March 2, 2007 | Tips from Travellers > Cache Creek, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Last September, my family and I stopped at the Historic Hat Creek Ranch after a trip to 100 Mile House. We took a stagecoach ride on the Cariboo Waggon Road, which is the original road from the Cariboo gold rush. After speaking with our horse wrangler, we discovered he is a blood relation to Don McLean, who was the Hudson Bay Company Chief Trader for the area and the original founder of the Hat Creek Roadhouse.
It was fascinating to not only tour the heritage site, but to feel that a part of the history is still alive.
November 10, 2006 | Tips from Us > Cache Creek, Historic & Heritage Sites
Find more information about Cache Creek, Historic & Heritage Sites
It was one of those crisp fall days when my family and I pulled into the
Historic Hat Creek Ranch in the Fraser Canyon, just north of
Cache Creek. The ranch is on one of the few remaining sections of the original Cariboo Waggon Road – the same road that miners, pack-train operators, stagecoaches, and wagon trains took to head north for the gold rush in the late 1800’s.
Here are the highlights we encountered: stepping down into the kekuli pit house at the Shuswap National Interpretive Centre and imagining 25-30 Stuctwesemc people living in it; riding atop an original stagecoach along the famous dusty road; spying on chickens in the sunflower garden; crossing a footbridge over Hat Creek; walking though the original Hat Creek House, complete with original wallpaper, antiques and well, everything; watching clouds pass over the sod-roofed chicken coop; and of course, finishing the visit off with ice cream cones from the Roadhouse Restaurant.
The kekuli can be rented out for overnight camping trips, which would be a great way to spend a night next summer. I’ll add it to my growing list.