‘A closed road completely changed my Canada trip - and it was the best thing’

British Columbia is a location you hear about as a must-do destination. The city of Vancouver offers everything you need while what exists outside of that is a nature’s wonderland. 

Normally as an Australian, you’d expect I’d head to Whistler with the rest of our expats for a visit. But this trip was different, thanks to the discovery of my new favourite town and a highway significantly less travelled. 

After picking up a hire car in Vancouver, leaving the city was so much easier and offered a list of destinations across British Columbia I wouldn’t usually consider. 

This trip had me travelling from Vancouver to Harrison Hot Springs, Kamloops, and then Sun Peaks. 

For morning tea or lunch, a must-do is stopping at Bridal Veil Falls Park which is around two hours outside of Vancouver. I’ve never seen a waterfall like it. 

It’s just a short, uphill walk from the carpark and if you back yourself, you can walk straight under it. It is a tad wet under foot. 

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Harrison Hot Springs

Harrison Hot Springs is then a 20-minute drive away. It’s my new favourite village and reminded me a lot of a town I used to live in, Crescent Head, NSW, just without the right-hand point break.  

The village has a population just under 2000 and is situated on Harrison Lake. There are plenty of food options like Muddy Waters Café for a wholesome burger, or Basecamp for poutine. 

Hot Springs Harry is the town’s mascot, which is a Sasquatch. That all comes from multiple Big Foot sightings in the area. 

Overall, it just came across as a town where everyone knows each other, and a simple “hello” goes a long way. 

When I arrived it was a Sasquatch Day, where teams were all racing each other in their canoes. 

The Harrison Hot Springs Resort was the perfect place to stay as well, there’s an outdoor and indoor pool and steam room.

It sits right on the lake as well, which gave me the perfect 5km morning run along the foreshore and back. A swim in the lake is an option too, it’s brisk but lovely.

Kamloops

From there, you can drive up to Kamloops but make sure to do it my way. 

That involved a 30-minute trip to Othello Tunnels which showcases the beautiful natural landscapes of the Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park. 

Then came my favourite part. 

Normally, the trip should be two hours on the Coquihalla Highway. Instead, I arrived to a highway closure and was told to turn back to Hope. 

That meant I had to go via the Trans Canada Highway, which was a projected three and a half hours. 

At first glance, that would be an incredibly annoying detour. But what followed was an incredibly scenic drive. 

It follows the Fraser River then turns on to the Thompson River before moving on to Kamloops Lake. 

The villages along the way all had interesting names like Hells Gate and Bighorn.  The mountain ranges go on forever. It was the perfect way to experience British Columbia. 

Ultimately, it depends on your time constraints and also if there are fires in the area, but I couldn’t recommend it enough. 

When I arrived in Kamloops, I felt partially lucky because I was told there are people in Kamloops who would’ve never travelled that way. 

As for Kamloops it’s a great central spot in British Columbia to recharge after all that driving. 

The Sandman Signature Hotel is situated near the centre of town and a short walk from Rebos, a great spot for an Argentinian dinner and vino tinto. 

For breakfast, head up to Hello Toast. I may have let myself get carried away by the specials board. 

The mandarin stuffed French toast was an adventure. It consisted of two pieces of cranberry loaf French toast, stuffed with whipped cream cheese, mandarin oranges, honey butter and house made streusel. It was a proper Canadian experience. 

After that energising breakfast, head up to the Kamloops Bike Ranch with Adventuring Into Life and see the town from above while burning the calories on a mountain bike. 

Don’t worry about the calories after that because Mitz Kitchen offers a delicious steak sandwich. The restaurant is run by two locally raised brothers who have worked in the hospitality industry for a combined total of 54 years, so they know what they’re doing. 

The beauty of Kamloops is how close it is to Sun Peaks. 

Sun Peaks

A drive from there is around 50 minutes, where the temperature notably changes from dry and hot to cool. 

This skiing village has a significant Aussie presence too, so expect plenty of those accents on the lifts. 

While it’s a village of around 1,400, there are plenty of places to eat considering how strong the tourism industry is. 

Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge sits near the ski lifts and all the eateries. It also offers an indoor and outdoor hot tub. 

Make sure you’re familiar with the inspirational story of Nancy Greene too, an Olympic Games gold medallist and local identity. 

Bottoms Bar and Grill, Masa’s Bar and Grill and Powder Hounds are all great dinner or lunch options, while Vertical Café is perfect for a bacon and egg roll in the morning.

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As for activities, if it’s winter, of course skiing is recommended. In the summer, mountain biking is a must. Elevation Bike, Ski and Board can provide all the equipment. 

You don’t realise how high you are above town until you’ve headed up the lift and then peddled down. For me, it was the beginners track. 

You can see the other side of Sun Peaks too with a Jeepers Creepers tour. Tour guide Joe provides a great drive through the back country of the area, in a jeep, of course.

You can tell Joe has a passion for the area, and he might even introduce you to a black bear along the way.

This writer travelled as a guest of Destination Vancouver and Destination British Columbia.