eh Merritt BC Road Trip

3 Things Which Left a Lasting Impression on this 2017 Road Trip

ehCanadaTravel.com Travel Influencer Visits Merritt BC in the Nicola Valley

Recently I had the privilege of visiting the community of Merritt, British Columbia, Canada in the Nicola Valley. This would be my 3rd visit. The first visit was incognito so I could gather research information, photos and videos. The second visit was so I could hike some trails, camp and paddle some lakes as it is important to experience an area so to document it and share it with travelers. On this trip I planned to gather footage for a video, visit with various businesses in Merritt, BC and introduce ourselves and share the benefits of our travel marketing system. 

During every visit to a community I try to experience the community with blinders off. I try to take it all in as if I was a traveler seeing it for the first time. Many times what I make note of depends on the businesses I visit who welcome me, and what the community is doing to capitalize on the geography they have to work with. 

On this visit to Merritt, BC here are the 3 things which left a positive lasting impression with me. 

200+Lakes

Everywhere I went in the Nicola Valley I saw lakes. Some were easy access lakes like Nicola Lake and some not so easy because they were tucked away in the backcountry wilderness regions of the area accessed by gravel roads. All were spectacular and beautiful. What did amaze me was the lack of boats and people on the lakes fishing. You would think fisherman would embrace an area with 200+ lakes to fish from? But…  if the fisherman do not know they will not come. So here I am calling out to all the fisherman around the world, “Merritt is a fishing haven with 200+ lakes! Pick a lake, any lake, and stay for awhile.” PS… post a photo on our website of that monster trout you caught!

Gwen Lake near Merritt BC

Nicola Lake near Merritt BC

Car Racing

OMG! I had so much fun at the Merritt Speedway. If you like fast cars, crashes, hooting and hollering, grandstands, sunshine, hot dogs and burgers this is a great place for the family. The race track is just out of town, and so easy to find. When in Merritt look them up and treat your family to a day of racing. The admission fee will not break the bank and you get 4-5 hours of racing thrills and spills. 

Racing at the Merritt Speedway

The Race Is On

Country Music

Merritt, BC is the “Country Music Capital of Canada”. There are so many beautifully crafted murals, and then there is the “Walk of Stars” plaques located around town, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and a very popular country music festival held every year called the “Rockin’ River Music Festival“.  On every visit to Merritt I seem to walk down an alley, visit a store, or go out to eat and I find a new mural, plaque, photo I did not notice before. I even did some laundry and low-and-behold there were hundreds of autographed photos of country music stars on the wall. I stayed at the Merritt Desert Inn and there are posters in the lobby and a pub which is all about country music. If you love country music Merritt is a must-see stop for immersing yourself in the country western world. 

Elvis Mural on the Merritt Desert Inn

Walk of Stars Plaque and Mural

My Host Accommodation in Merritt, BC: Merritt Desert Inn

In my tourism world the HOST is what makes or breaks a vacation, adventure or road trip – not the price of the room. A $500 room with a terrible host and poor staff wrecks a vacation no matter where you go. A good Host will put your vacation on a pedestal. A Host with a poor attitude, an ego, or just outright rude – no matter the accommodation – can destroy a vacation within minutes. The staff and Melvina (manager) at the Merritt Desert Inn exceeded my expectations. They were the highlight of my road trip in so many ways. They were friendly, accommodating and always available to assist, talk and smile. Plus, it is always a bonus when an accommodation is reasonably priced, has a restaurant, a pub and a beer and wine store on site. Thank you Merritt Desert Inn for making my stay a memorable one. 

ehCanadaTravel at the Merritt Desert Inn

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