The Tin Poppy Retreat is located in the Larch Hills near Salmon Arm & Grindrod. It’s a really cool & really unique 32 foot, 1953 travel trailer that is encased in a modern screened-in post and beam structure.
This is one of those places that will be a different experience depending on the time of year that you go. It accommodates 5 people in the spring, fall & winter months, and 8 people in the summer. In the colder months, you are going to spend most of your time within the trailer (which is not a bad thing), and also have use of the sauna. In the summer you are able to utilize the whole structure, and the sauna is replaced by an outdoor shower. Bren was determined to use the whole place anyways. He put on in his snowsuit every morning and sat on the couch to read and have his morning coffee.
The wood fire sauna is located just outside the door of the Tin Poppy. We were delighted to find big cozy bath robes left out on the bed. There was also slippers, towels & homemade soap.
The surprises didn’t stop there! We were welcomed by a card with a personal note from Maggie, some fruit (apples, bananas), granola (actually the best we have ever had), plain greek yogurt, some poppy seeds, two fortune cookies, and a homemade bottle of wine! We have found that airbnb hosts always tend to go above & beyond. Which is one of the many reasons we prefer them over hotels. This isn’t just a business to them, it is their hobby. The little touches are always different and unique to each place. This is especially true of the Tin Poppy.
When we arrived I wasn’t looking forward to getting up in the mornings and walking out to the outhouse in the cold. And so, I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be one of the most joyful and peaceful moments of my weekend. Each morning I would put on my jacket and slippers, and sneak outside, Kilo at my heels. The sun just rising, everything quiet. I would stand outside the door looking at the view, listening to the sound of silence. It helped it wasn’t freezing, cold enough to see your breath, but refreshing. When I came back in, I would put the kettle on & I crawl back under the warm sheets with Bren, completely content, and wait for the whistle. We read, we sauna-ed, we snowshoed. We ate, a lot! A content stomach goes nicely with a content heart.
