Nelson BC is located in the West Kootenays region of British Columbia, Canada. If you look at a map of British Columbia, the Kootenays are located in the southeast area of the province. Nelson is approximately midway between Vancouver and Calgary. If you are coming from the US, Nelson is approximately a three-hour scenic drive from Spokane, Washington (including time for the border crossing). The city of Nelson was established on the southern shores of Kootenay Lake in the late 1800′s. Commerce originally centered around mining, forestry and trade. In the early 1980′s, the main sawmill in town closed down and the economy of the city suffered. Since then, Nelson has become more diversified, and along with forestry the area is now well known for it’s arts, culture, tourism, and outdoors opportunities. If you are planning a visit to Nelson, there are a number of hotels and motels to choose from. The main hotels include the Prestige Inn, the Hume Hotel, the Best…