It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed in a bed and breakfast that has over-delivered in all categories – comfort, cleanliness, hospitality, location and the room itself. But the Juniper Trails B&B just outside of Williams Lake managed to do just that.
John and I enjoyed an outstanding one night stay on route to the West Chilcotin region of BC. Even though I’d checked out the website, the B&B still wasn’t what I expected. It was one of those rare B&B’s where the photos don’t actually do the place justice.
Steve and Emily, the owners of Juniper Trails B&B, obviously have an eye for design and comfort. The fact that Steve is an artist and Emily a horticulturalist may have something to do with that. They both worked round the clock for months before opening with Steve doing much of the building himself and Emily helping out and taking responsibility for the garden design and plantings.
The first indication that Juniper Hills B&B was going to be more interesting than your typical B&B was the signage. Call me crazy but there’s a certain font and logo design that suggests sophistication.
And then once we started up the road to the property I knew we were in for a treat. The B&B sits on 27 acres, part way up a hill with lovely field and distant mountain views. There’s a real sense of privacy as well as peace and quiet.
To get to the house, you first pass the barn and if you look around you might see horses or miniature donkeys about. Or as in our case – Steve out picking salmon berries.
The home has been completely renovated so there’s a freshness to the place the minute you walk through the door. In fact, they just celebrated their one year anniversary on August 10th.
On the lower floor there’s an open airy main room with comfortable seating, a big TV and tables set up for breakfast.
Layout of Juniper Trails B&B
Upstairs there are three bedrooms, named after their dogs. There’s also one long term bedroom in the lower level. We stayed in “The Dukes”. It’s a great big room with a super comfortable queen size bed. They say the sheets are 1200 thread count. That may be the case.
All I can say is that it was one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on. Pillows were good too – not too hard, not too soft and enough of them so you could read in bed. Ditto the lighting. Both sides of the bed had great lighting plus there was another chair and a desk, each with their own light.
The bathrooms were particularly roomy and each one came with a heated floor. Hair dryers and toiletries are provided.
There’s a work center with a computer and printer as well as free WiFi if you bring your own computer.
Wonderful miniature donkeys….and dogs and horses
Then outside there are the dogs (they’re inside some of the time), the horses and the lovable miniature donkeys – Leap Year, Katie and Hannah. The donkeys actually follow you around like a dog. It was great fun to interact with them but if you don’t happen to like animals then just don’t go near the barn.
As for the breakfast – how do freshly baked homemade muffins sound with a bowl of fresh fruit and yogurt? Add in multiple cups of coffee and a view to savor and you can see why it’s hard to leave.
A great base for exploring the Williams Lake area
You should also know that Juniper Trails B&B is about a 10 minute drive outside of Williams Lake – so it’s close enough to go back and forth to town for dinner.
It’s also the perfect base to explore the Williams Lake area over a few days. The drive to nearby Junction Sheep Ranch Provincial Park is very worthwhile. There’s also horseback riding, mountain biking and rafting.
Steve and Emily are two hosts that are there when you need them. They come off as energetic, enthusiastic and helpful. They were kind enough to provide me with a complimentary room but even so, this is one B&B that I have no problem recommending.
For more information about the Juniper Trails B&B visit their website.
Further reading about things to do in the Chilcotins
- A Visit to Hunlen Fall, Canada’s 3rd Highest Waterfall
- A World-Class Hike in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
- 20 Things to Do Along Highway 20 in British Columbia