Day 20
This morning, Todd and I enjoyed another phenomenal breakfast from Lynn and Tom, papaya filled with mixed berries and a honey yogurt drizzle, warm blueberry scones with whipped strawberry butter, and a crepe stuffed with egg, mushroom, onion, and sundried tomatoes with a cheddar sauce.
We drove south again today to visit some more wineries (I know …shocking .). I dont know if people here truly appreciate the beauty of the landscape ..it honestly makes me catch my breath …we are in awe all the time !
We visited some very interesting wineries. Our first stop was See Ya Later Ranch Winery an interesting story. Colonel Hugh Fraser purchased the property in 1919 and sent for his wife, who was in London England, to join him. Unlike her husband, she did not appreciate the rustic beauty of the country and the isolated location, so she returned to England and left him a 3 word letter on her pillow ”See Ya Later”.
We purchased two bottles of Nelly (Gamay Rosé) and a bottle of Ping (a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc). The wines are named after dogs of the Major and the dogs are buried on the property in the dog cemetery.
Our next winery was Noble Ridge where a very animated host took us through the tastings
..you really had to be there. He made you smile with his gregarious, passionate descriptions of each wine. We purchased a white blend called Mingle, an award-winning 2008 Pinot Noir, and an award-winning 2008 Meritage (a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Next stop Dirty Laundry ..such a fun place. The story – In the 1800s when the CP railroad was being built by over 15,000 Chinese workers, working conditions were horrible and many fled. One man who fled came to the Summerland area and thought it was paradise. He opened a Chinese Laundry, but the labourers living in the area didnt find much use for the laundry. As an expansion to the laundry business, this Chinese launderer built a gambling facility and brothel above his laundry. His laundry business flourished as did the hush, hush business overhead.
The winery shop sells various winery items that play off the brothel theme and various undergarments can be found lying around. The wines are named using the idea of the Dirty Laundry and the labels are quite unique one bottle has quotes from famous people (e.g. Zsa Zsa Gabor “when you ask how many husbands I have been with, do you mean only the ones I was married to”); another bottle has a label that looks like a maze, but when you look at it through a magnifying glass, various sex positions appear). We purchased a couple of the Hush (rosé) with the famous quotes and a bottle of the Bordello – we got a free magnifying glass with the purchase ;-)
Between Lake Okanogan and Lake Skaha, a lazy river flows. What a sight! People of all ages are out on the river on all sorts of floating devices, lazily, restfully, floating down the river. It looks like so much fun a great way to enjoy the warm weather ..
Later in the afternoon a haze, fell over the Okanogan Valley. It turns out it is due to wildfires from Siberia (seriously!!). Apparently, over a month ago wildfires were in Siberia. The smoke got caught in the jet stream and once it hit Canadian shores, it did an inversion and got trapped in the valley.
It is heading east towards Alberta. Thunderstorms are forecasted for tomorrow night, so the haze is expected to dissipate.
Tomorrow last full day in the Okanogan Valley ..more wineries
