Kalamalka Lake

I arrived in Vernon, BC at night on October 4, completely unsure of what to expect. I had been talking to a colleague at work about my upcoming visit to the Okanagan Valley and he assured me that I should not miss out on the town of Vernon and nearby Kalamalka Lake. Boy, was he right.

 

Sunset on the way into town:

 

 

 

and downtown Vernon at night:

 

 

 

I loved the lights in the trees!

During the day, I visited Polson Park, which had an outdoor gym, bandstand, a skatepark, and some pristine landscaping.

 

 

 

Then, about 4 km south of Vernon, I discovered Lake Kalamalka... and I have NEVER seen the likes.

 

 

 

 

The first area I stumbled on was this beach. I spent probably about 2 hours just there, wandering on the sand an the docks, trying to register the fact that this was my life right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At some point, it occurred to me that there is a whole national park surrounding this place, and I should probably take it in. I headed out on foot.

 

 

 

 

Being on foot, I didn't make it to any of the other beach areas. I did, however, circle back for what felt like a trip to a tropical paradise, but was in reality just a view of the lake from a whole other angle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

...aaaaaaaaaand back to the original beach at a different time of day for some different lighting:

 

 

 

 

Unreal.
And not done yet.

What's over here? Hmm... maybe I'll just take a little stroll up this way...

*an hour hike later*

 

 

 

 

 

 Seriously.
There are so many more pictures, but this is really something you have to see for yourself. Even I had to put down my camera for a while and catch my breath, and coming from me, I think that really says something about the majesty and natural glory of this piece of Canadian paradise.

Tk'əmlúps

Situated in the Okanagan Valley in southern British Columbia, the city of Kamloops derives its name from the native Shuswap word Tk'əmlúps, meaning 'the meeting of the waters'. Although it centres around the formidable Thompson River, Kamloops is known for its semi-arid climate and protection by the Rocky and Columbia Mountains from the extreme Canadian winters. It's also a mecca for outdoorsy-types, and in October 2015, for this girl.

 

The city is built on the banks of the river and surrounded by mountains, so everywhere you go, there is a view. Everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

That's great for me, because I have no sense of direction so it helps to be able to see my destination from wherever I am standing!

 

The desert climate means you get to see things you don't expect to see in Canada as well: tumbleweeds, cacti, and dry thorny spaces, all of which make for beautiful photographic opportunities.

 

 

 

 

From the top of the mountains, though, there are some pretty stellar reminders of just where you are...
 

 

 

... and below, of course, the city itself is picture perfect.

 

 

 

Within the town, the native heritage is obvious

 

 

 and the semi-annual onslaught of seasonal tourists means parks and greenspaces abound. I'm looking forward to rafting the Thompson myself one day soon.

 

 

 

 

With a population of about 85k, Kamloops is a bit bigger than I imagined, but its distinctive beauty and easygoing lifestyle have placed it near the top of my shortlist of places I want to live someday.



Oil City

Sitting just east of the centre of the province and at 53 degrees latitude, lies the Albertan capital city of Edmonton. Built and growing as a gateway to the oilsands, Edmonton is home to tradesmen, truck drivers, and a large population of east coast Canadians like me, who moved west to find work and cash in on the black gold that keeps the province thriving. It's industrial and functional, and although the downtown core is currently being revamped into something that promises to be amazing, you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who would describe Edmonton as being "pretty". That is, unless you ask about the river valley.

Downtown Edmonton is built on the Saskatchewan River. Its core stands tall over the north bank and its commuters daily traverse the span via the numerous bridges and LRT crossings that lead directly into the heart of the city. I took a day to investigate the valley created by the river over thousands of years and was elated to discover this charismatic, beautiful, and substantially less 'oily' part of Edmonton.

 

 

 

 

 

I stumbled on the Alberta Legislature and its grounds quite by accident.

 

 

and took a long walk along a boardwalk that was surprisingly gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

 

The residential areas of the river valley are equally as stunning.

 

 

 

 Gardens,

 

 

 

 

 

 public artwork,

 

 

 

and, as always, my favourite: people just doing what they do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I was fortunate enough to have had my first experience really exploring Edmonton occur on a warm sunny day in the midst of an amazing array of fall colours. But I suspect that a summer morning, or a snow-covered winter day in the river valley might also be enough to convince anyone that there is so much more to Edmonton than just oil.