When we heard about this Project here at Tourism Kamloops – we were excited to get involved! Next Wednesday, each of us will head out separately to take in something that Kamloops has to offer in way of attraction or activity. Afterwards we will be meeting up as a group to do take-in a larger ‘wow’ experience together. We will be posting the submissions here on our blog as well as uploading to the Kamloops Project website. Our goal is to spend the extra day this year taking in something we haven’t tried before and sharing that experience with you.

Furthermore, we are inviting people from the region and BC to spend their extra day in Kamloops. Many of our suppliers and partners have put together some great packages and specials for you people to take advantage of! Come stay the night ~ 5 different properties are offering great specials starting at $29.29 + tax per person! While here, get free admission at the Art Gallery, demo an off-road Segway for $20+tax or go see Western Canada Theatre’s newest production “Noises Off” – buy one ticket, get one ½ off! More deals and suggestions on how to spend your day can be found here: http://www.tourismkamloops.com/home_showSection_ID_1014.html

We’d love to hear how you plan to spend your extra day! Let us know on twitter by using #KamProject or share with us on www.facebook.com/tourismkamloops. Check back next Wednesday to see the update on what we did as well!

Cheers,

Kamloops Kendel

I decided to purchase VIP tickets in advance (only $10/each) to ensure we had good seating and made it so we didn’t have to arrive too early (to claim seats).  Having said that – you can just show up and buy tickets at the door for $5 but be warned that it might be standing room only!  In any cases, I surprised my husband with the tickets and off we went.

Having never been to a Burlesque Show – neither of us really knew what to expect but when the show started, we were both pleasantly surprised.  The atmosphere was great and all the acts were really tasteful and fun.  The traditional vaudeville style of entertainment was very prevalent with a good blend of dancing, singing and comedy!

The Kamloops Burlesque Showcase is a welcomed addition to our already vibrant nightlife scene and I highly recommend checking it out – for a $20 frisky night out, how can you go wrong?

Cheers,

Kamloops Kendel

For More Information on Kamloops Burlesque, check out: http://tourismkamloops.com/home_showSection_ID_911.html

What I really enjoyed about learning to curl was that they show you one step at a time. If I were to just walk onto the ice and try to throw a rock, I imagine I wouldn’t be as graceful as I may think I could be without some tips from the pros. We went through each step of the game and learnt how to do it the proper way. Afterwards we split into 2 teams and had a mini game. With 6 sheets of ice it is possible to have 48 people participate at the same time.

This is a great team building opportunity for groups of almost any size, ability or age. You start with some instruction and then jump into a mini tournament. There are some surprise twists you will find as the game goes on that keeps things fun and exciting for both teams.

So, as the game goes on I imagine you will be getting kinda hungry and possibly even a bit thirsty! Curling and beer do go hand and hand for some and one of the perks of this venue is the fact that you are allowed to bring your beverages onto the ice with you. It might not be the smartest decision, but it’s allowed! If you make your way up the stairs you will find the Bread Garden Lounge. If your team has a break you can sit and watch through the windows onto the ice, or watch one of the TV’s located over top of each house while sipping on a hot chocolate and enjoying a delicious soup and sandwich!

For those of you who are interested in trying the Learn to Curl program or the Corporate Curling team building offered by the McArthur Island curling club here are the contact details.

McArthur Island Curling Club – website

Phone:250-554-1911

Email: micc1@telus.net

I didn’t really know what to expect as usually I am the type of person to research where I stay first, but the cabin was great. With a full kitchen, living room, bathroom and loft with two double beds – we were so excited to be staying there. After a glass of wine (we definitely had our priorities straight when grabbing what we needed from the car for our overnight stay), we both snuggled up in our beds with some very comfortable bedding Mark graciously supplied us with (usually, you bring your own) – we feel alsleep to the crackling and glow of the wood fire. Waking up feeling rested, we were excited to go outside and check out the area… there was a ton of snow… I mean a TON! It was above our heads in some places and we both wished we had our winter clothes with us so we could jump right in. The cabin patio opened up to a view of the lake and the peacefulness of the area just stunned us. Looking around, it was easy to see that the outdoor recreation opportunities were endless – from snowmobiling, ice fishing, snowshoeing or cross country skiing in the Winter (did we mention you can pretty much do these activities up until April!) to swimming, fishing, ATV’ing, mountain bike riding and more in the summer months. There is even a person on-site to give you a massage after a long day snowmobiling (must call ahead to book)! After having a wander around, another little rip on the snowmobiles and some coffee – Mark had plowed us a route out and we were on our way. Monday morning, the roads were clear and the sky was blue and we had a beautiful drive into Kamloops. This place is definitely great for families and would be a perfect addition to your  getaway to Kamloops!
They say everything happens for a reason, so next time life gives you snow… go snowmobiling!!

-Kamloops Kendel

 
The day we headed up to Harper was on the tail end of the cold snap, so when we got to the mountain, it was minus 17. Brrrr! Despite the cold, it was beautiful. The lodge’s chimney showed that the fire was already going inside and the evergreen trees laden with snow and were beautiful. We unpacked our gear and made our way inside to meet up with our group.

Our boys were taking ski lessons that day and renting equipment, and the process was an easy and smooth one. The kids love the instructors, especially the realllllly tall guy with the Scottish brogue. The nice thing about Harper Mountain is that you can sit inside the lodge if you want, and you can see the hills that the tow rope and T-bar service where the kids are skiing. Most people are used to solely going on a chair lift, but there are some pretty decent runs off of the T-bar including a black diamond and many blue runs. The chair lift is also great, but didn’t open until 12:30pm on the weekday we were there.

What I like about Harper is the family atmosphere. We don’t feel pressured to bag as many runs as we can, but ski for about an hour or two, come in to warm up, visit and snack by one of two fireplaces, and then head out again. There is also night skiing which I’m excited to try and tubing which we’re going to do with a bunch of friends for sure this year. Downstairs are a bunch of cubbies where you can keep your lunch, boots and other gear, plus if you don’t want to pack a lunch, there’s a cafeteria where you can purchase hot dogs, burgers, fries and other bevies.  Harper Mountain is only 20 minutes from Kamloops, so even if you’re looking to do a half day, the cost and drive are reasonable and make it a good morning, afternoon (or all day) activity.

~ Awesome Aleece

Lets start with Harper Mountain. I grew up skiing at Harper and always loved Midway and kept left to hop onto Little Bend. These are both blue runs and have some excellent play on the sides where you can find some nice powder. There is a great tree run that falls in between Midway and Little Bend that brings you out at the bottom of Midway. You can see it on the map but it has no name.
Now for Sun Peaks, It’s quite a big mountain and has a lot of secret spots that the locals try to keep secret. One of my favorites is off the Sundance Express. If you head down Homesteader and look to your left you will see tracks that head down through the trees. Its not too tight and seems to always have lots of powder. Another great run is Chute. It is a black diamond run so can be steep in parts. Head up the Sunburst Express then over to the Crystal Chair and follow the signs to the Chute. Keep left and you will find some good powder!
So, I hope this helps some of you who plan to come up for a family getaway to do some skiing or boarding. Maybe I will see you on the slopes!

The BIG Little Science Centre first opened its doors in February of 2000 by Gordon Gore, a retired science teacher who aims to teach science through interactive and hands on teaching. We were fortunate to have Mr. Gore do the ‘Science of Light and Colour’ show on the Saturday we went to the Centre. The Centre has been in a few locations in Kamloops but now is at its home in the George Hilliard School on Kamloops’ North Shore. When we first walked in, we were cheerily greeted by Susan Hammond who showed us where we could put our coats, where the washrooms were, told us what time the show started and encouraged us to check out the interactive displays.

We were treated to a show first where Mr. Gore showed various experiments with light and colour. Takes me back to my days of high school science classes, though this was much more fun enjoying the oohs and aahs from the crowd, with no test after either (best part). Kids ranged from 3 years of age to teens, and along with grandparents and parents, the show was appropriate and fun for all. Our 5 year old son Calum was chosen as a volunteer and enjoyed being a part of the experiment with light.

Next we went to explore the hands on experiments. There are three classrooms devoted to hands on experiments (140+) and I’d recommend giving yourself a good 2 hours to explore them all. There are volunteers on hand to explain what to do, but the kids had a great time figuring out for themselves what would happen and each station has clearly written instructions. From blowing MASSIVE bubbles, experimenting with magnets, screaming into a sound proof box and enjoying the many mirrors which warp and contort your face and body, our family loved it. The nice thing too, was that there is so much room, you don’t ever feel crowded or pushed to rush through the Centre. And it’s cost effective too. It was $10 for our family of 4 (2 kids and 2 adults). There are special presentations each Saturday at 1:30pm, and they typically theme them from the Science of Christmas: Santa’s Secrets, to other fun shows and demonstrations. Check out the Tourism Kamloops page for more information and enjoy the wonders of Science this year!

Until next time,

Awesome Aleece

In any case, this really is some weather we are having.  It seems as though almost every 2nd day is a record setting warm day.  Don’t get me wrong – I love it.  As a resident of Kamloops, the lack of snow and ice is a welcome sight when driving to and from work and keeping the heat turned down has cut our gas bill.  Not to mention, I still have not had to purchase a new snowsuit and boots (which were on my list since October) and I have no muddy dog paws running through my house since it has been so dry.  However, as a tourism marketing organization… this lack of snow has been a pain in the butt!  I mean, we’ve positioned ourselves as a four season destination with tons of activities to do in each.  We’ve promoted that Kamloops has a wonderful winter wonderland where in just under 3.5 hours from the  Lower Mainland, you’d be in a land of fluffy white snow with winter activities galore.Maybe you would be surprised to know that we still are!  This ‘hybird’ winter/spring weather has opened up the door to a multitude of outdoor activities that can’t normally be done together and now is your chance to get in while the gettin’s good!

Ski & Golf in the same day?  No problem.  Mount Paul golf course is an executive 9 hole course that offers a challenge for both the experienced and new golfer.  At a par 32 and yardage of 2072, it is ideal for all ages. This little course is open weather permitting (and it has been…) so why not get in a round before heading up to Harper Mountain Ski Hill (20 mins from downtown Kamloops) or Sun Peaks Resort (45 mins from downtown Kamloops) for some afternoon runs in the soft powder our area is known for.  Or golf by day and ski by night since Harper Mountain has night skiing available.

Cross Country Ski & go for a Hike/Bike – This combo is a dog’s dream!  Head out to Stake Lake Nordic Centre (15 mins from Kamloops) in the morning to cross country ski the 5KM of groomed dog-friendly runs and then head back into town for lunch and a hike at Kenna Cartwright Park or Peterson Creek Park which are both full of a myriad of hiking and single track biking trails. Both happen to be off-leash, so Rufus will definately be pooped at the end of this day. With over 40 pet-friendly accommodation options and cross country ski rentals available at Spoke n’ Motion – everything you need is in right here!

Dirt Biking & Ice Fishing – We recently heard of a long time local who went out dirt biking on New Year’s Day for the first time in his life.  With numerous staging areas in Kamloops, hit the dirt and pair it with a trip to one of our 100+ local lakes.  Many of the higher elevated ones are frozen and ready to fish.

Row, row, row your boat and Snowshoe - On a sunny Janaury day, why not slip your kayak or paddle boat into the Thompson River, say hi to some of our seasonal Trumpeter Swans and follow it up with an afternoon of snowshoeing. Snowshoe rentals are available from Runner’s Sole.

These are just to name a few.  Who knows how much longer we will have this warmer weather for so this is the time to come take advantage of these combos!  After a busy day outside, unwind at one of our local spas – Sunmore Ginseng Factory being the only of its kind in BC, check out a WHL Hockey Game, watch a Western Canada Theatre production or take in one of the amazing Kamloops Symphony performances.  Come experience all Kamloops has to offer and the next time someone ‘Bruce’s you’ – you can tell them all about  the fun activities you did in this amazing weather!

Cheers,

Kamloops Kendel

So he eventually gets me into the car and off we go… to the BC Wildlife Park! Every year around the holidays they put on their Annual Wildlights Festival. This year is the 14th year and it runs from December 9th – January 2nd, 5:00pm-9:00pm. Upon our entry (only $12/person!), we were greeted by Santa, jolly as could be and handing out candy canes – definitely a favourite holiday treat of mine. We spent a little bit of time walking around the interior of the building and looking at the different snakes and other reptiles. My favourite snake was Purshia and she is a Coluber constrictor or “Racer Snake.” She definitely looked like she was built for speed and she had huge black eyes. We also learned a lot walking around the indoor Discovery Centre which explores the various habitats in BC – Rain Forest, Grasslands, Mountains, Interior Plateaus and the North. This is also where the (extremely cute) Burrowing Owls have their home and the BC Wildlife Park is the largest Burrowing Owl breeding facility in the world!

When we finally got outside, the park was beautifully lit up all around with various light displays and I giggled like a little girl when I got to hit the “push” button on an interactive display which caused a penguin to go slip-sliding off of an iceberg. There was hot chocolate, apple cider, hot dogs and other snacks available for everyone as well. We got to see Uncle Chris the Clown entertain the crowd while we sat around campfires and enjoyed the treats. Even though we had already walked around the park to see the lights, we decided to take the Wildlights Express Mini Train that runs around the park for a second look. It was nice because you get to see the light displays from different angles, and some displays you get closer to on the train than you can following the walking path. You can also take a wagon ride if you want!

Since it is so dark out during the Wildlights Festival, there’s not much to see in the way of the animals while you are strolling around the park but we did manage to see the shadowy masses of sleeping buffalo and a few sheep. The noctural coyotes were actively running around their habitat as well, which was fun to see. You are able to go and say hello to the animals in the Home Hardware Double H Corral Family Farm too, and they even had pot belly pigs in there this year. Every night at 7:30pm is the wolf feeding too which is quite the sight to see. You can tell they know it’s dinner time as the four of them line up and pace by where the food will be thrown over by the park staff. Once the wolves are fed, the park staff tells the audience a little bit about them and how a wolf pack functions.

In past years, the BC Wildlife Park caps off the night with an incredible fireworks show but new this year was a Laser Light Show that happened twice throughout the evening. It was a fun showcase of what is possible with today’s light technology set to Christmas tunes ranging from the smooth Michael Buble to the rockin’ Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the kids absolutely loved it! This event is perfect for a fun family night out. I had a great time while I was there but if I could pass on any advice, it would be to make sure you wear the extra warm socks instead of the everyday regular socks.

Happy Holidays!
Kess

My family and I were doing some visiting in Vancouver last week and had a great trip back to Kamloops which inspired me to blog about the topic of driving the Coquihalla Highway. For those of you who haven’t made the journey and have heard ominous tales about “Snowshed Hill” and huge mountains of snow, I’ve found the trip (which I’ve made many times since the highway first opened) to be quite pleasant. And yes, there are mountains, usually snow but the highway crews are amazing to keep the roads clear so you can enjoy the winter wonderland as you travel.

Betcha’ Didn’t Know? Kw’ikw’iya:la (Coquihalla) in the Halq’emeylem language of the Stó:lō is a place name meaning “stingy container”. It refers specifically to a fishing rock near the mouth of what is now known as the Coquihalla River. This rock is a good platform for spearing salmon. According to Stó:lō oral history, the skw’exweq, or underwater people, who inhabit a pool close by the rock, would swim out and pull the salmon off the spears, allowing only certain fisherman to catch the salmon. The Coquihalla Highway, derives its name from running alongside this river between Hope and the former location of the toll booth about 50 km away.

Be Prepared: as a former Girl Guide, I’ve always been taught to be prepared. This also holds true for driving the highway. If you’ve got good all season or winter tires on and drive for the conditions, yes that means slowing down and taking it easy, the highway can be a nice drive. For any trip our family does, we always have our truck equipped with jumper cables, extra blankets and a first aid kit, which I’d recommend.

My Travel Recommendations: our boys are 8 and 5 years of age so we pack plenty of snacks, drinks and games for the trip. We have a DVD player in the vehicle, but I prefer for the boys to look out the window and interact with us instead of zoning out watching a movie. There are all sorts of games you can play too from the ‘License Plate’ game, ‘I Spy with My Little Eye’ and travel-style board games. We bought mini Etch-a-Sketches for the boys which provides hours of entertainment. Music is also a must and family sing a longs makes the journey fun if not a little hard on the ears.

Great Stops: We typically fuel up in Chilliwack, have a washroom break and grab a cup of coffee then head out. 30 minutes up the road is Hope and you can stop at the Visitor Info Centre and have a picture with the ‘Rambo’ cut out and marvel at the coastal cedars and tall firs. About an hour from Hope is Merritt where the Nicola Valley opens up and it’s really beautiful. TIP: we typically find gas prices in Merritt  a little higher so if you have enough gas to get you to Kamloops, maybe wait to fill up. Check www.gasbuddy.com for the best, up to the minute prices. Kamloops is only 50 minutes down the highway and once you get into the city there are many turn offs to get into the city centre. With four major highways intersecting Kamloops, the city is easy to get to and has a ton of great things to do!

- Awesome Aleece