Day 6 – June 23rd Princeton to Penticton

 

Today might have been the best ride so far.  As we left our motel in Princeton, there were two deer across the road.  No other big game but a good start before we hit the highway.  The ride began with a 60+ km descent along the Similkameen River from Princeton to Keremeos.  It was a lovely route with a constant descent of 1% and I think we averaged about 27 kph for this section.  We stopped a few times to see the river and the surrounding hills.  The picture of the river was not the nicest view we had but one that gave an unobstructed view.

 In Keremeos, we had a Subway lunch and picked up some fresh picked raspberries to be enjoyed over the next 25 km.  Just outside of Keremeos, the ascent began but at an average of 2%, it was neither taxing or uninspiring.  Part way up the climb, we stopped to pick Saskatoons off a tree.  RJD was not so excited to try a fruit he had never eaten before but I can tell you they were excellent, still warm and at peak sweetness.  The trees will be at their peak in a week but I could find enough to eat.  We still had a long climb so I did not want a belly full of berries.  As we stopped, a cyclist passed us and we joked whether we would see her again given she looked to be riding a triathlon bike.  But we did, when she finished her ride at the turnoff to Apex ski hill.  The climb was lovely with flowering trees in the ditches.  The second picture displays this.

 At the top of the summit, we stopped for a picture by Twin Lakes and then rode on to a store that sold Dutchman Dairy ice cream where RJD had a mint chocolate double scoop cone while John finished his raspberries.  If there was a picture at this stop, RJD would have had a big smile but he was enjoying himself too much to pull out his camera.  And do you see how I am starting to get that old man stubble.

The descent into Penticton was beautiful.  At one point around the Gray Monk vineyards, there were a row of cherry trees close enough to the shoulder to pick.  I wanted to stop but RJD was close behind and I feared a crash if I jammed on my brakes to steal some cherries.  If would be a photo to recreate a similar photo from France where I picked a pound of cherries from a huge tree where the fruit was plentiful if you were taller than a tall Frenchman.  We rolled into Penticton past kms of vineyards.

On the down side and so we do not create the sense that all is good in retirement, it was the second hotel/motel of our trip where the pool was out of order.  

P.S.  Cherries are 3.99$/lb in the Okanagan.  It pains me to spend that much when they are free in the ditch but I am going to have to swallow my frugality and buy some tomorrow.