Vernon-Sicamous Hwy 97

You’ll feel a presence on this road. Maybe it’s the speed tax collector in your rear views. Or the one coming the other way. Perhaps it’s that armada of land yachts directly ahead, with canoes, bicycles and barbecues plastered on them like fridge magnets. And, of course, there’s the endless stream of campgrounds, resorts and cottages. Ah, civilization. It’s the price we sometimes pay for lakeside curves, quality pavement and perfect engineering. Running along the twisty shoreline of Mara Lake, then leaving the water to meander gracefully through the farmland of the Shuswap River Valley, this highway does reward you for putting up with the traffic and STCs. Still, you may want to plan your presence for when things aren’t quite so civilized. Say, four a.m. In January.