A person on the Chinese language Forum Westca www.westca.com asked about what to do around Salmon Arm and I gave the following answer which I though might be of wider interest.
There are lots of places worth visiting. You may drive the Coquihalla highway up and return by the Fraser Canyon just to change the view.
As you cross the Coast Mountain range on the Coquihalla you will see the scenery change, from the big trees of the coastal rain forest you cross into the interior Spruce Pine Fir forests. As you descend from the mountains on to the Interior plateau you will find yourself in semi-desertic cowboy country with Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Fir trees and ranches with tumble weed. The first town you get to in the Interior is Merrit. There are ranches in the area. I would press on, either in the direction of Kelowna or Kamloops. Along the way there are lakes and camp grounds. You should make sure you have a guidebook with you. My suggestion is to go to Kelowna and then work your way North via Vernon, Enderby and then on to Salmon Arm.
There is a lodge near Salmon Arm owned and run by natives, the name escapes me. But if you get the BC Accommodation Guide you will find it. You can rent a small houseboat and just take it easy on Shuswap Lake. You can play golf. Tour around on the smaller roads just to get a feel for the area. It all depends on what you like to do. Then you could continue towards Kamloops and return to Vancouver via the Fraser Canyon.
An alternative would be to return to Vancouver via Cache Creek, Lilloet and Whistler, a spectacular route. All of these routes provide,. to the observant tourist, a panorama of constantly changing topography and vegetation. Plan to stop often by a stream or lake or mountain side just to enjoy the environment.
