CANADA (Day 7)
It continued to rain all morning, but we decided to get out and go to Penticton... and the largest car show I've ever seen!
Penticton lies on the southern tip of the 83-mile long Lake Okanagan. Its name comes from a native word meaning 'a place of permanent abode where waters pass by', referring to the year-round flow of the Okanagan River out of the lake.
Every June, show cars line up along the Magic Mile (Lakeshore Drive) during the annual Peach City Beach Cruise.
Rain or shine!
Various emblems
There was also plenty of old farm equipment... including a demonstration of an old power saw.
The Blues Brother's car cruised the streets (right photo).
A push button transmission shifter... and a rumble seat
An old Greyhound bus... and matching transportation
Right next door was the S.S. Sicamous Heritage Park, which was home to several historic vessels.
The S.S. (steam ship) Sicamous
The S.S. Sicamous is a five-decked, steam-driven sternwheeler (a steamer with the paddle in the stern or back) built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to service towns along Okanagan Lake. It operated from 1914 - 1937 and consumed an average of 15 to 17 tons of coal each day, depending upon weather conditions and the number of stops made along the lake.
Today it is a museum as well as an events facility. It is the largest surviving sternwheeler in British Columbia, due primarily to its steel hull. Most other steamboats were built with a more cost effective wooden hull, but they failed to withstand the test of time.
The giant paddle
The S.S. Naramata... and a piece of the S.S. Okanagan
The S.S. Naramata is the only remaining steam tugboat in the interior of British Columbia. Launched in 1914, the coal-fired boat operated until 1967. Due to its steel hull and speed, it was used in ice-breaking service and was capable of pushing two 10-car rail transfer barges. It was moved here in 1991 with the intention of being restored.
All that is left of the historic sternwheeler S.S. Okanagan is this stern saloon. Built in 1907, this luxury passenger and cargo ship was one of three made for the British Columbia CPR Lake & River Service. It was decommissioned in 1934 and dismantled.
A modern tugboat
The park's rose garden
A small dam... and the channel that connects Okanagan Lake with Skaha Lake
Since the weather was remaining uncooperative, we decided to visit a winery. The Thompston Okanagan region is British Columbia's oldest and largest wine-producing area, with over 120 wineries.
Blasted Church was highly entertaining. The story goes: In 1929, a small crew from Okanagan Falls set off to dismantle an old wooden church and bring it back. In order to 'loosen the nails', they placed four sticks of dynamite inside the church. Surprisingly, the plan worked... all except for the steeple. The 120-year-old church now stands in Okanagan Falls.
The store and tasting room... and some grape vines
The view
The drive back home
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