Penticton, BC - Wenesday, June 22

A great night’s sleep got this day off to a good start. We hated to leave the orchard campsite but we wanted to do some more stops on the wine tour route through the Okanagan Valley so we headed out for West Kelowna.

The first winery was not too special but Karen still came away with a couple bottles for the collection. She is becoming quite a connoisseur of good wines. The next stop was high on her list of must see wineries suggested by many people in the area. The Mission Hill Family Estate Winery was spectacular for both architecture and stunning views. The place is a concert venue for some big name singers and rates as one of the best restaurants in the world. With more wine and a couple gifts in hand, we headed out to find the RV park where we planned on staying. That one became just a drive by encounter. Neither one of us liked the looks or feel of the place. After forty plus campgrounds on this trip we have become a bit picky of where we stay.

We decided to just drive for a while and see what we could find. When we arrived in Penticton, a sign as we entered pointed us to two RV parks near the lake. We drove in to the Park Royal RV Park and chose this as our home for the night. It was in lush trees and bushes, making it a comfortable place to stay. To the delight of Charlie, it was only a block from the channel that flows between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake. After quickly hooking things up, Charlie and I set off for some play time in the water (for Charlie). With a float-able Frisbee he was a handful to walk on a leash. I turned him loose at the water edge and he made a fast run to jump into it. Too much time on the leash for his liking. We took another long walk in the evening along the shore and really enjoyed the lake and beach area here. We will need to make plans to return here for a longer stay. Be warned. This place is crazy after school is out in July and August. The beach is full and places to stay are hard to come by. We all had a good night’s sleep again as we made plans to return home and dreams to come back – time frame to be determined after November election results. ;)

View from Mission Hill Family Estate Winery

Penticton, BC