More Than Meets the Eye to Downtown Kamloops

• Author: ClaireB
• Accommodation:

When you stay in Kamloops there are numerous hotels, motels and inns to choose from and they are mainly concentrated within three different parts of the city: downtown Kamloops, Sahali and Aberdeen, and along the Highway 1 corridor.

The hotels on the highway are great for a quick getaway in the morning but not recommended if you want a more peaceful retreat. Up in the Sahali and Aberdeen areas of Kamloops are some of the city’s larger hotels and the benefit of being higher up is that many rooms come with a great valley and city view. Access to the highway is again quick and easy from here if you’re heading off the next morning. To really get a feel for Kamloops though, and its culture and heritage, I recommend staying in the centre of the city, in downtown, where there are several excellent hotels to choose from, all within just a few minutes walk of the heart of the city.

Downtown Kamloops offers an eclectic mix of stores, pubs and restaurants, some within heritage buildings, along the main downtown street called Victoria Street. One of the city’s Greek restaurants, Dorian Greek House, can be found here; there’s also the Hoja Mongolian Grill, Maurya’s Fine Indian Cuisine, and Italian dishes are served at D’Agostino. Or if you can’t decide between Japanese or Chinese, Oriental Gardens serves both! These are just a few of the places you can dine out on Victoria Street, but there are many more across Downtown Kamloops to choose from too.

Up in Sahali there are many big name stores, while in Downtown Kamloops individuality is the order of the day! Quirky stores such as Frou Frou Monkey, and The Golden Buddha sell all manner of interesting items, and there are a number of boutique fashion stores right on Victoria Street too, such as The Look Boutique, Main Street Clothing Co., Fashion 5, and Torino Clothing Co.

The heritage buildings all have a story to tell, and if you’re interested in finding out more about them, and Kamloops in general, head over to the Kamloops Museum and Archives on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Seymour Street (one street up from Victoria). It’s open year-round from Tuesday to Saturday and has three floors of both permanent and travelling exhibits, plus there’s the Children’s Museum to explore if you’re travelling with kids.

Downtown Kamloops may be the centre of the city but it’s still got parks and open spaces to enjoy too. Across the railroad tracks is the Thompson River and here you’ll find one of the city’s most popular parks, especially in the summer. Riverside Park has a beach and a splash park, and a favourite pastime of Kamloopsians is to come down here on hot summer day with a picnic and chill out, then catch a live band (for free) as part of the Music in the Park series! All this is within walking distance if you stay in one of those downtown Kamloops hotels!

Photo and article copyright Claire Bolgil. Claire is a freelance travel writer based in Beautiful BC. Find out more about her at www.clairebolgil.com