Cross Canada RV trip from Kamloops, B.C., Canada

It is early afternoon and we are finally on the road for our Cross Canada Trip ’09. We’ve talked about doing this after retirement and the time has finally come. After a delay in leaving, we are going to cover the first leg of our trip in one and one half days rather than three days so we’re going to put in some long hours.

We have had very hot weather at home for several days and we’re heading into heavy clouds and rain and not minding it at all, but it doesn’t offer too many photo opportunities on our first afternoon. We spend the first few hours travelling north from Kamloops, BC on the Yellowhead Highway #5 until we get just past the Mt. Terry Fox Provincial Park near Valemount, BC and as we drive into Jasper National Park, the road becomes Hwy #16.

A curious young elk

There had been a car accident east of Jasper, AB and traffic is being held up for at least 6 hours so we decide to head south on Hwy. 93. Just as we do that, we see several vehicles parked on the side of the road and so many people out taking pictures of the elk at the sides of the road. They are wild animals and one should not get too close but thankfully I have the zoom lense and was able to get a close up.

A pretty sunset reflection

We were not to see many vehicles once we left that spot. It was early evening and we had decided we would not stop for dinner until we parked for the night. We stopped to take pictures with the setting sunset that managed to peek thru some of the clouds.

Athabasca Pass

N. Saskatchewan River

The next couple of hours were driving south and enjoying the quiet road, with very little traffic to worry about. Because of the cloudy skies, it did seem to get dark early and picture taking was out of the question so I was not able to get any pictures of the wonderful drive through the Icefield Parkway..

The Glacier

When we came to the Glacier, I was not able to resist and took a picture just to have one, note the size of the vehicles below the glacier. It is very large and the picture taken at dusk cannot do it justice.

We carry on and finally call it a nite after 10pm.

South Thompson River island in Summer - Kamloops, B.C., Canada

If you’re RV'ing in the Kamloops, B.C. area this summer, try to visit our local parks on the South Thompson River. Riverside Park and Pioneer Park both have facilities to make a summer day at the beach great fun and are very close to the downtown area.

Nearby RV parks are Kamloops Rv Park next to the BC Wildlife Park, east of town and the Knutsford RV Campground, south of Kamloops, B.C., Canada.

Riverside Park in downtown Kamloops, B.C., Canada

If you have access to a boat, there is even more to enjoy in Kamloops. There is a boat launch at Pioneer Park, which gives you access to the Thompson rivers.

One sunny summer day we joined our son and his family to boat up the South Thompson river. We launched the boat at a private launch in Monte Creek, 15 minutes east of Kamloops, B.C., then headed east. The river has very little boat traffic from this point and is a beautiful trip. We stopped to watch a bald headed eagle peering down at us from his roost on a barren branch then carried on cruising up the river on a Sunday afternoon!!

South Thompson River

We eventually stopped at a beach on Banana Island, the only island between Kamloops and the Shuswap lakes. This very little island rarely has any visitors and those that do come, like to enjoy the private beach. It island is a government park but there are not any camping facilities and access is by boat only. Signs of wildlife can be found at times. The island also marks a great fishing location accessible right beside Highway 1, where many fisherman can be seen trying to catch that big Chinook salmon in the fall.

We were joined by our daughter-in-law’s family in their boat and we all had a picnic and played in the sand for the afternoon. We watched the rain clouds circle around us but we seemed to be in a private little paradise and didn’t have one raindrop find us. The wind would come up at times but it chased the rain in another direction and we were thankful for that. I did get this picture during a very quiet time that shows the calmness that the river can appear to have.

By the time we were ready to boat home, the wind had returned and made for a bumpy ride. It was a fun ride due to the plenty of giggles from our grandson, hiding under the blanket to keep dry from the spray when we hit the waves. But we were thankful to get home safely, the end of a wonderful family day.