Pebblebeach

Hi, we have the possibility of visiting Kamloops area for a reccie the week before Christmas combined with another trip.

My question is how is Kamloops to visit at this time? Obviously we can't check out property (I wouldn't want anyone tramping around my place right before Christmas) but would hope to explore the area. Anyone know if it will be easy enough to get a good feel for the area at this time of year, any suggestions of good neighbourhoods/places to visit/check out (other than the obvious Sun Peaks )

Don't know whether to save the extra cash for a separate reccie visit in a non winter month or make the most of being halfway there already before Christmas. Any thoughts gratefully received.

R I C H

In all likelihood there'll be snow on the ground. This year snow fell in mid November, and it stayed cold enough to remain pretty much throughout the winter - we did have approx 140% of average snowfall this year though, so well above the norm. There were periods in Jan and Feb that thawed and there was virtually no evidence of snow downtown.

Snowfall here is generally easy to cope with - rarely more than several inches at any one time. Obviously throughout the winter it accumulates, and this year we had as much as 12" deep laying on our property. We don't suffer the blizzards and accumulation that provinces further east receive.

Main roads are generally cleared the same day that snow has fallen, minor/residential roads follow next. You won't have any real difficulty getting around, though I'd recommend winter tyres on your vehicle.

Temperatures can fluctuate greatly - we had one week this winter where the mercury dipped to mid minus 20's which made it feel a bit chilly, but on the whole it's pretty benign with daytime highs of around minus 5, and overnight lows of minus 10. It very rarely rains during winter, so the air is very dry (no damp fog/mist), and often cloudless, bright and sunny.

You'll certainly be able to get a feel for the town - it not at its prettiest when the snow's thawing and slushy (but then, where is?), but a few days spent touring round all the residential neighbourhoods and visiting local attractions would be well spent and enjoyable.

Depending on your budget and how rural or urban you want to be, I'd earmark places like Aberdeen, Sahali, Juniper, Batchelor, Rose Hill, Barnhartvale, Dallas, Duffrin and Valleyview for property. Take a look at mls.ca for current listings.

Danny B and his OH came out for a look round earlier this year and I gave them a guided tour - drop him a PM and no doubt he'll be able to give you his impressions as a first time visitor to Kamloops in the winter. Of course if you like to ski, it's a no-brainer to combine the trip with a break at Sun Peaks too.

printer

I know there are a few members who live in Kamloops so hopefully they can give you some good info.
We were actually there on a recce/holiday just after Christmas and the one thing we didn't expect was the amount of snow they got during our time there. It made getting around quite difficult at times as we didn't have a 4 x 4 and some of the steeper hills and parts of the main highway were treacherous.
Sun Peaks was definitely worth a visit and all in all it was ok but we certainly would have liked to spent more time "off the beaten track" so to speak but didn't due to the road conditions on some rural routes.

Of course there may be no snow at all when you go, just my opinion.

Robski

Seems to me that it would be a v.good idea to make the most of the opportunity, so you have seen the town in as many different situations as posisble.

I remember someone telling me (when buying first house) to make sure i viewed it day and evening, work day and weekend.

I would imagine when deciding on an area the different seasons are equally important.

Pebblebeach

Thanks for those thoughts.

Feeling very excited at the thought of a visit. Looks like a 4x4 explore could be on the cards. I appreciate the suggested areas to check out, as I had no idea where to start. Will definitely fit in a trip to Sun Peaks if we come as being close to the mountains is a big factor in deciding where to live.

Also a well made point about checking out places to live in all conditions/times of the year/times of the day whenever possible helps to avoid nasty surprises. (I know someone who moved about 10 miles and found their perfectly lovely road is a total nightmare at school drop off/ pick up times and any time there is a function on in the school hall)