Kamloops and Surrounding Area

Kamloops!

The drive from Clearwater to Kamloops saw the countryside gradually change to a semi arid climate. This would have been good if we didn’t still have the wet cold weather following us! Also on the way we passed through a vast area that had been affected by an extensive forest fire. We later discovered that this had occurred in 2003 and had been devastating for the local Kamloops community with over a 1000 homes destroyed and the loss of numerous businesses and therefore job opportunities.

The RV site is a bit disappointing. The water park beside it, which we thought would be a nice attraction for Eilidh, has been closed for 3 years (not due to the fire!). The site is beside the main highway, which runs adjacent to the main trans continental railway! Ho Hum. We should have trusted our gut feelings when all efforts online to gleam some information about the site drew blanks.

Kamloops itself is not to bad, probably about the size of Stirling but without the architectural features of a castle! The main downtown area is a good mix of boutique shops, restaurants and coffee houses, the Cowboy Coffee Shop being particularly good.

Today, Saturday, we went on a bit of an exploration of the Shuswap Lakes and the upper Okanagan valley. What fantastic scenery with inland lake marinas, ranches and vineyards all competing for your attention. They are also very big on fruit and vegetable growing, with numerous farm shops and co-operative style fruit markets along the way. The one we stopped at was a bizarre mix of fruit market, historical farm, gift shop, and petting zoo! Bought a supply of exotic fair and took some pics.

Hi! I am very pleased because I managed to get the Harry Potter book!!!!!!!!! I didn’t think I would be able to! So far it is extremely good! I am quite excited cos tomorrow we go to the ranch, this means I will be able to go western riding! Yeehah! Em……… it’s surprising with the amount of things we have done that I’m starting to run out of things to say! This may have to do with the fact that I am pretty tired! So nite nite luv Eilidh xxxx

We left Kamloops (pretty bare and brown hills around the Thompson River) and hit the Shuswap Lakes. This area is like the best part of the highlands all distilled together – they even use names like Fintry, Glencoe and Balmoral! The lakes are full of boats and watercraft but all powered by motors. The biggest thing is houseboats which we investigated closely when we stopped at Salmon Arm. These come with all life’s essentials including penthouse cabins, fireplaces, home cinemas and a hot tub… As we turned from the lakes and moved towards the Okanagan area the countryside became more cultivated with lots of fruit some of which we bought from the Fruit Barn near Vernon – the cherries and raspberries are lush.

Navigating our way around a particularly twisty corner we saw a group of bikers approaching on the opposite side of the road – once Eilidh got to 100 she stopped counting. I know it’s a cliché but everything in North America comes in extra large whether it’s the local Biker Chapter, food or pickup trucks. We have discovered that pick up trucks are an essential item in most households, granted the weather and distances make this more practical than at home, but what they are there for is the recreational stuff. Just about every home has a motor home, trailer (sort of caravan) boat or canoe in their back yard.

I have been trying to get my head round this area of Canada. It is beautiful and I would love to spend more time here but it is like it is about 20 years behind the world. I think it is the combination of Dutch barns – often stained red with white paintwork, the clapboard houses and the wooden slightly amateurish advertising hoardings that make it all feel part of another time. The houses are interesting as many have been self built and have a correspondingly wobbly, rustic and dishevelled appearance and others are just so slick.

We have been crossing the route of a group of American Tourists who are travelling in a group of 20 RVs and have been at some of the same sites as us. They all drive together and there is a huge bus like RV for the staff. We haven’t worked out if the staff drive all the RVs but they definitely do a lot of the setting up and mass cooking. Each RV is identified with a yellow sticker and number and the occupants have nice yellow passes round their necks matching them to the appropriate RV. I suppose it makes rounding them up easier for the staff. A trip like that must mean no planning and no need for thought just hop in and go, but you can say you have RVd round Canada – an ideal holiday for these guys.