You may have noticed we are a little behind in our blog posts. Since entering into Canada, our internet access has been spotty. The last two stops were "lands of little internet." Now that we are camped in Prince George, BC, we have 4G cell coverage and high speed internet provided by our campground, so it's time to catch up.
Let us go back in time to Sunday, May 5, 2019, when we arrived at the Swan Lake Campground in Vernon, BC. Shortly after arriving, Leslie Manion and Dave Lopushinsky joined us for happy hour. We first met Dave and Leslie in 2015 at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Our paths have crossed a number of times since then, and it is always fun to catch up with them. We've always known how much Leslie likes gin, but we didn't realize how much we liked it until we started trying different local spirits. We "smuggled" (with full disclosure and the express approval of a friendly but professional Canadian border patrol officer) a few across the border for Leslie to try.
After Happy Hour, we went into Vernon for dinner. Leslie graciously offered her seat in the convertible Mini Cooper so Kathy could enjoyed the BC countryside in style.
After a scrumptious dinner at Marten Brewpub, we wished Dave and Leslie safe travels and agreed to meet up with them in Penticton the next morning.
Our next day started on the shores of Okanagan Lake.
Dave and Leslie had a full day planned for us, so we had to fuel up at the Barking Parrot Bar before beginning our adventures. The lake views were amazing and the food was good, too!
After lunch, we piled into Dave's and Leslie's new Jeep and drove up to the trailhead for the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. Of course, we couldn't start our walk without a trailhead selfie!
The Kettle Valley Rail (KVR) Trail is one of the longest rail trail networks in British Columbia extending from Hope to Castlegar. Once a comprehensive railroad system, the decommissioned tracks are now home to an extensive recreational trail providing almost 400 miles of connected pathways throughout the region.
We actually biked the Myra Canyon portion of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail back in 2017 with Tony and DeeDee Sparks. If you are curious about all the trestles along that stretch, you can click the link to our Myra Canyon blog. In the meantime, just sit back and enjoy the view.
After a short hike, we reach the Little Lunnel above Penticton. Here's our classic tunnel portrait.
Now for something silly!
The far side of the Little Tunnel allowed us to look down the lake back toward Penticton. Having reached our turnaround, we began our trek back to town.
Of course, we had to make a couple stops along the way. First was Legend Craft Distillery to sample their unique gin. Then we drove over to Cannery Brewing.
We ended our day with a terrific BBQ dinner at Dave and Leslie's house. We were sad that our visit had to end. It may be several months before we see them again, but we know our paths with cross soon.
Until then, stay thirsty my friends.
You guys are the BEST! Always fun being with you - hope we see you sooner than later. Happy trails until we meet again!
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