Last day before heading home

This is our last day before we have to head home.  I don't want to go but alas, I have a job that beckons me.  I don't get it, I should be retired....oh well, I am sure I will settle right in once we get home.

Bernie took part in the Valley First Granfondo on Sunday the 8th.  We went into Penticton the day before so he could pick up his package and information.  Everybody got a nice wine glass as well.  It was burning hot and we left the dogs in the trailer at "Camp Along" with the air conditioner going full blast.  They were fine and didn't really miss us. 

Before we left the neighbours to the left wanted to get better acquainted so she brought us some cherries from their back yard.  They were good and it was nice to have fresh fruit that we didn't have to pay a fortune for!  She stayed, and stayed and stayed and visited and of course we had to meet their dogs and learn their life stories.......anyway......

Bernie got ready on Saturday evening for his bike ride.  He was up at five a.m. and gone on his way since the ride started at 7 a.m.  It was very hot and I was glad that I hadn't signed up to do this.  After 50 km he was done.  He had signed up for the 92 km but he said his legs were feeling it so he just called it a day.  He got back to the campground by noon and we had a big brunch before he had a shower and a long nap. 

Our cherry tree neighbours left around 11 a.m. amid a lot of bickering and insults.....good grief, I was glad for the peace and quiet!  I sat around and watched others come and try to park their big trailers.....it was interesting.  I was just glad that we would be leaving on Monday and hoping that we would be able to maneuver around everybody and the narrow roads. 

We watched the Riders beat the Eskimos and had steak and hot dogs for supper.  We were sitting around trying to keep cool when I discovered a tick in Sarge's ear.  So out came the tweezers and after much wiggling on his part and with Bernie hanging on to him I managed to pull the tick out.  Other than that we had no other misfortunes.

Monday morning we were up early since we had a long trip ahead of us.  We were out of there by 10:30 and just barely squeaked by two trucks on the way out.  So......if anybody is looking for an RV park to stay near Penticton I wouldn't recommend this one unless you want an adventure.  The roads are very narrow and as a result it is a one way all around the park. There are no pull through sites and if you make a mistake there is nowhere to go since they are all very small.  If you are tenting then this would be the place to go since the sites are very nice.  There are fruit trees all over the place as well. They bake cinnamon buns and croissants every morning and take orders the night before.   The store in the office does not have much so if you need groceries you would have to go to Penticton.  Take quarters because the showers are coin operated:  25 cents for three minutes.  There is a laundromat as well and a swimming pool.  There is wi fi, cable t.v., water, sewer and power.  It is a clean place, just not very big!

We headed south towards the crows nest highway.  We sure enjoyed the drive since we had never been near so many orchards and wineries!  I took some notes of different RV parks along the way and I think we may try Okanagan Falls next time.  We drove and drove and drove all day long.  The mountain passes were interesting.  We stopped at Grand Forks for gas and then stopped at a rest stop a little while later for lunch.  Well, it wasn't exactly a rest stop - it was a weigh station that was no longer in use.  On and on we went and never stopped again until a rest stop near Cranbrook since we both had to go to the bathroom and the dogs needed out as well.  We got gas at a truck stop in Cranbrook and then headed to Fort Steele to Fort Steele Resort and RV Park. 

We arrived about 7:30 p.m. and it took about twenty minutes to set everything up.  The temperatures were just blistering hot and ranged anywhere from 33 to 23 depending on where we were.  This campground is wonderful.  All the sites are pull through, water, sewer and power hook ups and wi fi.  I cranked up the antennae and we can get two channels!  There is a gas station, big store, showers, laundromat and a swimming pool.  It is located down the road from Fort Steele Heritage Town. 

I did no driving but I was still tired.  That was a long day of driving for Bernie but he said he felt pretty good.  The dogs were perfect.  They slept all the way and just got excited when we got here.

Today we left the dogs to the coolness of the trailer and we drove into Cranbrook to WalMart for a few things.  Bernie was also on the hunt for Red Man Tobacco which is his vice.  He finally found some at a Shell Food Store.  It is not as expensive as it is in Alberta.

We have a lovely view of the mountains from our door.  It sure beats looking out and seeing the rear end of somebody's truck or the back end of the bathrooms!  There are a lot of big units here and most of them pulled in today.  They are mostly from Florida and Arizona so it is probably some kind of RVers "Jamboree".....or something. 

Tomorrow we will head towards Fernie and Lethbridge and make our way home.