Rolls Rally 2008: 1 - Winthrop, Washington, USA to Vernon, BC, Canada

Monday, September 15, 2008

After breakfast we cleaned some bugs off the car and drove into Winthrop for photos in front of the old buildings before driving to the thriving metropolis of Molson, population 35, where there is a small, well-preserved ghost town and a three-story brick schoolhouse that attests to the town's former importance. The Molson family of beer fame founded Molson in 1900 to mine gold. When it was discovered the town was on a farmer's homestead land they left what is now the ghost town and moved half a mile north. It was a centre of commerce for the farming area long after the gold ran out.

Local ladies arranged a wonderful lunch for us in the Grange Hall, after which we explored the former schoolhouse, now an excellent museum. It was interesting to note that graduating class photos from the school's last years showed 4, then only 3 students.

The next stop was the Canadian border. It used to be quick and easy to cross, where now huge buildings with 8 entry points exist, however only one lane was open and one employee on duty. A dozen cars waited in an interminably long line, causing our car and others to overheat. Even though the line only moved a car length every four or five minutes, there was a large speed bump 3 cars from the inspection booth!

We drove past Osoyoos to stop at the Desert Centre, where we took a 1¼ km walk in hot sun. There was no visible wildlife. A badger used to live there, but only the hole is left - it either moved to greener pastures or died. The vegetation throughout the walk on a boardwalk was pretty much the same throughout. It is interesting that much of the world is trying to stop desertification, yet here they are fighting to preserve this small patch of tumbleweed, dried grass and antelope bush. It would not be worth going out of your way to visit.

After checking into the Best Western Sunrise Inn in Osoyoos, we drove 21 km to Oliver for dinner with Bob & Elsa Miller, friends from Costa Rica. On the way back we stopped at a local pub where the waitress, bartender & owner, all women, were a laugh a minute. A quick beer turned into three!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Scott & I were about last to leave the hotel this morning. We stopped at a car wash before arriving at the Kettle Valley Railroad, where we boarded a vintage steam train for a 38 km return ride. The trip was 1½ hours, with a stop half way for the engine to change ends. The trainmen were super friendly - it was great. A lunch of BBQ hamburgers & hot dogs accompanied by salads was held on the station platform when we returned.

When David Stocks, one of the organizers, announced the road to Kelowna would be closed from 1 to 2:30 PM, Scott and I headed for the car - we had 20 minutes to make it. Others followed, and all made it through before the closure except David! He had to look after organizational details at the train, and got trapped.

In Kelowna there was a 2.2 mile (3.5 km) hill climb up Knox Mountain, the site of the longest running annual paved hill climb race in North America. This was not a race, just a steep, winding uphill drive. We took advantage of being ahead of the others to meet local resident Jack May for a beer half an hour before his tee off time at the Kelowna Golf Club.

The next stop was Arrowleaf Cellars Winery for tasting and tour - they make some very good wines in this small, family operation. We also pulled into the much larger, more commercial Gray Monk Winery for a tasting, but declined the tour. Unlike the Napa and Sonoma Valleys I visited earlier this year, there was no charge for the four wines we sampled in each winery.

The day ended at the Best Western Vernon Lodge, where we had to carry baggage up 3 floors, as there is no elevator. The rooms here look into an enclosed treed courtyard with a stream running through it, where the bar is located. There was a social hour in the evening, and a dinner where motoring enthusiast, Pop Day, told us stories of early motoring in England. Scott & I stopped for nightcaps at the bar, where the bartender, a girl who had tried out for the Canadian Idol television show 5 times, sang for us.