With that in mind, we set out one gorgeous fall Saturday to see how much local fun and adventure a family of four could have in one day.
Since every day of adventure starts with an empty stomach, the first place we stopped was at Scott’s Inn for a down home style breakfast. A Kamloops staple, Scotts was the first place we ate breakfast when we first arrived in Kamloops and as such, it’s near and dear to our hearts. They have a great breakfast menu at decent prices. If you love traditional home style cooking, you’ll love this place. Their French toast and hotcakes are a delicious way to start a fall day of adventure, and the pies are a local secret!
Being so close to downtown, we checked out the Kamloops Farmers Market on St. Paul Street. The kids perused the craft tables while Micki and I enjoyed checking out the local fruits and vegetables. They looked so good that we picked up a few fresh snacks for later.
After walking the length of the market, the kids started to get restless. Luckily, Kamloops has its own waterfall, in the middle of town, at Petersen Creek Park. Nothing soothes the soul like hiking up to a waterfall. It’s also a great way to burn off those breakfast calories.
The easiest entrance to the park is just off Columbia Street on Glenfair Drive and is a short, two minute drive from the Farmers Market. There’s a nice, broad, gravel pathway leading up the majority of the way to Bridal Veil Falls, but the last few hundred meters can be a little tricky if you’re not willing to get a little wet. That being said it’s quite doable if you take your time and help the little ones cross the steeper paths.
After taking a few pictures of the falls and looking around, we headed back to the car. Our kids love water and it was a really warm day so they rolled up their pants and splashed through the creek around the falls on the way back to our car. This led us to Riverside park, one of Kamloops’ many local parks, for some play time and a lunchtime picnic.
On the way there, we stopped off at Erwins Fine Baking and Delicatessen on St. Paul Street and grabbed a few sandwiches and some delicious pastries for an impromptu picnic in the park. Like Scott’s, Erwins is a Kamloops staple with tons of sandwiches, pastries, breads and snacks.
Besides for its huge spray park, Riverside Park also has a large playground that the kids love to run and play on. After pulling into the parking lot, the kids were soon running to the play structures with all the energy they could muster. We were right behind them and took some seats on the park benches as we watched them play. The kids are always quick to make friends and were soon chasing their new buddies with wild abandon.
Once the kids had their fill of the playground and each had a turn on the swings, we grabbed a blanket and had lunch on the grass instead of using one of the many picnic tables scattered around the park.
After all this outdoor fun, everyone was feeling a little worn out, so we decided to go for a drive west of town.
As we drove past the Airport on Tranquille, we noticed parachutists slowly coming down. We pulled over to watch as all four jumpers slowly descended, and the kids were transfixed as the bright parachutes rippled in the wind. We’ve been lucky to see the parachutists several times, but the kids eyes light up anew every time we watch them.
When all four parachutists landed safely on the ground, we jumped back in the car and continued making our way towards Tranquille. Before we got there, we stopped at the pumpkin patch at Tranquille Farms for a tractor ride and to pick out our own pumpkin. The kids had a blast running through the fields, but unfortunately I was the one tasked with carrying the pumpkins back to the car. Picking out our own pumpkin has become a family tradition in our household and there were lots to choose from at Tranquille Farms.
Since we had just recently toured the old community of Tranquille, we had decided to skip it and headed towards the bridge going across Criss Creek. The kids love jumping across the rocks there that line the shore and looking for minnows. It’s easy to imagine a line of prospectors mining for gold in this stream over a hundred years ago.
As the late afternoon sun slowly settled in the West, a cool breeze began to pick up, a reminder that summer is over and fall was truly here.
With that we slowly headed towards home and our final stop for the day. For us, nothing ends the day better than Mexican for supper. We stopped off at Senor Froggy‘s in the North Shore, our favorite family restaurant, with its Mexican style interior that always reminds us of our extended stays in Mexico.
For us it was the perfect end to a perfect fall day in beautiful Kamloops, BC.
This is an article from Charles of The Barefoot Nomad, Charles, his wife Micki, and their two little ones have made a home base in Kamloops, and are loving the city.
