Revelstoke

Our 3-night trip to Revelstoke almost never came to be. Record-breaking temperatures and forest fires plagued BC that summer and we were concerned that the heat wave would prevent us from enjoying the many outdoor activities we had planned. However, a conversation with a family friend convinced us otherwise, as he so wisely quoted: “…you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did…” (Mark Twain).

And so, on July 1st we embarked on the 5-hour journey to Revelstoke. It seemed like a long drive for just a 3-night stay, but the beauty of BC is that there is so much to see en route to one’s travel destination. For us, it was an ideal opportunity to visit Othello Tunnels and BC Wildlife Park.

Begbie Falls

The Airbnb we stayed at in Revelstoke was equipped with a binder full of suggestions for various activities and restaurants to try out. We decided a leisurely trail was what we needed and so we set off to Begbie Falls. Upon arriving at the parking lot we met another couple that suggested that we drive all the way in along a long gravel road to get to the Falls, rather than walking. The road itself was narrow and wound through a densely forested area. The couple’s advice checked out and we soon found ourselves in another parking lot. From here, it was a short downhill walk to the Falls. We set up the tripod and did a few long exposure shots before walking further towards the beautiful, serene river. By then we were getting hungry, so we headed back to the town to look for dinner. 

Downtown Revelstoke

Downtown Revelstoke has that classic Rockies “small-town” charm. It is surrounded by mountains, some of which still carried traces of snow despite the heat wave. There were no franchises to be seen and the facades of each building were colourful and retained a Victorian-esque look.

There are multiple restaurants of varying cuisines, so were spoilt for choice when it came to dinner. Downtown Revelstoke consisted of 2 major streets and didn’t take very long to explore. As it was now evening, almost all the stores were closed – typical of small towns. That didn’t stop us as we peered into windows – admiring how unique everything was. The little cafés interested me most of all, and there was even a retro single-screen cinema. The theatre manager was sweeping outside the ticket booth. We greeted him and he immediately struck up a conversation, commenting on the easing of travel restrictions that weekend and how he could finally reopen his theatre. He told us how during the pandemic he tried, unsuccessfully, to recoup his losses by selling popcorn and snacks from the ticket booth window, as he couldn’t operate the theatre. He was so thankful he could finally operate again, albeit at limited capacity. It was a harsh reminder of the pandemic’s impact on small businesses such as his.

We explored a little more before deciding on The Taco Club for dinner. As it was the most highly-rated restaurant in Revelstoke on Google, it was incredibly busy and many people were waiting outside. Fortunately we didn’t have a long wait and were seated on the patio. There was a St Bernard outside the restaurant, his leash secured to a pole as he waited for his family to have their dinner. A group of children had congregated around him, cuddling and petting him like a teddy bear. He didn’t seem to mind and just lapped up the attention! Once we had polished off our delicious tacos, we walked around a little more before returning to the Airbnb for the night.

Meadows in the Sky Parkway

Today we had planned the highlight of our trip – the Pipe Mountain Coaster! As with any other day, we start ours with coffee, so we headed over to Main Street Cafe to secure our fix. We arrived not long after the cafe had opened for the day, around 8am, so it was pretty quiet. It was a rustic set-up with a small indoor seating area, the walls covered in artwork by local artists. We ordered 2 large lattes, which were excellent and exactly what we needed. As we left we noticed the queue growing outside – the tables on the patio were already full of people! Good thing we had arrived there early.

Although we had bought tickets online, we had +- 3-hour wait for the Coaster. We decided on filling that time by visiting Meadows in the Sky Parkway at the Mount Revelstoke National Park.

The Park offers a unique opportunity to easily reach an elevation of 1835 meters by driving up a paved road that winds 26km uphill, as opposed to hiking. The drive itself is extraordinary, offering impressive views despite the hazy day. It seemed a popular cycling route, as we saw several cyclists taking on the steep trek – no doubt a difficult feat. Once we reached the top of the mountain we were awestruck at the surreal views.

There were multiple trails of varying lengths at the mountain top (including some that reached lakes) but we chose a few short ones as we were pressed for time. We were surprised to see patches of snow along the trail – we definitely weren’t wearing the right footwear for it. I liked how easy it was to see so much in a short space of time. It was still early in the season to see the Meadows in full bloom, so although we didn’t see a lot of flowers we still enjoyed the views and took tons of photographs.

Around noon we headed back down the mountain, eager to return to Revelstoke Mountain Resort so we could go on the Pipe Mountain Coaster.

Pipe Mountain Coaster

Revelstoke Mountain Resort is a popular ski-resort and in the summer attracts mountain bikers from far and wide. We took the gondola up the mountain and waited in line for our turn on the coaster. It was a scorching hot day and thankfully the queue was shaded. Finally it was our turn – we were strapped in and ready to go! We were quickly schooled on how to navigate the coaster – pulling towards us would brake and pushing away eased up on the brakes so we could go faster. Of course, my husband pushed forward as far as possible – not applying brakes at all! Good thing he went ahead of me so I couldn’t slow him down, as I held tightly onto brakes especially around the windy turns through the forest. The coaster twisted and turned, heading through a short tunnel at one point where I couldn’t see anything at all! It was an exhilarating trip and I only wished it was longer.

After our time at the Coaster we were hungry, so we headed to Downtown Revelstoke for lunch at The Village Idiot, a classic diner. We were tired from what was already a busy day, so we returned to the Airbnb for an afternoon nap.

Cedars Boardwalk

After the nap we freshened up and headed over to Cedars Boardwalk to pass the evening. Cedars Boardwalk is a forest of mature, old-growth trees of incredible stature. I’ve never seen such large trees before. Several were uprooted and lying on their sides and their massive gnarly roots were a sight to see.

After the Boardwalk we headed back to Downtown Revelstoke for dinner, this time opting for Paramjit’s Kitchen. After dinner, we walked around town a little more before heading back to the Airbnb for the night.

Revelstoke Railway Museum

Our last day in Revelstoke! We awoke early and returned to Main Street Cafe, this time to enjoy a hearty breakfast. We ordered eggs benedict with potato hash, and large lattes to go with it. The food was amazing and we were happy to have a good breakfast on our last morning in this charming town.

We had one last stop before leaving – the train museum! It was fun to visit the old trains and see what life was like before modern transportation. The CPR line connected Canada’s coasts and in addition to being an extraordinary feat of engineering, it was significant in its role in driving tourism and immigration, and was an integral component of the war. After our visit to the museum, we bid a sad farewell to glorious Revelstoke, and began our long drive home.