Canada – BC Road Trip Day 1 – Travels with Carolyne

Kamloops – Day 1 of a 12 Day BC Road Trip

We headed to Kamloops from Vancouver the evening before. We decided to take Highway 1 instead of the Coquihalla to Kamloops, which added an extra hour to our drive (4.5 hours instead of 3.5hours). The Coquihalla is the fastest route, but is a dangerous drive in the winter due to the weather conditions and poor driver judgements. The drive was long and we did not arrive in Kamloops until around 11pm, so we checked in at Sandman Signature Kamloops Hotel, located by the train tracks in downtown, and headed to bed to re-energize for the next day.

Day 1
Kamloops

Day 1 was the coldest day of our trip, approximately -10°C, so we made sure to layer up for the day’s activities. We had cream cheese and bagels for breakfast before heading out to Runners Sole to rent snowshoes. Runners Sole has a few rental options – half day, full day, 2 days, etc. We decided on half day rentals, which was $10/person. Next – Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area for snowshoeing! Lac du Bois Grasslands, a protected area since 1996 due to its unique ecosystem, is truly amazing. As someone who is used to Vancouver’s mountainous views, I was surprised to see grasslands so close to Vancouver. There are multiple trail recommendations (Options: Long Lake Trail or Lac du Bois Trail), but the best part about snowshoeing around Lac du Bois Grasslands is that there really isn’t a trail! The wide area and powdery snow makes it extremely easy to stray from any previously made trails.

After a chilly morning snowshoe, we wanted something warm for lunch. Tiger Ramen was about a 15 minute drive from Lac du Bois and was the perfect choice! Tiger Ramen is a small restaurant with a few bar seats and two small tables. We ordered the BBQ miso and the Tiger miso ramen. Yum!

After lunch, we dropped by the hotel to wash up before wandering downtown. Next stop was the Kamloops Art Gallery, located in the Kamloops Public Library. The Kamloops Art Gallery has free admission every Thursday, but otherwise, is a $5/person admission fee. We visited on a Saturday and were lucky, as they were also offering free admission that day. The main exhibition at the time of our visit was Scott Massey’s A Marker to Measure Drift. Scott Massey is a Canadian Artist whose work reflects a blend of science and art. There is also a small exhibit showcasing the artwork of the Thompson Rivers University Fine Arts Graduating Class of 2020.

Kamloops Art Gallery

Next stop – the craft breweries! There are three breweries located in Kamloops downtown within a five minute walk from each other – Noble Pig Brewhouse, Alchemy Brewery, and Red Collar Brewing Co. First brewery on the list was Noble Pig Brewhouse. We each ordered a flight of 3 beers and shared an order of intergalactic pretzels, which came with galaxy hop salt beer mustard. I ordered the Munich Helles Lager, Belgian Pepper Ale, and the Mocha Porter for my flight.

Next brewery was Alchemy Brewing, less than a 1 minute walk from the Noble Pig. Alchemy Brewing has a longer list of brews. We shared a 4-beer flight at Alchemy Brewing – Dirty Love (strawberry seasonal special), Plum Bonkers (a plum sour), Sugarbush (a red maple ale), and Gingerbreadman (a gingerbread cookie brown ale).

Alchemy Brewing Company

The final brewery was the Red Collar Brewing Co. There looked to be a long wait at Red Collar Brewing Co, so we bought a bottle of the Inflorescence Agave Saison to go.

Red Collar Brewing Co.

For dinner, we ordered takeout from Jacob’s Noodle and Cutlet, which we picked up on the walk back to the hotel. I ordered the cheese pork katsu (panko pork with a gooey cheese filling), which came with a salad, rice, miso soup, and two sauces for the katsu.

Jacob’s Noodle and Cutlet

We then enjoyed an evening stroll in Kamloops downtown and returned to our hotel.

Complete Day 1 Itinerary

*Travel times may vary. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.

9:00am: Homemade breakfast at the hotel. Recommendation: Stay at Sandman Signature Kamloops Hotel.

10:00am: Stop at Runners Sole to rent snowshoes (8 minute drive from Downtown Kamloops). Drive to Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area for snowshoeing (21 minute drive from Runners Sole). Option: Start at the Lac du Bois trailhead.

1:00pm: Head to Tiger Ramen for lunch (17 minute drive from Lac du Bois).

2:00pm: Head back to the hotel to wash-up (7 minute drive to downtown Kamloops). Walk to Kamloops Art Gallery (9 minute walk from Sandman Signature Kamloops Hotel).

4:00pm: Visit Noble Pig Brewhouse (3 minute walk).

5:00pm: Visit Alchemy Brewing (1 minute walk).

6:00pm: Visit Red Collar Brewing Co (7 minute walk).

7:00pm: Have dinner at Jacob’s Noodle + Cutlet (2 minute walk).

12-Day BC Road Trip Itinerary

Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 12-Day BC Road Trip Itinerary. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip in BC!

12-Day BC Road Trip Itinerary Download