Those who have visited the West Coast of Canada have no doubt been enamoured by the beauty of British Columbia (BC). But a visit to the non-coastal region of southeastern BC featuring the Kootenay Rocky Mountains brought an unexpected admiration for nature’s majestic beauty coupled with the captivating creativity of the region’s inhabitants.
Be inspired by the natural beauty of Nakusp
Home to just over 1,500 residents, you’ll undoubtedly be captivated by the peaceful nature of Nakusp, from the village’s manicured floral gardens, to the soothing nature of the forests, lakes and mountain peaks that surround you. Located on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake, the tiny town of Nakusp features historic buildings, several striking murals, a terrific shop offering an assortment of artisan chocolate, and the most striking assortment of outdoor flowers I’ve ever seen outside of a botanical garden.
Be sure to stop into Jennifer’s Chocolate Shop
No matter where I travel, I always seek out the local chocolate shop. Nakusp was no exception, and I was totally pleased with my findings. Jennifer Cross obtained her chocolate certification via Ecole Chocolat in Canada in 2011 and opened Jennifer Chocolates in 2012. Following that, Jennifer supplemented her chocolate expertise by receiving her Master Chocolatier’s credentials in Italy in 2013. She continues to increase her chocolate knowledge with ongoing chocolate studies and chocolate-focused travel to Europe and cacao growing countries such as Costa Rica. Jennifer Chocolates is definitely worth checking out if you’re in search of some #GreatCanadianChocolate.
If you’re flying to the Kootenay Region from an international destination, consider arriving at the Kelowna International Airport. The lovely drive from West Kelowna to Nakusp will take you about 3 and a half hours. If you’re driving from Revelstoke, BC via the Trans Canada Highway, enjoy the 105 km (65 mile) drive that will lead you to the free Arrow Lakes Ferry terminal. Expect a long wait for the ferry crossing during the summer months–especially on long weekends. The short ferry ride took us 4 hours of wait time on the August long weekend! Visit the Kootenay Rockies site for more information.
I hope you enjoyed this new post
If you enjoyed this new post–the first under the site’s new design, please leave me a comment here on this post, or share the content in your social media streams or with friends. Thanks so much for continuing to support my chocolate travel wanderings as we celebrate International Chocolate Day on September 13, 2025 and salute more #GreatCanadianChocolate.
Those turtles look absolutely decadent! Turtles were always my Mom’s favorite chocolate. Back in the 50’s (when I was born) my family lived in Highland Park Michigan. At that time, it was the only city built totally within a city (Detroit). Wow! It’s amazing how a simple picture of a box of chocolates can take a person down memory lane isn’t it?
Anyways, I dropped by to see the changes you and Anahita have made to your site. I like it a lot! It was definitely time for a change. Getting rid of your sidebar and switching to a single centered column is a breath of fresh air. I kind of like the badges all displayed at the bottom. All except one are self explanatory. What does NATJ stand for? I have a guess but I doubt it’s right.
So happy to see that you’re still as avid as ever in your quest for chocolate and its makers! Nakusp seems like a hidden gem and thanks for sharing the stories of the townsfolk and their unique passions. Those connections are so invaluable. You always paint a vivid, respectful portrait of local artisans, artists, gardeners and those who contribute to life’s sweet pleasures. Well done!
Love the site. It feels revived and refreshed!
Thx so much for your thoughtful comment, Margaret. Glad you like the undo the site has undergone. I love the way Anahita has brought more colour to the site and made the pics all one size. That’s hopefully helping the load time. And, yes! Nakusp is certainly a hidden gem that few of us Westerners even know about. We are SO lucky to be Canadian.
I was almost 40 before I got to see British Columbia and saw those gorgeous mountains! It was the first time I ever had a dream with a mountainous backdrop! Well, I was hooked. Now we live here and I can look out my living room window to see mountains! And yes, we have many wonderful chocolate artisans here. Glad to see your new website and your new postings once again, Doreen!
Hi Esther! So great to hear from you. I hope you’re doing well. Thx very much for your comment. You are indeed very fortunate to live in big and beautiful BC. After all my years of visiting there, I still continue to discover something new on every visit.
Looks like an awesome place to check out. Loved all the pics especially Jennifer’s turtles. Great to have you back posting Doreen! Look forward to future posts as always.
Thx so much, Pat! I really did midd blogging, though it is a lot of work. But I just love sharing my thoughts and experiences with you all & am grateful to Anahita for updating the look of the site. Makes me want to do more!
You inspire me! Not just to eat chocolate (light touch required) but to do some adventuring. Our own country offers so much. I will seek out chocolate in Nova Scotia for you and we’ll feast when I return!
Thank you, Katharine. I love sharing chocolate with you as I can tell you can really decipher the difference between mediocre & great chocolate. I believe you’ve had Peace by Chocolate, based in Antigonish, NS. They also have a shop in Halifax. But there are several top notch chocolate houses in Nova Scotia including Rousseau also in Halifax and bean to bar by Evertide Chocolate Maker in Lower Sackville. Their 75% dark chocolate bar made with Ugandan cacao was a gift for us from Virginia, who bought at The Candy Bar in Toronto- a really great shop run the woman with the greatest smile in the world of chocolate, Paola. Have a great trip!
Doreen, your post makes me long to go back to the West Kootenays. When our girls were small, we’d often spend the month of July camping through the Slocan Valley, but there were no waits for ferries back then. This lovely area of BC is no longer a secret. I’m glad you got to see it.
Thx so much for your comment, Cynthia. While we were in the West Kootenays we thought of you and Paul and your lovely place in Radium Hot Springs. Totally love that region, too. ❤️
Great to see you back at it, Doreen. I have actually been to the Kootenay region, mostly for skiing. But I also passed through last year on my way to (pre-fire) Jasper. Really all of BC is drop dead gorgeous, in my opinion.
Nakusp looks somewhat typical of the lovely little villages in that region, although I don’t remember driving through it or seeing it on the map. I’ll need to look closer next time I’m on my way through.
Thx so much for your comment, Linda. It’s so wonderful to hear from longtime friends and supporters like you. I hope all is well with you. And, yes. I am totally in love with BC and have had a subliminal desire to live there ever since I set foot in the province. So fortunate I get to visit there fairly regularly & continue to discover new gems on every trip.
My mother was born in New Denver, BC. Consequently, as a child, we visited the area a few times. Since my son lived and worked in Vancouver, I made the jaunt to BC annually until his death two years ago. I particularly enjoyed the Okanagan Valley and spent two vacations at the Flying U Ranch on Green Lake (near Williams Lake). It truly is a beautiful province.
Hi Ceci! So lovely to hear from you. Yes, New Denver and Slocan areas are truly wonderful gems that don’t make it onto most people’s radar. As a wine lover, I, too, love the Okanagan Region. But in my opinion, it’s much busier, more expensive and provides a totally different kind of vibe than the quieter Kootenays.
Those turtles chocolates look yummy. What a gorgeous area.
Thx for your comment, Janet. Those peanut butter cups I shared with you were from Jennifer’s shop. And, yes. The Kootenay Region pushes all the right buttons. You’d love it.
Thank you for this lovely piece about our marvellous little town. You captured three major elements of the beauty of Nakusp very nicely.
Thank you, JD, for your kind words, and for sharing my post on the Nakusp Communicator FB page. Appreciate you helping me spread the word.
Looks like a wonderful area to explore but first, I need a piece of chocolate!
Thanks, Jeanne, and welcome to Chocolatour! Yes, you pretty much do need chocolate in hand in order to read my posts. Hope you’ll subscribe and return again soon.
Two words… Yum and beautiful
Thanks, Marie.
Thanks for the lovely post about our region and little village of Nakusp Doreen! It was a pleasure to meet you, and so much fun to talk about chocolate and travel, two of my favorite topics!
Great to meet you, too, Jennifer! I hope your shoulder heals quickly and that you can get to making your assortment of great chocolate creations very soon.
I have to agree with Doreen, the whole area was very beautiful and we had a wonderful adventure in the area even the 4 and 3.5 hours we had to wait for the ferries. Can’t wait for our next adventure.
Thanks for your comment, Kim. Yes, Nakusp and the Kootenay region were sure a lot of fun to explore. And you even got a couple of golf games in at the Fauquier and District Golf Club!