Hi everyone
My family and I are hoping to drive from Canmore to Abbotsford and plan to break the journey for a couple of nights. I am trying to decide between staying in either Kamloops or Salmon Arm. I don't know much about either of them, and would appreciate any advice. Which one might provide more interest in terms of things to do or places of interest for us as a family. My kids are 16 and 12. Many thanks
We've been through (and stayed in) Kamloops just twice ... I can't say there was anything particularly interesting about it, but of course I may be doing it a major disservice.
Salmon Arm has never crossed our path - just because of the forks in the road that we took. We had a night in Sun Peaks and it was pretty nice ... probably what I would do.
THanks for that. I will look at Sun Peaks. I'm really looking for somewhere to stay primarily to break the journey to Abbotsford.
Sun Peaks was (on our pre-season date in early September 2014) a quiet and pleasant ski village with a few very decent walks. Kamloops was a busy regional / commercial city that had less charm.
Definitely Salmon Arm - I had a very pleasant night there between Canmore and Seattle. Much more interesting and on your route than any of the other options mentioned.
Sun Peaks is a ski resort - there's little to do or see there in the off season. It's used by bus tours -- and so seems to be suggested by travel agents & brochures -- because the companies get a good rate since the resort is trying to fill beds in the off season. But there's really nothing there - and it would be out of your way. People use it from Jasper to southern BC - from Canmore, it's going to add in extra driving without any benefit. Certainly would not suggest staying there for two nights, let alone one.
Kamloops is a fairly non-interesting city that has the usual chain hotels without much charm. Again, used by bus tours because that's where they can stay for cheap & find enough beds.
The Salmon Arm area is pretty, with pleasant lakes & rolling hills. A nice contrast from the mountains, plus a good place to go for a boat ride and/or take a dip in a warmish lake. Another option is Kelowna. Or Revelstoke - attractive mountain town with an interesting history (God Rush, trains), historic walks, summer gondola and lots of hiking/bike paths & some neat museums (http://www.seerevelstoke.com/listings/family-fun/)
sun peaks a ski resort with prices one would expect. other than that thats it. salmon a great little city. you can visit vinyards that are around it as i did . margarets falls pretty certain will impress you immensly its easy drive from salmon arm. nice parks nearby which i visited to see the salmon run in the fall
Fair enough ... Salmon Arm might be hugely more pleasant (and possibly cheaper) than Sun Peaks, but as I said right at the start, we would prefer Sun Peaks over Kamloops any day ... there is nothing about Kamloops to attract anyone, and that we had missed Salmon Arm.
And the river valley walks at Sun Peaks were really quite good ... it's far from a dead town outside of ski season.
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