March 26th. Abandoned Rail bookend.

It seemed ironically appropriate for the last outing before pulling out of Penticton to be biking up to Abandoned Rail. The bike ride up the Kettle Valley Rail trail to the brewery was our first activity upon arriving in Penticton, and now 6 months later…the brewery is finally ready ( and COVID restrictions have relaxed enough) for them to have their opening.

So…Saturday morning we were up and out on the bikes….

……….it did not seem nearly as hard as the first time back in September.

It was a cool but clear day…..its such a lovely trail with a very gradual incline. In the fall there were only glimpses of the lake through the vineyards and apple orchards that line the route. In March tho, the view is clear across the valley.

There is a trestle bridge across they canyon just before you get to the brewery.

It has a section of love locks…!!! Which is something we have seen in quite a few places.

The brewery is just on the outskirts of Naramata, the premiere wine region of the Okanagan. The site they built on used to be a ‘slushie’ spot, where trail users could get slushies made with local Ambrosia apples……the sign is still there…!!

Abandoned Rail Brewing is in just the right spot to justify a beverage for the road home. (and a great excuse to get the bikes out.)…and also to meet a couple of friends from Kelowna for a last visit before we leave.

Congratulations to Peter and the team for a great looking little brewpub, and a very quaffable selection of beers. My big reward was the newest brew, a porter which had not been canned yet so was only available on tap. Food was available from the Wienery food truck….I did try the roasted marinated carrot……it was so very much better than it sounds…!!!

The porter was delicious….!!!

So we finished up our brews, said our cheerios to Maria and Stephen (of Bear Creek Park fame..!!) …and set off back down the trail.

Sometimes you just have to stop and stare…!!

The KVR is one of many jewels that make up Penticton. It’s a beautiful trail for biking with a steady grade and a superb surface for the bike. It has fantastic views…and the next big bonus now is a fabulous little micro brewery to stop for refreshments along the way…

Our last big outing in Penticton, home to finish up our preparations to pull out on Monday and start the trek east, south……or where the wind blows…..!!!