The road to Revelstoke!

Location, Revelstoke, BC

Last night the campground really filled up. Most people arrive by 4 PM but there are always a few stragglers who come in around 8 PM or later. All sites were filled by 8 PM but 2 late arrivals were parked in front of the office when we left this morning. Make money while you can I guess. Brookside is the only campground in Cache Creek so there are not a lot of options.

The road to Kamloops followed the Thompson River again. The country reminded us of New Mexico or the Columbia River Gorge with farms along the river but brown hills above that. Lots of sage brush although there are pine trees on the hill tops. The pine bark beetle has really devastated much of the pine trees from Lytton to Revelstoke.

They grow a lot of ginseng under cover south of Cache Creek. In fact Chai-na-ta farms advertises it self as the “Largest Grower of Ginseng in the World". How’s that for hubris?

Kamloops is a very nice looking town. It really needs several days to explore it all. The town is spread along side the Thompson River so it is long and narrow.

The roads are quite good but mostly 2 lanes. There are a lot of ups and downs but not a lot of elevation change overall. For the most part, the road is twisty and windy. Top speed is 90 kph, about 55 mph which is great for better fuel mileage.

We are staying at the Lamplighter Campground in Revelstoke near the Columbia River which flows out of Revelstoke Lake via a large cement dam. The river here really moves. As we drove into the campground we noticed cotton fluff in the air from the cottonwood trees. By afternoon, the air is full of cotton. We hope Clyda doesn’t have a reaction from it. We will be out of the cottonwoods tomorrow.

Mount Revelstoke, BC.

We drove into town via a one way steel bridge over the Columbia River. A visit to the information center gave us maps and information for our trip to Banff. We walked around downtown and then drove around other parts of it. A stop at the grocery store and for fuel completes the day.


Columbia River with Mount Revelstoke in the background.


Court house dome in Revelstoke looking across the Columbia River.