Motherhood on a good day is full-on. But in this recent season of life, if anything it’s been my lifeline; there’s been so much going on and just an untenable amount of stress, that I feel like I’ve actually been holding onto all my time with Cal and the light he brings to my life so tight. But the thing is, while my little one is my light and I live for him, I’m trying to be intentional about also living for myself this year. Taking moments to fill my own cup, and to remember that I inherently am worth care and rest too.
So when my girl Erin and I lined up a little escape to Sparkling Hill Resort, I can’t stress enough that it was exactly what I needed. Just a stretch of time spent entirely in robes (well, nearly entirely…I think we changed into clothes for dinner!) to laugh, catch up, and take care of ourselves inside and out.
Sparkling Hill sits above Okanagan Lake, and the view alone makes you feel like you’ve landed in another world. The sense of peace you feel floating above that view is definitely something I haven’t experienced in so long and was so immediately healing. In addition to the show stopping views, one of the first things you notice about the resort (and the driving force behind its name) are the shimmering Swarovski crystals found throughout the resort. Sparkling Hill was founded by Gernot Langes-Swarovski (of, you know…Swarovski fame!), and there are literally millions of Swarovski crystals throughout the entire property. They’re tucked into light fixtures, scattered across ceilings, catching little glints of sunlight in the hallways. It gives the whole place this subtle shimmer that feels luxurious, surreal and so special.
What Sparkling Hill is equally famous for is its European-inspired spa KurSpa. It’s the largest destination spa in North America, and it’s not the type of spa where you go for one treatment and head home…this is a full experience. We booked a Himalayan salt massage which felt like my body was slowly defrosting after being tense for way too long…we were both at dinner later that day amazed by how soft our skin was). Every day I moved through the whole thermal experience as well. Saunas, steam rooms, the crystal salt room, even a little Arctic standing zone that I reluctantly stepped into before darting back into the warmth. The whole ritual leaves you both buzzy and calm, like you’ve reset every system in your body.
While both Erin and I are strongly ambitious, hard-working types, neither of us have a hard time with switching into relaxation mode. It’s honestly a superpower. We fell into that perfect rhythm of spa life: lounging in robes, wandering throughout the spa, dipping in and out of the pool, lounging as we floated in the sun to catch up and chat, pausing for tea, then heading back to rest some more. I’m tempted to call it indulgent, but it wasn’t. It was the most well deserved rest and reset, and it was so special to do it with a friend who I know deserved this break too.
But of course, all that heavy lifting in the spa (robes on, robes off) means we had to refuel. The dining here at Sparkling Hill is so special. Everything is rooted in the Okanagan’s local ingredients, and draws from Gernot’s Austrian heritage. We had such a special dinner at Gerni’s Farmhouse, which is a literal Alpine farmhouse that was brought overseas to its new home here atop the hill in the Okanagan, reconstructed authentically to bring this Alpine experience to Sparkling Hill. The food was honestly so unbelievable, and being able to dine on this genuine Austrian fare with a couple drinks overlooking the beautiful view was so special. By the way…Gerni’s does Oktoberfest!
We also ate at PeakFine for dinner the next evening, and it was unreal; we had the most amazing steak and again, just relaxed and caught up with these unbelievable sweeping lake views below. We loved our go-to bartender at Barrique & Java as well who remembered our favourite cocktail; she got me on a tequila mojito and my life has forever been changed.
What made the trip so meaningful wasn’t just the spa or the views or the crystals, though the whole experience combined felt so beyond dreamy. It was the whole mission of the resort to let you entirely relax, encouraging robe wearing round-the-clock and making the resort in and of itself a destination, rather than just a place to rest your head at the end of the day. Doing it with such a good friend and fellow mama was also so unbelievably special, but on our shuttle back to the airport we were actually chatting with a lovely lady who mentioned her husband got her the Sparkling Hill experience as a solo getaway for Mother’s Day and she made me so excited to also come back one time and recharge my batteries, whether that’s alone or with a friend again.
Sparkling Hill is one of those rare places that makes it easy to put your life on pause for a little while. It’s beautiful, it’s intentional, and it really does feel like a sanctuary. Learn more here, big thank you to Sparkling Hill for such a beautiful and memorable experience!
PS these photos were all captured on Kodak film; learn more about my photography work here.
