Kamloops: 345km (214 miles) NE of Vancouver; 218km (135 miles) W of Revelstoke

From its juncture with the Fraser River at Lytton, the Thompson River cuts north, then east through an arid countryside grazed by cattle. Kamloops, a major trade center for this agricultural region, is increasingly a retirement center for refugees from the mists of the Pacific coast. In the South Thompson River valley, the Shuswap Lakes are popular with houseboaters. It's easy to rent a houseboat in Salmon Arm and navigate the 1,000km (620 miles) of waterways, landing at campsites and beaches along the way.

Rising up from the dry terrain of Kamloops, heading north along Highway 5, the road enters the cool forests of the High Country. High above the town of Clearwater is the pristine wilderness of Wells Gray Provincial Park.