Sorrento

Markus enjoying the view from one of the viewpoints on the way to Sorrento in beautiful British Columbia

Last weekend, we had a ton of fun attending a wedding in Sorrento, British Columbia. While the wedding was absolutely beautiful and we had a great time with our friends, we wanted to make sure that this post is about our experience bringing Markus with us on the trip and the things we got to do around the Sorrento area.

Hilltop Farm Bed & Breakfast

Type: Airbnb
Pet Fee: None

We had an absolutely amazing time at the Hilltop Farm Bed & Breakfast and the hosts really took care of us. It's worth noting that there are other animals on the premise (dogs, chickens, horses, etc.) and you will have to contact the host about the possibility of bringing your dog first. We were able to bring Markus and we never had an issue with the other animals and he even got to meet a horse!

We had the entire house to ourselves and for this reason, Markus was always comfortable in the space. It was quiet during the time that we were there, so Markus never felt threatened or the need to bark, which is something that happens with us at hotels. Markus, truly, felt that he was at home, which is more than we could ask for.

For walks, the farm is down a long road, so our walk with Markus was just going back up that road and then back (which is shared with cars). There isn't too much along this path, but you'll come across other farms and grassy areas for your dog to find a spot. I should mention that since it's a quiet farm area, there are dogs at the properties running around freely and unleashed. Some of them took interest in Markus, since he was a new dog, but none of them ever came out all the way to meet him (they could've), which was relieving for us since we didn't see any owners around.

The breakfast that was provided for us was spectacular as well. It was our first time staying at an Airbnb Bed & Breakfast and we felt so pampered! We highly recommend this place and if we're in the area, we would definitely come back.

Our Recommendation For Reactive Dogs

This place was simply amazing and it’s great because you’ll get the entire space to yourself. Keep in mind that because this is a bed and breakfast, the host will be coming in and out of the space to drop the food off. In our case, we left Markus in the room with us so we didn’t have any issues when the hosts dropped the food off in the morning.

About Sorrento, British Columbia

Markus looking out at the mountains and water at Herald Provincial Park

Sorrento is just under 5 hours north of Vancouver and a little bit east past Kamloops. The drive up was simply breathtaking, as you would expect driving through the interior of British Columbia. To see the trees, mountains and occasional bodies of water really never gets old and we're glad to be able to live here in the Pacific Northwest to take it all in.

We had a planned stop in Merritt, which is a little bit over the midway point between Vancouver and Sorrento. Merritt is a small town, but it was the perfect stop that we needed to get some coffee, food and to let Markus stretch his legs out. Known as the "Country Music Capital of Canada", Merritt has murals around town dedicated to country music stars.

Chase Creek Falls

After Merritt, we made a handful of smaller stops that included some viewpoints. We weren't looking for anything specific, but opportunities to enjoy British Columbia as its finest. We did stumble across a small waterfall called Chase Creek Falls that was advertised as a 5-minute walk. I'd say 5 minutes was a little generous and it was just a walk across the street. The weird thing is that if the falls are on the right, the parking lot was on the other side of the street and you needed to take a pathway to walk through to the other side.

You can honestly pass by without stopping here, but if your dog needed a break, then you might as well. In case your dog is reactive, it is so quiet here that there’s a good chance there’s no one else there when you’re there.

Margaret Falls & Herald Provincial Park

Markus walking along the beach at the Herald Provincial Park, British Columbia

In between wedding festivities, we had a day with an afternoon to ourselves and we wanted to discover the Sorrento area a little bit more. In our research, we discovered Margaret Falls which is said to be an easy hike with a beautiful waterfall at the end. Unfortunately when we had gone, the entrances to the trail were closed off and the public wasn't allowed to go in, so we never got to do it. Well, that was a disappointment.

Instead, we stopped across the street at the Herald Provincial Park and spent some time there. The park was fine, but there isn't too much for me to say except that it is a nice beach that overlooks Heralds Bay and you can get some nice photos from there. It's definitely a family spot with picnic tables and we can see it potentially getting busy, but there was no one else where while we were there. It wasn't exactly what we were looking for since we wanted to do the trail, but it was good for Markus to go out and stretch his legs out by the water.

When we were there, we didn’t come across anyone else, which was great for Markus since he’s a reactive dog.

Pies at Cache Creek

In my lifetime living in Vancouver, I've heard and known people who will make a trip up to Cache Creek to get some pies. These are people who don't have any other business in Cache Creek other than to drive over 4 hours one way to pick up some of these pies at Horsting's Farm Market. Since we were kind of in the area, we decided to make a stop while we were on our way back to Vancouver.

And I'm glad we did. We picked up quite a few pies and having had their savoury Chicken Pot Pie and their fruit pies (we had Rhubarb/Strawberry, Peach and Cherry), we now understand what the hype is about. If you're planning to visit Horsting's Farm to grab some pies of your own, I would recommend checking if they're open first. Since they grow their own fruits at the farm, they're only open seasonally, so you don't want to make the trip all the way there to be disappointed!

Disclaimer

Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.

Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.