We woke early, checked out of the motel and were on the road about 8:00 am. The weather was acceptable with cumulus clouds and moderate temperatures. First stop was the Bear Paw Bakery where we indulged in breakfast sweets and strong coffee to start the day. We headed west on highway 16 across Yellowhead Pass and into British Columbia where we stopped to take photographs of the signs. We also gained an hour as we crossed into Mountain Standard Time. In a short distance we stopped again at an information center located across from Mount Robson, the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. Clouds socked in most of the mountain but I took one photo that shows the tip of the mountain top. We obtained some new maps and information from the nice lady in the info center.
In a short while we connected to highway 5 and headed south. We noticed many signs warning of moose and big-horned sheep crossings but were disappointed as we never saw any wild game this day. It was probably because we had the camera out and ready. The countryside was very scenic with lush, green forests of mostly ponderosa pines. However, it did not have the glaciers and snow-capped peaks we saw on the Icefield Parkway the other day. It seemed as if we were continuously driving downhill with very few hills to climb. We crossed the raging Fraser River that had signs calling it the world’s best salmon river.
We passed through little towns of Valermount, Blue River, and Avola until we reached Clearwater where the lady at the info center suggested we stop at the Flower Meadow Bakery and Café. We found it right away and stopped for a light lunch. To our surprise the lady who took our order was Swiss and she said the owners and other staff were German except for one Australian girl. I had their special of grilled bratwurst and beer while Rita had a spinach and cheese quiche. We struck up a conversation with the 30-something Aussie Sheila who must have thought of us as parent figures as she began to spill out her story of coming to Canada, finding a Brit boyfriend, breaking up with boyfriend after five years, and how her mother couldn’t understand that she has her own life and friends now in Canada, etc., etc. She was very friendly though and we had a nice time for the short lunch break.
Back on the road it wasn’t long before we arrived in Kamloops, the biggest Canadian city you never heard of. Well, I never heard of it before. But it is quite large with several chain hotels, shopping malls, fast food restaurants (American and Canadian) and spread out over mountains looking over the confluence of the North Thompson and South Thompson Rivers into the Thompson River. The weather felt warm at 73 degrees in the sunshine but threatening rain clouds hovered over the mountains.
We checked into our motel and walked a bit in the neighborhood which looked like any town suburb in hundreds of American towns. We drove into downtown Kamloops and had an okay dinner at a restaurant called Crush on the main drag of Victoria Street. We walked some in the downtown area which has some restaurant night life but seems to be giving way to the suburbs. We did see an Elvis impersonator, some drunks who panhandled for money, and a bachelorette party of about a dozen women dressed in bridal gowns and tennis shoes having a night on the town. So maybe Kamloops is doing just fine.
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