Blogs from Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, North America - page 2

Geo: 50.2657, -119.274... read more

Well, just a few days to catch up on. Sorry if I type a little slow, I'm (Dan) back on the Dvorak keyboard; I'll master it yet. Anyhowways, about those couple days to catch up on, the 21st is where we last left off, and it went a little something like this... We stayed with Ashley's family since Dan's had company already. On the 21st though we did go to Vernon to go for a bike ride, the Kettle Valley Trestle trail. It goes over eighteen old train trestles that were finished back in 1914, burnt up in the Kelowna fires of 2003, and rebuilt by a small army of volunteers. The trail was a little over 10km and looked like it declined from where we started but once we were riding the slope was unperceivable. ... read more

Well, it's the night before I go back to Penticton for a quick visit with the fam and my besties. How do I feel? I feel anxious and stressed out. Feelings like I keep forgetting something, or can't remember if I packed it or not? I have been planning this for a month and a half and was practically packed before Christmas. I had been waiting for a few key travel neccesities like; a backpack (Thanks Dee), Thailand Lonely Planet book (Thanks Dee again!), Passport (Took a long time to get!), and of course my Thai Visa that allows me to stay in the country longer than the automatic 30 day entry. I'm actually VERY relieved that at the last minute I decided to email my travel agent and get her advice on the Thai ... read more

It is an enjoyable but reasonably long drive from Lake Louise to Vernon, taking about 5.5 hrs plus breaks. Passing through several national parks, including the Yoko and Glacier NPs, time passes very quickly. Golden was a pleasant spot for lunch, then late afternoon we sought out ice cream. Setting for a manufactured variety at a 7-eleven in Revelstoke, we were then dissappointed to pass by many ice cream shops in the following two hours drive to Vernon! Darren's colleague Max, and her parents Sonia and Al made us very welcome at their home in the Okanagan Valley, where the weather resembled a southern Australian summer more than anywhere else on the trip. The valley is semi-arid and relies on irrigation from the Fraser River (BC's largest) and its lakes. Next day we drove about 6 ... read more

June 11, Thursday We rode two-up into Kelowna today to the Southwest Motorad BMW Dealer to see if he had the mud guard parts I needed. They tapped out the sheared off bolt, and just like Gina's BMW in Iowa City did, they robbed another bike for the parts, and replaced the mud guard. I was called to the garage, and the mech's showed me how with just a bit of bouncing, the rear cross bar from the Micatech bags was striking the mud guard, lacking about 1/4 to 1/2 inch to clear it. This happens even when lightly loaded, and coming off the center stand. This is what is causing the bolt to eventually shear off. After the fix, we visited a few outdoor gear shops, a few fabric stores, and Starbucks, then rode back ... read more