Falls into spring: day three

Sunday, April 30

Our plan for the third day of our road trip was to hang around Penticton and area. We brought our bicycles with us in order to ride a portion of the Kettle Valley Railway. The beauty of a bike trail on a rail bed is that there is very little slope (except where the trail deviates from the original route). We drove to the access point on Vancouver Place in Penticton and rode north. There were two main things we wanted to see on the ride the first of which was the McCulloch Trestle, named for the Kettle Valley Railway's chief engineer, Andrew McCulloch. 

Sharon at the McCulloch trestle looking north over Okanagan Lake

From the trestle we continued riding to the Poplar Grove Road parking area where we stopped for a bit of refreshment. It was here that we changed plans a bit. Initially we were going to ride all the way to the "Little Tunnel" above Naramata and then back to Penticton, however we decided that that was a little too ambitious for a first ride of the season. I rode back to the car and drove back to pick up Sharon then on to another access point at the Smethurst Road parking lot which cut out a big chunk of the ride. From there we made our way up the shallow grade 5km to the "Little Tunnel". After a time enjoying the views and having a bit of lunch we turned around and basically coasted back to the parking lot. 

Looking up the trail

One of several viewpoints along the way.

Sharon at the Little Tunnel

 

Looking south over Okanagan Lake from the Little Tunnel

Loading up the bikes after our ride. Yes they both fit inside!

We drove down into Naramata where Sharon's family had come for summer vacations when she was a child. Tried to find some familiar landmarks but didn't have much luck.

Down Smethurst Road into Naramata.

From Naramata we drove back through Penticton, through Penticton along the beachfront, back onto Highway 97 and north to West Kelowna, our next overnight stop.

Along the Penticton beachfront

Northbound on BC Highway 97

Two more days to go on this trip! It's been a very relaxing time and the weather has cooperated. Would love to here your thoughts and comments...  please leave them in the box below!