Hotel at a Glance: Lizard Creek Lodge

Lizard Creek Lodge is situated at the base of the Fernie Alpine Resort, tucked away in the Canadian Rockies. In the winter, it's a popular ski resort, but there's plenty to do in the fall, ranging from whitewater rafting to hiking to golf.

• Recommended activity: Search for bighorn sheep, moose, bald, eagles, black bear, and grizzlies on a half- or full-day wildlife viewing tour
• Take a hike along the Castle Mountain trail, and you'll be rewarded with panoramic vistas of the Rockies
• Full kitchens are included in each one-bedroom suite, as well as a fireplace and private balcony
• Included meal: Daily breakfast
• Go for a dip in one of the hot tubs or the outdoor pool
• Pamper yourself at the on-site spa, whose specialty treatments include hot stone massages, clay or mud wraps, and a sea salt exfoliation

Fernie, British Columbia: Outdoorsy Town in the Heart of the Canadian Rockies

Situated at 3,000 feet above sea level, Fernie, British Columbia, is surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies' East Kootenay Range. In 1897, miners began excavating coal from the mountains; shortly thereafter, the coal industry—as well as the nascent town of Fernie—started to boom. Fernie reinvented itself a vacation destination when it opened its first ski resort in 1963. Recently, National Geographic named Fernie one of the "World's 25 Best Ski Resort Towns."

You can see the mountains up close at Fernie Alpine Resort, about 5 miles outside of town—go hiking or mountain biking on its trails in summer, or enjoy skiing or snowboarding on its groomed runs in the winter. Historic downtown Fernie has plenty of places where you can shop or grab a bite to eat. The town's entertainment hub, Fernie Arts Center, was formerly a train station; now it houses a restaurant, two art galleries, a pottery studio, and a 100-seat theater, which regularly shows indie films.