Tracks of the StoneBear BNF = Banff, BC/ Alberta journey
ROF = Ring of Fire journey
British Columbia/ Alberta, Canada
August 27, 2014 BNF 12
Merritt, British Columbia via Kamloops, BC to Hope, BC
On the back end of this RT= Road Trip now.
Stayed at MacQueens Manor B&B in Kamloops and am rested & ready to head south to Hope, BC today... then next day fly out of Vancouver back to Birmingham.
It is a Queens table setting for a gourmet breakfast. VERY well done!!! Very good hosts!
Now it's down to Kamloops Walmart for a few items and hit Trans-Canada Hyw 1west out of the city. Kamloops downtown is down in a bowl on the Thompson River... and ringed by mountains on 3 sides.
About 5 miles out split off onto Canadian Hwy 5, British Columbia Hwy 5 south AKA The Coquihalla Hwy and ascend into forested mountains.
in about 20 miles its that golden dry, rolling hills that look like northern California.
Steep hills with trucks going 15mph.
Each new mountain pass the horizon gets better.
Beautiful clear day with bright sun, blue sky, viz is 20+ miles.
About 50 miles and descending we come to Merritt, BC.
Exit off at hwy 5A... it looks like any interstate ramp with motels, fast food, fuel, ect.
About a mile and we're in old downtown. A couple blocks past a main intersection is the old downtown hotel, The "Coldwater Hotel", with a beautiful victorian style round turret on the corner, capped in gold. let's stop and scout out.
Noticed several mural paintings on buildings of ... looks like entertainers, movie stars.
Parked on Quilchena st across from the police substation. Will come back and get my journal stamped later.
notice some bronzed plaques with hand prints and quotes.
Walk about some and there are many murals on buildings.
Going from block to block there are murals and performers plaques everywhere.
some of the entertainers are legends from back in the 1920s and 30s ...
Don Messer, Montana Slim, Hank Snow.
...to some of the biggest country music stars today. Crystal Gayle, Travis Tritt, Alan Jackson, Glenn Campbell, and ole possum eyes himself- George Jones. Some really great,... legendary country music stars.
And walk around to this one corner of the block... and there's a covered modern looking gazebo like structure with a piano in the middle of this open air structure... and a sign on the piano reads "Please Play". ?Is this a neat town or what!
Adjacent is a covered stage for street music festivals and performances.
Merritt was the host of The Merritt Mountain Music Festival ... but that ended a couple years back.
You can tell some town are neat places.... their visions expand,... their cultures flourish,... good things happen here. Did happen here. Will happen here again. Merritt is a unique place!
Back to the police substation before leaving. I did not write down the 2 ladies names but they were very nice and helpful. Didn't have a stamp but found some stickers for the journal ,.... and a Canadian belt buckle. ?Don't know where they got it or how, but it was a nice gift!
None of this was planned. Don't pass by Merritt, BC. Stop and see this. Very nice people and said to go out to see Nicola lake before leaving town.
You never drink twice from the same stream.
