Reminiscing: Road Trip to Lillooet

Long weekends are perfect to get out of city life and immerse yourself in nature. Last year on Victoria Day weekend, we went on a quick road trip to Lillooet, a small town located up the Fraser River. During the Fraser River Gold Rush around 1858, Lillooet was one of the largest towns in North America as thousands of people flooded in looking to get rich.

 

 

There are two ways to get to Lillooet from Vancouver – either via Whistler or along the Fraser Valley via Hope. Both routes are spectacular and there are lots of great places to stop and look around. We drove to Lillooet via Whistler taking the Sea to Sky highway (also known as Highway 99) through Pemberton and onto Duffy Lake Road. It winds through the mountains and delivers stunning views around every turn with plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife and stop by for pictures. After Pemberton, it becomes a two-lane road with very limited places to pull over. Also, there aren’t many places to stop for services like gas or food, so if you are taking this way make sure to fill up before you leave Whistler.

 

 

This was also Truffles’ last vacation with us. We lost him in October 2022. We miss him every day.  The house is  very quiet and empty and I hate it. Friends have been telling us to get another dog but I’m not ready for it yet. Not at this point.

 

 

Our daughter had booked an Airbnb suite on top of a hill overlooking the town. The craggy path to get there was quite steep and winding, thrilling enough for my husband to drive and my heart was in my throat the whole time I sat in the passenger seat. Parking on a hill was tough too (if it had been me doing it).

Our Airbnb owner was from North Vancouver. He moved and bought this property just about a year ago. We loved having the entire lower floor to ourselves. It was clean, spacious, and homely. We made ourselves comfortable, had tea, and watched some TV. Then we walked around the little neighborhood. There were not many houses. Our Airbnb was at the perfect spot from where the view of Lillooet looked amazing.

 

 

 

For dinner that day I BBQed marinated chicken kebabs and roasted broccoli for the side. You see, I’m a devoted home cook. I love cooking and I travel with my essential grocery items and portable food cooler 🙂  After dinner, we played cards. It was close to 11 pm before we turned in for the night.

Lillooet is home to idyllic escapes, rich cultural history, and plenty of hiking trails to please everyone. My daughter and husband had plans to do the red rock trail which was just a few steps away from the place we were staying but I was in no mood to spend half a day hiking up and back down. We were in Lillooet only for the weekend and I just wanted to explore a couple of sights and enjoy nature.

 

 

When we drove down the next day, I asked my daughter to sit in the front so that I don’t feel anxious and can look outside without any fear.

 

 

Seton lookout

We started our day by driving straight to The Seton Lake lookout. It is an epic spot to take photos of the U-shaped Duffy Road with the lake and mountains in the background. It is accessed by a short hike. There’s a quick pullout right on the highway on your right when coming from Lillooet. To get to the trailhead, cross the road as the path starts directly across from the parking area. The trail to the viewpoint is relatively flat for the first few minutes but gets a little steep with loose dirt as you gain elevation. After you arrive, you’ll be greeted by an awesome viewpoint. One needs to be careful not to get too close to the edge as the dry rocks can be loose. We took in the view, enjoyed the breeze, took pictures in all directions, and then came down.

 

 

We wanted to do the Kaoham shuttle experience. Its run is over an hour along the edge of beautiful Seton Lake next to impressive rocky cliffs. When I checked the train schedule for Saturday, I was a bit disappointed to find they don’t do a second run in the afternoon back to Lillooet. Staying overnight at Seton Portage and returning the next morning seemed hectic to us on this short trip. So we have to drop the idea.

 

 

 

Seton Lake

Not too far from the lookout parking lot is a spectacular freshwater fjord nestled between tree-covered Chilcotin mountains. It is perfect for chilling, kayaking, paddle boarding, or swimming or spending a great day at the lake with your dog. The main beach is not open to pets. There were picnic tables and a small snack bar which was closed that day. We spent some time by the lake before heading to Lillooet’s award-winning Fort Berens Estate Winery and had a lovely lunch on their pergola-covered patio overlooking the vineyard.

 

 

Old Suspension Bridge

After leaving the Winery we stopped by the old suspension bridge. This bridge was built in 1913 and is no longer in use. We took some pictures. The sun was bright and shining for most of the time we were there. And then we headed downtown. Every downtown core has its unique charm – Lillooet is no exception even though it is a small town.

 

 

Lillooet Museum & Visitor Center

Lillooet Museum is on Main Street next to Downtown Park and across the street from the “Mile ‘0’” cairn, which marks the beginning of the famous Cariboo Trail. It is housed in a former Anglican Church, volunteer run & supported by donations. The museum is small but contains an impressive collection of artifacts that date back to Lillooet’s heydays during the Caribou Gold Rush and an extensive exhibit showcasing local legend Ma Murray, the local newspaper editor whose editorials often received national and even international attention. I found some of the items on display very interesting. Photography was allowed in the museum, so I took so many photos of the exhibits.

 

 

Lillooet Jade Walk

There are thirty massive boulders of jade lined all over the Lillooet town. It is a tribute to B.C.’s Official Gemstone and Lillooet’s jade mining history. Jade was first discovered and exploited in Lillooet five to six thousand years ago when it was used by native people to make tools and trade goods. The stones have been cut, polished, and mounted to reflect the different qualities each face displays. Jade is harder than steel and cool to touch.

 

 

Miyazaki House

Miyazaki is a heritage home, turned tourism and community gathering place. Entry is free but you can donate if you like to. It was once Dr. Miyazaki’s office until he donated it to the community of Lillooet in 1983.  It was great to learn about Dr. Miyazaki and his contributions to the community as a dedicated Japanese immigrant doctor and community leader.

 

 

 

We walked towards this lovely little bakery where I saw a lineup of customers. It was a small place, but their selection of baked goods looked amazing! I ordered a coffee and a gluten-friendly brownie.  It turned out to be the perfect ending to a wonderful day in this incredible town.

 

 

The next morning, we left Lillooet, heading south down the Fraser Canyon via Highway 12 and then Highway 1 to Vancouver.  We plan to return to Lillooet for hiking and to do the Kaoham Shuttle ride. I hope you enjoyed my post. Thanks as always for your visit and nice comments. Have a great day and week ahead!