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Old 04-09-2013, 09:02 PM   #1
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travel tips in Southeast BC?

We are traveling to the June rally from central Idaho through northeastern Washington. After the rally we planned to head east on route 3, overnight near Creston, then return home through northern Idaho. We are contemplating extending our trip a few days and perhaps looping north toward Revelstoke and back to Creston; route 97 - 1 - 23 - 6, or 97 - 1 - 95. Do any of you Canadian Escapees have recommendations or cautions - such as most scenic, better campsites, driving or weather complications? This will be our first trip to BC and we're hoping to make the most of limited travel time...Glenn.
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Old 04-09-2013, 10:25 PM   #2
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Hi , one of our favourites would go like this .... from Creston take hwy 3a north to the Crawford Bay Ferry ( ferry is free -beautiful sail ) ... Then take hwy 31 north to Kaslo ( but you may like to stop off at Ainsworth HotSprings and there is a very large camp/rv/boat resort just along that area - don't likely need to reserve in June )
from Kaslo take hwy 31a north to Nakusp and or Halcyon HotSprings ( both those locations have very good rv/campgrounds ) , from there head north to the Galena Bay ferry ( also free )
to Shelter Bay then north on hwy 23 ( only hwy there ) up to Revelstoke , there turn east on hwy 1 to Golden , at Golden turn south on hwy 95 to Radium Hot Springs ( Redstreak Camp ground - best to reserve there after June 10th ) or head on down to Fairmount Hot Springs both have great campgrounds . Hwy 95 will then go past Cranbrook and back to start ! This route from that first ferry ( north of Creston ) to Revelstoke is almost all along the lakes , a beautiful drive .
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Old 04-09-2013, 10:40 PM   #3
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Thanks, and maybe a quick clarification. If we take the longer trip, we will likely head north out of Osoyoos on 97 instead of the more direct rt 3 east to Creston. But it seems you might be suggesting that the lake route is a more scenic choice between Revelstoke and Creston than rt 95.
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Old 04-09-2013, 11:30 PM   #4
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Thanks, and maybe a quick clarification. If we take the longer trip, we will likely head north out of Osoyoos on 97 instead of the more direct rt 3 east to Creston. But it seems you might be suggesting that the lake route is a more scenic choice between Revelstoke and Creston than rt 95.
Pretty hard to suggest one more scenic than the other , that is just one of our favourites .
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Old 04-10-2013, 01:25 AM   #5
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Hi gabeck, the lake route is quite quite pretty, more so then Hwy 97 from Osoyoos to Kelowna. If you are going to go up the Kaslo / Nakusp way and depending on what your tow vehicle is (4x4 as the road is steep and full of switchbacks), I recommend a drive up to the top of Idaho Peak, an old forest fore tower site. The views of Slocan Lake and the Monashee Range are spectacular. You get to it from the old mining town of Sandon, on the road between Nakusp and Kaslo.
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Old 04-10-2013, 12:33 PM   #6
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Hi gabeck, the lake route is quite quite pretty, more so then Hwy 97 from Osoyoos to Kelowna. If you are going to go up the Kaslo / Nakusp way and depending on what your tow vehicle is (4x4 as the road is steep and full of switchbacks), I recommend a drive up to the top of Idaho Peak, an old forest fore tower site. The views of Slocan Lake and the Monashee Range are spectacular. You get to it from the old mining town of Sandon, on the road between Nakusp and Kaslo.
Regards

Scott
Hi ... it is one of our favourite routes for sure .. it's really part of the hot spring route. We usually park at Halcyon and then travel around , we don't tow everywhere we go , we like having a base and then go . Even on that road up to the Nakusp Hot Spring .... it's nice to have 4 wheel . But the hwy from Galena Bay to Nelson really isn't a problem , the sharpest switchback is that one shortly before the Balfour Ferry and not a problem towing through , tour buses go through without issue . Just need to slow down a bit. But still hwy 97 along the Okanagon is very beautiful , just more populated ... but really awesome -especially if it's a first trip . Be nice to meet you sometime ..... would like to pronounce your Escape name .
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Old 04-10-2013, 01:22 PM   #7
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Hi, just to reiterate to anyone reading this, you do not need a 4x4 for the main highways to Kaslo, Nakusp, Nelson etc. You should have a 4x 4 to take the old forest service road up to Idaho Peak to catch the spectacular views. It is steep and narrow with a few switch backs but well worth it, an adventure say!!! I have seen cars up there though although I would not want to be in one on it!!

We will be at the June rally so will likely meet up with you then. As for the name of our trailer, I guess the proper way to say it is "Karen Who's It", which is Danish for "Center of All" or in English: "Apple Core"!!!
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Old 04-10-2013, 01:38 PM   #8
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Hi, just to reiterate to anyone reading this, you do not need a 4x4 for the main highways to Kaslo, Nakusp, Nelson etc. You should have a 4x 4 to take the old forest service road up to Idaho Peak to catch the spectacular views. It is steep and narrow with a few switch backs but well worth it, an adventure say!!! I have seen cars up there though although I would not want to be in one on it!!

We will be at the June rally so will likely meet up with you then. As for the name of our trailer, I guess the proper way to say it is "Karen Who's It", which is Danish for "Center of All" or in English: "Apple Core"!!!
Did think we read somewhere that it was Norse ..... spent a few of months in Odense some 40 plus years ago . Great place ...
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Old 04-11-2013, 02:07 AM   #9
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A trip through the Kootenays is always enjoyable. I liked the Kaslo / New Denver Highway with the side trip to Sandon. Lots of history in the area, beautiful scenery, and hot springs. Nelson is neat too.

Sounds like you need to have a couple of beers with us BC locals in Osoyoos to discuss your travel plans.

Cheers!
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Old 04-11-2013, 08:41 PM   #10
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Thanks for your tips guys. If we can create the time away, we'll head up 97 to Revelstoke (with a possible side trip to Sorrento for a visit); then probably head south on 23 to New Denver. After that we're leaning toward 31/3a to Creston versus 6 through Nelson. Our plans could be modified over one beer; might be rendered useless with more. And "hot springs" - a tonic for old bodies!
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Old 04-11-2013, 10:22 PM   #11
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Sorrento ... That's a fair distance from Revelstoke ....still a good distance west of Salmon Arm ( almost halfway to Kamloops )...... quite a side trip from Revelstoke ...... Or maybe there is another Sorrento we don't know about ........ Yup the hot springs are great or old bones !
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Old 04-11-2013, 11:56 PM   #12
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Sorrento ... That's a fair distance from Revelstoke ....still a good distance west of Salmon Arm ( almost halfway to Kamloops )...... quite a side trip from Revelstoke ...... Or maybe there is another Sorrento we don't know about ........ Yup the hot springs are great or old bones !
A side trip to Sorrento would add about 90 km to the trip to Revelstoke if you took Hwy 97B to Salmon Arm rather than staying on 97A to Sicamous. Sorento is about 35 km N.W. of Salmon Arm.

There is a nice provincial camp site in the area called Herald on the north side of Shuswap Lake. Turn off Hwy 1 near Tappen between Sorrento and Salmon Arm. I found the older part of the camp site nicer than the newer section as it is more heavily forested and shaded in hot weather (solar would do better in the newer section, less trees).
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Old 04-12-2013, 12:08 PM   #13
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Thanks John for your confirmation of my own observations and the campground tip. My reason for this jog would be to have my guitar's luthier check it over some two years after he crafted it. Are you, or anyone else, aware of the relative merit of two RV parks in or near Sorrento - Blind Bay Resort or Shuswap Lake Resort?
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Old 04-12-2013, 02:50 PM   #14
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I don’t know anything about the two resorts you listed. Shuswap Resort in Sorrento looks like it is very close to the highway and could hear road noise. Have driven through Blind Bay area and Blind Bay Resort would be quiet from road noise. There are a couple of other sites a few blocks away, Sunset Bay Resort and Eagleview Resort on the lake. Other places that look promising are Sunny Shore Resort on White Lake just east of Blind Bay area and Woodhaven Campground. Weekends could be busy in early June but mid-week should not be too bad until schools get out later in June.

Further afield is Shuswap Lake Provincial campground on the lake at Scotch Creek on the north shore, roughly across from Sorrento. This would be about another 28 km (17 miles) one way out of your way again. It is a very popular campground and quite large, with camp sites well-spaced apart. On the way there is Roderick Haig-Brown Park which is an interpretive park featuring the Adams River Sockeye Salmon fish run, one of the largest in North America.

Didn’t someone once say “Too many places, too little time”!
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