding fun and affordable things
to do.
My son and I
enjoyed a great round of golf at the
Salmon Arm Golf Club, while my wife and
daughter went horseback riding through
forests and along mountain ridges
overlooking the lakes. We stayed at the
Inn on the Ninth Hotel, a
colonial-style, family-operated country
place within a chip shot of the Salmon
Arm Golf Club. Even if you're not a
golfer, this family-friendly place
that's off the beaten path provides an
ideal base of operations to discover the
Shuswap, located as it is just a
10-minute or so drive from downtown
Salmon Arm.
And just as that
town has grown and matured over the
years, so too has the dining scene in
the Shuswap. Just a few years ago, you
were basically given a choice between
fast food and greasy spoons, but today a
number of national chains have put down
roots (East Side Mario's, Boston Pizza),
and there's even a Japanese place and a
Mexican joint. And the pubs,
particularly the Sandbar and Doc's Pub,
are classic summer resort hangouts.
But the
far-and-away winner in the area is Table
24, located in the former courthouse
heritage building in the heart of Salmon
Arm. It features a fresh sheet menu that
would be right at home in the heart of
Yale town or Coal Harbour. And just try
to get the chef to create some
special-order kid dishes in those tony
settings.
At Table 24, it
was done with pleasure and a good
measure of care, and my daughter claimed
her buttered pasta to be the finest
she'd ever had, while the boy was unable
to pass judgment until all his
custom-ordered ribs were good and
finished.
And if you get a
chance to speak with owners Lenny and
Gina Wells, ask them about that Table 24
name, which involves the story of how
the two met.
We visited the
Shuswap just before the summer high
season, so didn't experience the kind of
crowds you will on the water and in the
towns as you will this month and next.
However, if like it a little quieter,
September is a fine time for a houseboat
trip for a handful of couples, as the
weather is typically superb, the kids
are back in school and that fireplace
and hot tub will nicely take the chill
off those cool autumn nights.
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IF YOU GO
The Shuswap is
approximately a five-hour drive from
Metro Vancouver, and a little over an
hour or so east of Kamloops on the
Trans-Canada Highway.
The western
border of the Shuswap, a name derived
from the Secwepemc First Nations, is the
town of Chase. The main centre is Salmon
Arm, with its population of 16,000 often
doubling during the high summer season.
To the east is Sicamous, another popular
resort town. Like Salmon Arm, it offers
a wide range of accommodations and
restaurants.
In an addition
to the activities cited here, the area
is covered with hiking trails to suit
all ages and abilities, and the many
provincial parks provide days' worth of
getting in touch with nature.
And for a real
family adventure with a high-tech twist
-- and what kids don't like that? -- is
Shuswap Geoquest, a four-season
scavenger hunt with hidden bounty
scattered throughout the area and
located only by using a GPS unit.
Website: www.shuswap.bc.ca
TWIN ANCHORS HOUSEBOATS
The granddaddy
of houseboat operators in the Shuswap,
Twin Anchors has marinas in Sicamous and
Salmon Arm and offers five different
boats for rental, ranging in capacity
from 15 to 24 people.
There are
three-, four-and seven-night packages
available. To really make things easy on
yourself, get in touch with
Sicamous-based Sage Catering when you
book your houseboat, so that when you
arrive at the dock, the fridge and
cupboards will be filled with all kinds
of goodies, from ready-to-cook
multi-course Greek feasts to homemade
midnight snacks with ice cream.
Websites:
www.twinanchors.com;www.sagecatering.ca
SALMON ARM GOLF CLUB
Often cited as
having one of the best courses in the
province, the 82-year old Salmon Arm
Golf Club might not be as flashy and
21st Century as the many newcomers to
the Shuswap, but it is still the
preferred choice of many visiting
golfers.
Featuring a
championship 18 and an executive nine,
the semi-club private club has a
laid-back vibe so often wanting at big
city clubs. And where else can you say
you played a round on the edge of a
volcano? (That would be Mount Ida).
Like so many
resort destinations in British Columbia,
the Shuswap is a golfer's paradise, and
a memorable trunk-slamming tour can
incorporate any one of the fantastic
courses in the area, including Canoe
Creek, Hyde Mountain, Talking Rock and
Shuswap Lake Estates.
Websites:
www.salmonarmgolf.com;www.golfshuswap.com
INN AT THE NINTH HOLE
Okay, since
Salmon Arm Golf Club moved its layout
around a little a few years back, this
colonial-style boutique inn isn't
exactly at the historic club's ninth
hole any more.
But that hasn't
changed the ideal location of the Inn at
the Ninth Hole, if you plan on playing
the challenging course, or altered the
tranquil charm of this private inn.
Located down a
country road just east of Salmon Arm
proper, the family-friendly inn offers
luxurious rooms and suites ranging from
400 to 875 square feet. The inn serves a
European-style breakfast using local
products, and there's a secluded
garden-side deck, ideal for an
après-round drink or before-dinner
cocktail.
The restaurants
and attractions of Salmon Arm are a
10-minute drive away, yet tucked away in
this inn in the forest, you'd think you
were in the wilds of Bavaria.
Website: www.ninthhol.com
TABLE 24
Arguably one of
the best things to happen in the Shuswap
in the past half-decade, Table 24 is one
of those restaurants you come across on
your travels that you just wish was in
your hometown.
On a recent
visit to Kamloops, I seriously
considered doing the two-and-a-half
round trip for the coconut curry chicken
bowl.
A favourite with
locals, Table 24 offers decidedly modern
fare in a historic setting, an 80-year
old building that once housed Salmon
Arm's courthouse, sheriff's office and
jail cells.
Website: www.table24.ca
HIGH COUNTRY TRAIL RIDES
It might not be
considered B.C.'s official cowboy
country, but the forests and
mountainsides of the Shuswap are prime
trail-riding country.
And High Country
Trail Rides, located just a few minutes
outside of Salmon Arm on Fly Hills, is
the outfit to get you up and in the
saddle.
Offering fully
guided horse rides to suit all
abilities, High Country is open year
round. Rides are by appointment only,
and not available Sundays.
Website: www.highcountrytrailrides.ca
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
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NEW
CANADIANS SAY SALMON ARM IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE,
Joaney
and Rene Vanderkraats, owners of The Inn at the Ninth Hole, and
their daughters Sabrina and Mariska became Canadian citizens on
Dec. 4 2008 at a ceremony in Vernon.
The
family emigrated from the Netherlands in Feb. 2004 and looked
for a business they could start or buy. In Holland they owned a
large store that specialized in camping gear and outdoor equipment.
They
bought The Inn at the Ninth Hole, a six-room bed and
breakfast between Highway 97B and the Salmon Arm Golf Course.
They are the third Dutch owners in its 12-year history. If
Joaney and Rene really wanted to have an inn, they would need a
restaurant. They choose to serve only breakfast and to operate
the business with no outside help, just the two of them.
What
is different in Canada? They enjoy the wide-open spaces, living
close to nature and in a less stressful environment. They say
the people here are friendlier. Stores and supermarkets provide
better service and schools prepare kids better for life.
Governments listen when you write them, and get back to
you. “Salmon Arm is the best place to live and work! It’s
hard to find a better place!”
The
guests at the inn are golfers, travelers, business people
and people who want a getaway close to home. Many are
repeat customers. Joaney and Rene work with 10 golf courses.
They are given special rates when they book tee times. A guest
might check their website at www.ninthhol.com,
book a multi-night stay and ask them to book golf at
different courses, book restaurants, wine tours, sail cruises or
go river rafting.
They
use local products in their breakfasts and they promote local
restaurants and businesses. They have a van and deliver guests
at no charge to a restaurant and will pick them up if it’s
before 9 p.m. Always striving to improve their B&B, for the
last four years they received the highest possible score in
HelloBC tourism’s accommodation guide, won two awards, a
local people’s choice 2007 and a international award as one of
the best world wide. They use only a toll-free number,
1-800-221-5955, and do a lot of business through info@ninthhol.com.
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People's
Choice Award
based
on the total number of votes received as
well as outstanding reasons for
nomination.
We also
nominations
for:
Business of the year
Business person
of the year
Business service
excellence
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Salmon
Arm B&B takes
top people’s Choice Award By
Goody Niosi writer
Salmon
Arm- The people have spoken, and the owners of the Inn at the
Ninth Hole couldn’t be happier.
The
bed & breakfast was named winners of the People’s Choice
Award at the Salmon Arm Chamber of commerce Business Excellence
Awards, based largely on the comments guests made in the past
year about the Inn. Rene Vanderkraats who owns the Inn with his
wife Joaney, says he was thrilled with winning the award.
Judging by the guests comments, it would seem his description is
accurate.
One
guest wrote:” the best b&b in Canada! Great rooms, clean,
comfortable and quiet. Lovely location and great hospitality”.
Another wrote: “Year after year, excellent accommodation
service. Constantly high standard of comfort, cleanliness, food
preparation and presentation and cheerful helpfulness” Many
more comments fill the pages at the Inn web site, and it’s
little wonder the Inn was also nominated in Three other
categories at the annual chamber awards. The Vanderkraats
purchased the Inn at 5091 20th Ave Se four years ago,
and Rene says the success of the property is due a combination
of things. First it’s setting surrounded
by forest and nestled next to the eight hole of the local
golf course. No, it’s not the ninth-not since the golf course
was rebuilt and the holes where moved. Then there are the rooms:
Six luxury guest rooms ranging in size from 400 – 875 square
feet and each with an en-suite bathroom and sitting area. Rooms
come with fireplaces, private entrance, televisions, DVD
players, duvets, fleece blankets and more. Some even have jetted
tubs. Vanderkraats says the level of service is also
outstanding- and there is the food. “ We serve a great
breakfast, one of the best in the region” We do something
different every day and we use local produce,” he says.
“We
always have fresh fruit salads and we always have milk, yogurt,
butter and eggs fresh from the farm. We always serve two or
three sorts of whole wheat bread, coffee, tea and hot chocolate
and we make French toast or Dutch pancakes-it’s a little
different every time” Making sure the food is the best
available means driving 120 km to a local orchard for the best
apple juice in the region and scouring the country side and
local farmers markets for whatever is the best in season.
Cleanliness
is another hallmark of the Inn at the Ninth Hole, in fact it is
so clean that many guests comment on it, even male golfers who
stay there for golf tournaments. Before the Vanderkraats bought
The Inn at the Ninth Hole, it was generally known as a summer
place. That is changing rapidly , Vanderkraats says. People are
discovering the four seasons of Salmon Arm with hiking, trail
riding and cross country skiing in the off season. Golfers used
to be the main business of the Inn. Today many people from other
parts of the province are coming to the Inn for a quiet , luxury
getaway that’s is within an hour drive from, mountains,
desserts, orchards and vineyards. ‘I’ve seen quite a lot of
the world” Vanderkraats says.
“we’ve
got everything here” It is one of the best places to live and
work”.
Business
Thompson Okanagan December 2007
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