Vancouver to Kamloops Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

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Soon we'll find ourselves crossing the Port Mann Bridge. This was one of those expensive projects to improve traffic congestion. Opened in 1964, the original bridge was just over two kilometers long and spans the Fraser River.

Duration: 40 minutes

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This was the first area of the Lower Mainland to be settled by Europeans, and the fort was built in 1827 by the Hudson's Bay company. It was a trading post, initially for the fur traders, but then became pivotal for supplying other forts, the newly developing farming community, and then later outfitting thousands of gold Rush hopefuls before chasing their golden fortune dreams.

Abbotsford

As we drive by the Clearwater Road highway exit, you may be able to catch a glimpse of a 47 foot tall raspberry public art sculpture on the south side of the highway.

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There was a time when everything surrounding us was all a lake. This area was reclaimed in the 1920s to create more farmland. In the process, the Chilliwack and Vedder Rivers were redirected away from Sumas Lake to the Sumas River, which drained into the Fraser River.

Duration: 40 minutes

Chilliwack

We're approaching the small city of Chilliwack on the north side of the highway, and the smaller community of Sardis on the other side. During the gold rush days, 30,000 miners passed through here on their way to the gold fields.

Duration: 20 minutes

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The town of Hope is a good choice, as will not see another town for at least one hour and nothing of any size for at least two hours.

Duration: 20 minutes

The Hope Slide

I see you want to take a look at the Hope slide. It's good to try and keep an open mind and remember to stop and see the things along the way as we drive. I see so many people who are in such a rush to drive to their next destination that they forget that the journey to get there is part of the fun.

Duration: 15 minutes

Othello Tunnels

I most definitely recommend a short visit to the tunnels as the best thing to see on the entire highway five route. Unfortunately the tunnels area was severely damaged by severe storms - the infamous Atmospheric River of November 2021.

Duration: 15 minutes

Merritt

Comstock road, mixed together with other forestry roads around here, make up a portion of the course for a stage of the annual Canadian Rally Championships.

Coldwater River Provincial Park

The bottom of this valley holds the Coldwater River, which is named for the Coldwater Indian Band, who called this area home before white European settlers arrived. Their story is similar to so many other First Nations groups in Canada.

Duration: 20 minutes

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The waterway through the town of Merritt is the combination of the Nicola and Coldwater rivers. This river has had a history of causing problems for the town. Now, I know you're thinking that I'm going to tell you about floods.

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We've reached something of an apex here. This is the Surrey Lake summit, at an elevation of 1440 four meters, or 4737ft. This is the highest point on the Coquihalla Highway, and I don't mind saying that if the weather turns nasty, this area can be exposed to quite harsh conditions. But away from winter, it's normally just fine.

Logan Lake

It began as a mining camp and that still its main industry today, being home to North America's largest open pit copper mine.

Kamloops

We only have a few more minutes and we'll begin entering the outer edges of Kamloops, British Columbia. The word Kamloops derives from the local First Nations word, Kamloops.