THE KOOTENAYS - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 427

SS Moyie
Dry-docked by the lakefront stands the 50-meter-long (164-foot-long) SS Moyie (324 Front
St., 250/353-2525, 10am-5pm daily mid-May-mid-Oct.; adult $7.50, senior $5.50, child
$3.50), the last Canadian Pacific Railway stern-wheeler to splash up Kootenay Lake. Built
in 1897 and launched the following year at Nelson, the grand old red-and-white vessel was
used for transportation of passengers, freight, and mail right up until its retirement in 1957.
Today, protected as a National Historic Site, the ship serves as a museum containing a fine
collection of photos, antiques, and artifacts of the region.
Practicalities
Right downtown, the Kaslo Motel (330 D Ave., 250/353-2431 or 877/353-2431,
www.kaslomotel.ca , $72-88 s or d) has 18 clean and convenient but basic motel rooms and
cabins, some with small kitchens and air-conditioning. Wireless Internet access is free for
guests. North of town, Lakewood Inn (Kohle Rd., 250/353-2395, www.lakewoodinn.com )
has been taking in guests since the 1920s. Lakefront cabins are $100-140 s or d, while
campers pay from $20.
Front Street is lined with small-town businesses, many with historic facades. If you're
hungry, the ones to look for are Landmark Bakery (416 Front St., 250/353-2250,
8:30am-5pm daily, closed Sun. Sept.-June, lunches $5.50-9), with good coffee, a wide
range of sweet treats, and wireless Internet access; Sunnyside Naturals (404 Front St., 250/
353-9667, 9am-6pm Mon.-Sat., 11am-5pm Sun., lunches $6-9), for freshly squeezed juices
and organic foods; and, at the top end, Rosewood Café (215 5th St., 250/353-7673, lunch
and dinner daily in summer, $14-22) for more substantial meals.
In a restored railway station that also serves as the entrance to the SS Moyie is Kaslo
Visitor Centre (324 Front St., 250/353-2525, 9am-5pm daily mid-May-mid-Oct.).
ACROSS KOOTENAY LAKE
From Balfour, the world's longest free ferry ride takes you across Kootenay Lake to
Kootenay Bay. The Osprey offers lots of outside spots at which to sit and soak up the sur-
rounding mountain panorama.
MM Crawford Bay
From the ferry dock, Highway 3A traverses a low ridge before dropping into Crawford
Bay, a small community sandwiched between the Purcell Mountains and the water. Artisan
outlets have put this village of 200 on the map. On the left as you descend the hill is
North Woven Broom (16126 Hwy. 3A, 250/227-9245, 9am-5pm daily early Apr.-mid-