This was our first stop. We left Vancouver around 8.30am and arrived Revelstoke around 5pm. The drive should take you around 7 hours but we did few stops along the way and also lunch at Kamloops.
We hired a Mitsubishi Outlander 4WD from Vancouver for around $34 a day including insurance. Due to winter and low season we were able to snap this amazing deal through Expedia. This also included winter tires as well. As we started our drive and very soon out of Vancouver you start to enjoy the beautiful Canadian countryside that this amazing country offers. The drive is amazing and you will have to keep your camera ready for great views. Even this late in to winter you still get to see beautiful autumn colors up in the distant hills. There are frequent closures in the winter on the highways, especially in the Revelstoke area, because of avalanche control and accidents but we were fortunate to have clear run other than some rain in Vancouver and then early snow close to Revelstoke area.
To get to Revelstoke you have a few routes to get there. www.drivebc.ca is a good site to look at to see about the conditions on the day of travel and make your choice about which one is better that day. We limited our driving days to no more than 4 or 5 hours. This is due to the reduced hours of daylight and the possible need to let snow and ice melt in the morning. So far it has been great and kids loving it.
The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam and near its confluence with the Illecillewaet River.
Revelstoke was founded in the 1880s when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was built through the area; mining was an important early industry. The construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962 further eased access to the region, and since then tourism has been an important feature of the local economy, with skiing having emerged as the most prominent attraction. Mount Revelstoke National Park is just north of the town. The construction of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, a major new ski resort on Mount MacKenzie, just outside town, has been underway since late 2005, and first opened during the 2007-2008 ski season. Revelstoke is also the site of a railway museum.
Our kids are still too young and don’t have much ski experience but Revelstoke is also the backcountry ski capital of Canada with more heli, snow-cat, and lodge operations than any other destination. It also is home to Canada’s biggest vertical lift service at Revelstoke Mountain Resort and the Avalanche Canada offices. Revelstoke’s geographic location in the centre of BC and hours from a major urban market ensures an uncrowded experience. Revelstoke is the real stoke for the powder skier or boarder.