Roots, Blues and
Lake Cruises:

While we are not strangers to day trips to the Shuswap, living only 90 minutes down the road in Kamloops, we admittedly have not spent much time exploring the city of Salmon Arm itself. Outside of a few amazing meals mid-roadtrip, a fall beer festival and some walks along the wharf to bird watch, this trip was our first real introduction to the magic that is Salmon Arm.

So when BC Ale Trail reached out to invite me and my bearded husband Oliver to go on assignment with them and Salmon Arm Tourism on the Southern Interior Ale Trail for 76 hours packed with the best restaurants, breweries, shopping, lake time, hiking local trails and the iconic ROOTSandBLUES Music Festival, we couldn’t say no.

One of the best parts of living in British Columbia is the views you get along the way for even the simplest of road trips. Coming from Kamloops, our short route on the Trans-Canada Highway wound along the shores of both Little Shuswap Lake and Shuswap Lake, offering glimpses of the sparkling waters and deep green hills. A welcome change from the drier, arid hills of Kamloops, the Shuswap deepened and cooled into an almost stoic wall of trees and shrubbery as we drove on.

Our first day started early with an 8AM reservation with Sea-Dog Rentals located right on the wharf in the centre of Salmon Arm. From full-on wake surf boats made for 15 people to zippy Sea-Doos for one, they have an extensive fleet ready for you to get out on the lake. They also provide all the required safety gear you will need with your rental, including life jackets, clear, helpful instructions, and a temporary boater’s license to keep you safe and compliant with local regulations.

Since it was the first time either of us had driven a boat, and we selfishly wanted to get some Shuswap fishing in, we opted for one of their sport boats. It gave us both the speed to reach the best fishing spots (seriously, the lake is huge, so it took some time to get across) and plenty of seating options for fishing. We had a four-hour reservation so we spent half our time cruising along the Salmon Arm of the Shuswap up towards the Anstey Arm past Sicamous and back, and the other half drifting along some shallower shelves of water and dipping our lines. The lake is known for its scale-tipping Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, and Lake Trout but since the weather was a scorching 37 degrees and we didn’t want to use downriggers or troll, we set our sights on smaller Northern Pikeminnow, who tolerate the heat a bit better.

To maintain its status as a top fishing destination in the province, Shuswap Lake is one of the most heavily regulated lakes in BC. So it’s important to know the rules, be aware of restricted areas, and make sure you have the right licence and Conservation Stamp before you head out. Westside Stores is a family-owned outdoor enthusiast store located in Salmon Arm that can answer any questions you have and fill in any gaps in your kit.

While we saw lots of fish jumping around our lines, we didn’t land any fish this trip, but as any true angler will say, “it’s about being out on the lake, not what you bring back”, right?

Something about being out on the water really works up an appetite; thankfully, Cahoots Kitchen Restaurant, located in the heart of Downtown Salmon Arm, had whipped up a feature menu with ROOTSandBLUES inspired dishes to mark the weekend. Chef-owner Spencer Moores has been a longtime Shuswap staple in the food scene and is a huge champion of creating sustainable menus, stacked with locally sourced ingredients, right down to the craft beers on tap.

I opted for the Blue Rodeo Burger, topped with indulgent, creamy blue cheese. I paired it with a glass of Neighbourhood Brewing Amigos Crisp Lager and a big side of fries to soak it all up. Oliver opted for a new twist on his favourite dish from our last visit to Cahoots: Korean Fried Chicken, this time in burger form. The crunch on it was unreal. He went with a classic Lakeside Lager made by Ricochet Brewing, located just up the road from Cahoots and one of our stops on day 2.

The staff at Cahoots were awesome to hang out with, and even gave us some great suggestions for some local walking trails to check out!

With full bellies, we headed over to the ROOTSandBLUES Festival grounds to check into our accommodations for the weekend. Did you know, ROOTSandBLUES offer a glamping option to their camping setup! Not only did we get to show up to a private canvas bell tent, complete with fairy lights and bunting, set up for us in a private back field with the other glampers, but inside there was a cozy bed, side table, and lamp. The bed was complete with a thick foam mattress, linen sheets, a duvet, and pillows, ready to crash into after the festival.

All the campsites were located right beside the festival grounds and were a 4-minute walk to the gates by the main stage. The glamping section had its own outhouses and a hand-washing station, both cleaned twice daily, and there were extensive garbage and recycling stations throughout the campsites and festival grounds. These details made it one of the cleanest festival experiences we’ve ever had. The staff and volunteers’ efforts were clearly evident.

We rounded out our site with our own folding chairs, a cooler, and a couple of lanterns. A few of our neighbours had a full camp kitchen set up, with a stove and a pop-up table included, but with three days of restaurant and brewery stops ahead of us, we were happy to travel light.

Suitcases stashed, we decided to grab a bite to eat before heading over to the festival grounds. A short distance from the campsite, Barley Station Brew Pub has been the go-to spot for a cold beer and a good meal in Salmon Arm for over 18 years. Last year, the former owners, Stu and Kathy, passed the torch to experienced restaurateur father-and-daughter duo, Anne and Campbell Stewart. After talking with longtime Barley Station fans, we all agreed the team, the recipes, and the magic have stayed the same.

We started our meal with what hands down will be known as the best dry ribs we’ve had in years. They were lightly salted, with a crunchy, flaky coating and a moist, buttery inside. They were surprisingly filling and, when paired with a flight of 4 of their in-house-brewed beers, made the ideal pre-festival snack. I kept it simple and went with the Station House Blonde, Talking Dog Wit, Canoe Creek Pilsner and award-winning Sam McGuire’s Pale Ale. The latter was a surprisingly vibrant and refreshing sip that balanced everything.

The manager, Roni R., made the excellent suggestion that we try Chef Valerie’s Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake, and it was the best tip ever. It was so bright and creamy with a buttery crust. We washed it down with their signature Iceberg drink, their Station House Blonde Ale with lime slush. Think a more refined, beer-forward Bulldog and just the right amount of citrus.

Neither Oliver or I had been to ROOTSandBLUES before but we both have pretty broad tastes in music and loved that the whole event is all-ages. We figured we’d find a few acts to love and at the very least, good vibes. What we hadn’t planned for was three to five stages running at once, all while trying to catch them all.

Beyond the stages, the grounds were packed with chill-out zones, a food truck alley, a merchant area, a whimsy zone, multiple alcohol concessions, and refuse stations at every turn. Like the campground, the festival ran like a well-oiled machine. Volunteers and security were present every few feet, with not a single piece of garbage in sight, and a team staffed each refuse station to help people sort their waste. Everyone we crossed paths with were happy and kind.

All three days of the festival were packed with activities and activations, everything from community yoga to a jigging and fiddle workshop at Pluk’w Place. People brought their own chairs, blankets, snacks, and coolers stocked with non-alcoholic drinks, making it easy to settle in for the entire day.

The first night’s headliners were Of Monsters and Men, whose Icelandic Indie-Folk put everyone in the best mood and made for a great end to night one. We returned to ROOTSandBLUES both Saturday and Sunday after spending our days exploring Salmon Arm. More on that later!

First on our to-do list that morning was to grab coffee and something hearty to eat. Westgate Cafe has both a coffee-and-pastry bar and a traditional diner. Located in Westgate Public Market, which we checked out after, they offer everything from apple-cinnamon buns, éclairs, and chai lattes to solid drip coffee and a veggie-packed omelette with crispy, shredded hash browns. Everything we tried delivered on both flavour and freshness, including Oliver’s drip coffee, which is always a sign of a great breakfast spot.

I had one of their sprinkle donuts for dessert (yes, breakfast deserves dessert too!) and it was perfect. No notes. It had both a soft, yeasty base and a not-too-sweet icing topping with colourful sprinkles.

Set up like a food hall within the market, the space has several booths along one arm of the cafe, with additional tables, including a long communal table and a counter with stools along another for you to sit and enjoy your meal.

Westgate Public Market is set up like an indoor market, with different businesses operating merchant stalls rather than in completely separate spaces. Each stall’s exterior is a mix of colourful panels, corrugated metal, and fun accent pieces, making the space feel like an open-air market in Europe. There is even a large water feature and seating at the back with some of the largest koi fish I’ve ever seen, and a large felted bear and stork.

Westgate Public Market is home to a variety of businesses including barbers, real estate agents, a rock gym and Oliver’s new favourite, Windmill Meats & Imports. Locally owned and operated, Windmill has a full deli and meat counter specializing in handmade smoked meats and sausage. They are true artisans of their craft and are extremely knowledgeable about all things meat.

While Oliver picked their brains about their wall of different dried meats, I browsed their extensive selection of imported Dutch treats and pantry staples from Holland, the homeland of founding butcher Douwe. They even have a snoepwinkel (Translation: candy store) style wall of bulk black licorice varieties alone.

If someone knows only one thing about Salmon Arm, it’s usually how remarkable its Downtown Farmers Market is. A hub for many small northern Okanagan communities, the weekly market attracts vendors and customers from across the interior to the downtown core throughout the summer. We met up with our friends Jillian and Manny, who are Shuswap locals, to experience the market together.

Vendors range from those selling fresh seasonal produce, artisan breads and cheese, handmade jewellery, local spirits and wines, to coffee and bubble tea carts and delicious Persian treats. As part of the ROOTSandBLUES Festival, there was also a series of live performances in the plaza next to the market.

The atmosphere at the Salmon Arm Downtown Farmers Market was electric, with locals and festival visitors alike chatting, shopping and mingling. It was a great space to chat with locals and try a bunch of local treats.

Next, we crossed the street to Ricochet Brewing and Taphouse. Ricochet is a relative newcomer to the BC craft beer scene with their first beer canned in July of 2023, but their presence is notable across the city and surrounding areas. Most of the spots we visited that weekend were serving Ricochet’s beers, and Ricochet was even the headline beer vendor at the ROOTSandBLUES Festival this year.

In their taphouse, they have 36 taps featuring an ever-rotating selection of BC craft beers, ciders, wines, and spirits. Guests are welcome to bring their own food, but we opted for their housemade quesadilla and what might be the biggest, flakiest sausage roll from Grillers Meats.

At each table, flight forms made ordering from the 36 taps easy. We decided to do two flights and share to maximize what we could try without needing a nap afterward. Standouts from our flights included the R&B Sour (Raspberry & Blackberry) in honour of ROOTSandBLUES, and the Salted Lime Lager, which is very citrusy and bright without being too juicy.

While this was the first time visiting Ricochet’s taphouse, we’ve been huge fans of Ricochet and their team from the start. In 2023, owners Meaghan and Marc Zaichkowsky launched the Shuswap Brewersfest, a community event celebrating local breweries, wineries, and cideries while raising funds for important causes like the Salmon Arm Rescue Unit. I was honoured to photograph the event last year, and will be back again in September to photograph this year’s shindig.

Ready to take on our next adventure, we made our way over to the community of Canoe for a highly competitive round of mini golf at Salmon Arm Go Karts and Mini Golf. The course has a Wonders of the World theme with plaster monuments and fun interactive traps to putt around.

I am not usually known for my mini golf skills but whether it was our pre-game flights at Ricochet or the cooler air moving through the valley, I played my best golf game to date. The course was just the right amount of challenging without being frustrating, and we moved through the 18 holes in just under an hour. It worked out perfectly, because just as we were pulling away after handing in our clubs, the clouds treated us to one of their dramatic Shuswap storms. 

Originally, we planned to head to Canoe Beach for a bit of fun in the sun, but we pivoted slightly and headed to Northyards Cider.

Originally established in Squamish in 2018, Northyards Cider Co purchased the historic Hanna and Hanna Orchard in 2021 and moved their operation to Salmon Arm. Hanna and Hanna Orchard was founded in 1907, and is home to over 6,500 apple trees and 32 apple varieties, many of them dessert apples, as well as some heirloom cider varieties. Northyards has a small tasting room with a covered patio, plus a gorgeous outdoor space among the orchard trees where you can hang out.

Since it was still raining pretty heavily when we arrived at Northyards, we opted to stick to the tasting room and sit at the bar. Oliver is a huge cider lover and opted for a flight of their 4 most popular ciders. The Dry, Semi-Dry, Grapefruit Hop, and Pineapple Mint. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try their Raspberry Cider slushie after seeing it on Instagram, and it was as good as it looked online.

For dinner on night two, we headed back to the Wharf to the stunning Prestige Harbourfront Resort to visit Nineteen05 Kitchen & Raw Bar. With a patio overlooking a wildlife sanctuary in the marshy wetlands of the Salmon Arm of the Shuswap, this restaurant blends upscale dining with BC-inspired flavours. Known for their made-to-order sushi and seafood, we kept it light, knowing we wanted to dance the night away later at the festival.

Oliver got a well-dressed Caesar salad and a pint of Mount Begbie Brewing Kölsch, and I went with their baked brie wheel smothered in cranberry chutney, roasted garlic and candied pecans. My dish came with a side of toasted bread, making it the perfect meal after a day of adventuring.

Before making our way back to the ROOTSandBLUES Festival grounds, we took a short stroll along the boardwalk in front of the hotel that brings you through the marsh.

For the second night of ROOTSandBLUES, we made an effort to check out the performances on the smaller stages instead of parking at the main stage. Although we hadn’t heard of him before, we were pleasantly surprised, and then obsessed with Amani Burnham, whom we caught on the CBC Blues Stage. Embodying the charisma of past musicians, Amani’s performance was a highlight of the entire festival for us.

The headliner for this night was Blue Rodeo, who are always a fan favourite. Their set had all their classic hits, and they put on a great show as expected. The festival team provided us with VIP passes to the backstage area, which, along with access to an exclusive chill-out zone with priority bar, let us get right up next to the stage to enjoy the show.

We ended the evening with a few Ricochet beers and Blue Rodeo as the soundtrack before heading back to our tent for bed.

We set off towards Downtown Salmon Arm to check out Pink Cherry Cafe.

If you spend any time downtown, it’s hard to miss the cafe among the nostalgic small-town storefronts that surround it. Outside, the chatter and laughter of people sitting at tables out front draw you in and the building is painted stark black, with the giant neon pink cherries of the logo across the front.

Inside, the food and drink options are endless, and the staff is bright and cheerful. We arrived right when they opened and it was already bustling with excitement, coffee machines, and conversations. It was clear why this spot is a morning hub for locals and travellers alike.

Baked treats fill the front cases beside a gelato cooler, and panel after panel of different teas and coffee drinks line the walls. They have a dedicated breakfast menu with wraps and bagels, plus menus for grilled paninis, salads, and sandwich wraps. I went for a warmed sausage roll and strawberry (maybe cheesecake) frappuccino, for balance. Oliver kept it easy with their medium-roast drip coffee but went all out with their breakfast wrap. This thing was stacked. Cheese, egg, bacon, green onion and tomato barley are barely contained between 2 grilled tortillas.

We lingered for a bit at Pink Cherry catching up on our phones, and enjoying the atmosphere.

Now fully caffeinated and satiated, our next stop was to take advantage of the amazing weather at Canoe Beach.

Canoe Beach is a huge stretch of sandy beach with breathtaking views across Salmon Arm Bay to Bastion Mountain, making this a popular summer destination for swimming, picnics, and walking along the paved beach path. To enter the beach, we walked from the parking lot through a large orange tunnel under the rail line, making it easy to access the beach.

There is a dedicated dog beach at the east end of the park that is very popular, and along the beachside there are plenty of spots to sit with grass and trees for shade. The water is so refreshing and clear, and there is a huge cordoned-off area just for swimming to keep marine vehicles separated. About 50 meters out on either end of the beach, there are floating platforms for jumping and diving off of. The beach also has flush toilets and a changing room, and an outdoor shower to clean off after your day in the lake.

As a natural ginger, I was very grateful for the amount of shade the beach has. We set up our blanket on the grass just above a short concrete breakwater that protects the east side of the beach and cooled off in the lake.

After a few rounds in the lake, we wandered over to Canoe Beach Cafe & Water Sports to have a patio beer and a snack. Conveniently located right on the paved path by the entrance, Canoe Beach Cafe is family-owned and operated by Joyce and Jimmy Dunlop. In addition to the cafe, they are very involved in the Salmon Arm community through their Canoe Cares Projects, which support and reward random acts of kindness, and, as of this year, have acquired a growing facility and are building a greenhouse to grow local fruits and veg to use at the cafe and to feed the community.

On the food side, we had the choice of all the boardwalk classics you can think of. Different poutines, donairs, fully-dressed hot dogs, as well as sweet treats like ice cream cones, screamers, sodas and iced coffees. Canoe Beach Cafe also specializes in their own version of burgers, called Zombie Burgers, ranging from a two-hands-needed Zombie Apocalypse burger to the Alaskan Fish burger. They even have a vegetarian black bean burger option. The most surprising item on their menu has to be their Lobster Roll. Chilled knuckle and claw meat, dill mayo and a butter-grilled split-top bun. It was an absolute shame we weren’t hungrier that day.

As a licensed patio, they have custom Caesar cocktails with a hot sauce heat station, ‘spirited’ adult bevies like their BOOTS n BOOZE and Greasy Pirate Shot, and of course, BC craft beer, cider and local wine. Mount Begbie High Country Kölsch and a classic vanilla ice cream cone was exactly what I needed post-swim. My husband, however, could not resist their Japanese-style hot dog with Kewpie mayo and teriyaki.

Another reason we came to Canoe Beach Cafe & Water Sports was to rent their water sports equipment. It’s been a longtime dream of mine to try out paddleboarding, and this was my chance. After a quick safety debrief and strapping myself into the life jacket, I brought my board to the water and did my best rendition of ‘penguins on ice’. I never got up past my kneeling, but I was able to paddle while seated with enough grace to feel cool.

Our next stop was RJ Haney Heritage Village & Museum, a 40-acre farm with 24 historic pioneer buildings and more than 30 exhibits on the region’s agricultural and natural history. Even when we were dating, Oliver and I made a point to visit heritage villages and museums across BC, and it’s something we still love doing over 10 years later. So much so that one of our first dates was at O’Keefe Ranch in Spallumcheen!

Following the site map, we worked our way up and back down the village’s main street. Highlights for us included Miss Bertha Puff’s dress shop, which came to Salmon Arm in 1907, and Albert Bedford’s drug store circa 1909, complete with a re-creation of his (then revolutionary) soda fountain. The Children’s Museum in the basement of the one-room Broadview School, built in 1917, offers hands-on activities, including a very cool bug microscope that makes it way too fun to look at hairy bug legs.

Sprig of Heather restaurant, located within RJ Haney Heritage Village, is the perfect spot to sit and cool off after exploring the grounds. A Victorian-style garden surrounds their large covered patio, and while this building isn’t a heritage building, it is styled like a grand hall or old train station inside. The menu features nostalgic bites, homemade goodies, and heartier meals that use fruits and veggies grown on the grounds wherever possible.

Oliver went for their Haney Egg Salad Sandwich, which he noted tasted exactly like the ones his mother made him as a kid, and I got several of their peanut butter cookies on the side of a Ricochet Lager. A weird combination in concept, it worked really well. The beer brought out the savouriness in the peanuts, and the cookie added just the right amount of sweetness.

Our last night of ROOTSandBLUES meant indulging in a few of the vendors in Food Truck Alley on the festival grounds. The top of our list was Yukon Smash, who have recently opened a permanent spot in town but also bring their OG trailer to events around the Shuswap. We’ve had them before on past trips through Salmon Arm, and no one does a burger like them.

They keep their menu simple with exactly one burger. The Classic Smash. Your add-on options are ONLY: pickles, extra patties, extra cheese. For sides, you can pick either a small or large order of onion rings, and if you absolutely don’t want a burger, they have an all-beef hot dog. And do they ever do those three things so well.

Our smash burger was crispy, juicy, and just the right amount of charred. They slathered it in their Smash Sauce, which added a bit of tang, balanced by the fried onions, which added a bit of sweetness.

The last show of our first ROOTSandBLUES experience was The Sheepdogs, and it was the perfect note to end on. Formed in Saskatoon in 2004, the band has spent the past two decades building a reputation as one of the best live acts in the country, and it took only a song or two to see why. Their retro, blues-driven rock filled the whole field, and by the third song, everyone around us was on their feet.

We were back in the VIP section for our last night, tucked off to the side of the stage, and it was more crowded than the previous two nights, with plenty of people singing along beside us. Watching the sky go dark behind the stage while the Sheepdogs worked through their bigger hits felt like exactly the right way to close out our first festival weekend.

Three days in, ROOTSandBLUES has already added a handful of new bands to our playlists, and it’s landed a permanent spot on our summer must-do list. But now, it’s time for bed.

Day four’s caffeine fix brought us back to the Prestige Harbourfront Resort to their Underpass Café, an adorable cafe located beside their front entrance. Named after the railway underpass you pass through to get to the hotel, the cafe has a quiet elegance. We kept it very simple that morning with two coffees, some croissants and a juice.

As it was our last day in Salmon Arm we hung out at the cafe, people-watching for a bit, enjoying the sun streaming through their front window, and listening to hotel guests chat.

We parked at Marine Peace Park and started with a slow walk along the Wharf, the lake spread out flat and silver in front of us, mountains stacked up along the far shore. It was easily one of the best views in town, and we took our time before heading east along Harbour Front Dr and the SABNES East Walkway toward the trailhead for the Foreshore/Raven Trail.

The Raven Trail traces about 4 km of Shuswap shoreline and is part of the BC Bird Trail, an easy, flat walk that works for pretty much any fitness level. The far end, the “Raven” end, furthest from town, narrows and gets a bit rockier. We walked all the way out to the new viewing platform and saw a beaver lodge, but sadly no residents. We spotted a heron standing dead still in the water, a handful of ducks, and something small and fast that neither of us could identify before it disappeared into the grass.

The trail runs straight through a bird sanctuary, and dogs are only allowed outside of nesting season, which probably explains why it felt so calm. Deer, squirrels, and plenty more birds turn up here regularly, and it’s the kind of trail that’s worth the walk no matter the season.

Our last stop before heading home wasn’t a brewery or a bakery; it was a hike, which felt like exactly the kind of ending our legs needed after four straight days of good food, craft beer, and dancing well past our bedtimes.

Getting there took some commitment. Two-wheel drive can technically get you there, but between the ruts and the grade, we were glad to have four.

The hike itself was short, but after four days of festival food and zero cardio, it was enough to make us both feel it. It didn’t take long for the trees to open up onto a view that made the drive worth it. Salmon Arm and Shuswap Lake spread out below, the Salmon River Valley running off to the north, and the bare, scarred slopes of Kle7scén (Mt Ida), still showing the outline of the 1998 wildfire more than 25 years later.

Near the viewpoint, we found the Necelcla?nk Secwépemc Landmark sculpture, which marks the Secwepemctsín place name for the hillside, Necalcla?nk in the Chase eastern dialect, or Nclcahl in the Splatsin dialect, both meaning “steep hillside,” which, five minutes into the climb, felt like an understatement.

Back in our truck, we made our way slowly down the hill and turned onto the Trans-Canada Highway to head back to Kamloops, with a list of more places we want to check out next time we visit Salmon Arm already started in our Notes app.