Kamloops, Canada; British Columbia's Junction City
As hinted, Kamloops, located in the heart of the southern Interior of BC, is BC's junction city.
It is located in the Thompson Valley in the semi arid bunchgrass ecoregion of the Pacific Northwest. Winters are cold but summers are hot. When I was taking these photos the afternoon temperatures were around 37 degrees (98F).
The city itself has a population of around 100 000 and it was very active during the gold rush days.
First, we will start with the city itself, looking at downtown:
Here is the hotel I stayed at:
Some downtown streets. Kamloops actually has a nice downtown urban fabric considering its population.
The "big" buildings of downtown:
A really cool pedestrian bridge over the railroad yard:
Kamloops os located at the confluence of the North Thompson and South Thompson Rivers, and has a wonderful river side park downtown, including one of the largest willows I have ever seen.
In the park there is a weekly local music event in the summer:
And in the evening it was great to sit in the sun and have a cold beer on a rooftop patio. The temperature at 9pm was still around 32 (90F).
The next morning there was a street market right in front of the hotel:
Of course my favorite part is the sage grasslands surrounding the area. These pics are taken from the Mara Trail in the Lac du Boise grasslands park on the northwest bank of the Thompson Rivers.
Me! On this day the temp was around 38 (100F).
Dead Ponderosa Pine
Just a great evening hike with my girlfriend.
Kamloops is actually surprisingly active and vibrant downtown and has many beautiful natural attractions nearby.
Cool, thanks for sharing that! I didn't know that about Kamloops, I always just go hiking when I am there.
Regarding a few of the other comments, yes, Kamloops is very dry!
Also, having travelled across much of Canada I have found that BC does in general have the best urban finishings for Canadian cities (the roads and sidewalks are usually in better condition, more emphasis on gardens / lawns, well maintained street furniture), but, I do feel this is more to do with the climate than just frequent repairs. Cities on the west coast do not endure the damaging plowing / salt / sanding of winters as in the rest of Canada. And while areas such as Kamloops do have winter (though still relatively short and mild compared to many areas of Canada) this is mitigated by the extreme dryness. If you go further north in BC or go up to towns in the high plateaus then their streets become a lot more beaten looking.
Nice pictures. The one that struck me was of the rooftop patio. One guy is wearing a Hockey Canada hat, and in the background is a dry landscape. Kamloops seems to be the place where hockey in the desert is most successful.
Nice pictures. The one that struck me was of the rooftop patio. One guy is wearing a Hockey Canada hat, and in the background is a dry landscape. Kamloops seems to be the place where hockey in the desert is most successful.
Best comment! Haha, I agree, it is an interesting contrast.
Very enjoyable tour and landscapes! Thanks for sharing, Metro-One.
Yes, the ground and landscapes look very dry. I didn´t think Kamloops could reach so high temperatures by summer. That drought and high temperatures are similar to the ones we experience in Madrid at this season, even a little lower in Madrid.
Kamloops is a nice city. That so green park is very relaxing.
Very enjoyable tour and landscapes! Thanks for sharing, Metro-One.
Yes, the ground and landscapes look very dry. I didn´t think Kamloops could reach so high temperatures by summer. That drought and high temperatures are similar to the ones we experience in Madrid at this season, even a little lower in Madrid.
Kamloops is a nice city. That so green park is very relaxing.
Congrats and greetings from Madrid, Spain!
Hey, thanks a lot! Yes, Kamloops can be very hot and sunny in the summer (hence the arid hills surrounding it). For example, right now the 7 day forecast has every day reaching 30 and above.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker
Very cool little punches of urbanity. I like it. I had no idea it looked like this.
Yeah, many of BC's smaller cities actually have nice downtown cores, more so than many would guess. Kamloops especially is very unrecognized in Canada for a city of 100 000.
Amazing!!! Perfect weather for me...Hot during the summer and cold during the winter...Probably the only place i could see myself living in BC. Great photos
You know, I've never really considered the Okanagan much. Maybe its because Albertans seem to be infatuated with all these random towns in the BC interior, so it ends up feeling overrated. But these photos are very compelling. Kelowna may lack the historical integrity of Kingston or Quebec City, but like other Western cities, such as Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Vancouver, it does darn well on the urban front for being so young.
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I like it. I had no idea it looked like this.
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