Vernon is of special interest to us as Mike’s Mom had lived there for a short time during World War II and liked it so much that she compared every other place she lived with it, and they invariably came short. We don’t have an address, all Mike’s brother Arnold remembers is that he walked up a long steep hill from school, and that the house was on the left with a park nearby. We’ll try!
First stop on the way is Craigellachie, the place where the last spike joined the railway from coast to coast. I need to read the book again. Tour buses stop here for a 15 minute stop (washroom, take pictures of the monument, buy souvenirs) starting at 7 am! and then continue to the next stop. Fortunately we got there just as one bus was leaving and the next had not yet arrived so we could take pictures and not have to rush.
We passed a huge lake, large enough for a fleet of rental houseboats! You can buy an RV lot there for $69,999 (pretty close to 70k to me).
Next stop was the Log Barn - sort of a tourist trap - they have goats to pet and feed, hilarious to watch them walk along an overhead beam to get food. They will actually turn the wheel to bring the can up! They are cheap to keep - the tourists pay for their feed.
Inside is a farm market with everything attractively displayed. Mike found some pickles ($7.95/jar) and we bought a quart basket of black cherries ($10.95) - but they are absolutely delicious so worth every penny.
We then found our park just inside the town of Vernon. Very nice park, right on the water if you have an even smaller unit than we do, otherwise just across the lane. Still a great view from the picnic table.
Off to explore! Vernon is situated in the Okanagan Valley, with mountains all around and lots of big, clear lakes.
We’re in wine country, and the park receptionist told us that the Gray Monk winery was the best, so we went straight there, about a half hour drive. Lots of other choices! Wineries and fruit farms are the mainstay of the economy here. The Gray Monk is in a beautiful location, looks a bit like Italy. We had ‘the tour’, which Mike especially enjoyed, plus a free tasting. There is a restaurant on the premises - we looked at the menu and were glad we had already eaten lunch. $19-24 for lunch.
We stopped at a bakery for some fresh bread, and a fruit market for peaches and then back to Vernon for more exploring.
We found the former Army barracks, now used for Army Cadets, and looked for the older section of town in that area, then for a school. What looks like an old school is now something else. Wish Arn was with us! Anyway we went from the school up a hill and found a possible house.....took pictures but internet is too slow to post them. Sorry Arn.
We're staying at the Silver Star RV park and it is very nice, but we’re not staying - back on the road tomorrow!
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