We left Kamloops very early in order to get to Salmon Arm, rent a car, and head to the Okanagan Valley. We left the kyper behind so we would have the freedom to easily run in and out of tastings rooms, etc. We headed south on the wine route that took us almost to the US border. Our first stop was in Vernon, where we visited Okaganan Sprits. They make Eau de Vies, grappas, Absinthe and Aquavitus. They had an amazing still and everything is made by hand. Very cool stop. The Okanagan Valley is known as a desert, so we were expecting really dry surroundings. But, we were happy to see mountains and lakes and beaches, not your typical wine country. It felt more like a summer camp beach area with orchards and vineyards mixed in. Then heading south, we stopped at a winery advertising themselves as family-style and organic, can't remember the name. Let's just say it did not start things off well. The wines were undrinkable, extremely expensive (many over $100) and there was a big tasting fee. Hmmm, did we make a mistake? Our friend Hans had recommended Road 13 and Jackson-Triggs and we tried to remember which wines we had tasted in Whistler, and stick to those. So the next stop was See Ya Later Ranch, which was a major relief! Good wines at good prices! Then we headed all the way south to Osoyoos to find a hotel so we could start fresh working our way north back to Salmon Arm the next day. After passing some seriously dumpy motels, we were happy to find a Best Western with a great Indian restaurant and an amusement park next door. Scott and Jake had a blast on the go-carts and lapped everybody a few times. Jake did the bungee jump and went higher than anyone else. He said that he had the best time of any boy in the whole world that night. He loves jumping on the beds in motels too. And Clover loves sleeping on them! On Wednesday, we stopped at Road 13, Inniskillin (known for their ice wines), and Jackson-Triggs, and one other (not as good) I can't remember. It was fun...good wines and great tasting room staff. There is a fruit stand every few feet in this area, so we stopped at a few of those as well. Also, cheese is made in the area. We bought the famous "squeaky cheese curds". Back in Salmon Arm, we went to the "Wednesday's on the Wharf" concert...their version of Templeton's Concert in the park. We are sad to be missing those back home as we look forward to them every summer.
We loved the Road 13 moto...it's all about the dirt.
The still at Okanagan Spirits.
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