Monday 17 October 2011

Thanksgiving in Waterton


For Thanksgiving Cherie, Beth, Cam and I headed out to Waterton to meet up with my Aussie buddies (Sally and Karla) that I met on my riding trip!  The first day we hiked almost 14 km to get to Upper Rowe Lake.  The hike was fairly moderate until the last 25 min where it was a steep uphill climb in about half a foot of snow!  It was interesting to see the gradual change in the scenery as we progressed in altitude... It was amazingly beautiful and we really enjoyed the day.






View from top of where we had just hiked from


Upper Rowe Lake

Big Horned Sheep!


For Thanksgiving Monday we did a shorter hike that took us up to Summit Lake.  We were a little worried as this area is known for bear sightings, but we had our bear spray handy and didn't end up seeing any bears (thank goodness!)  Rex and Charger took some time both days to play in the water and enjoy the hike as well!

Cameron Lake

Summit Lake


Crazy dogs!


Not your typical thanksgiving, but a great way to spend two days!

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Okanagan Wine Festival

Last weekend, Cherie and I booked a weekend in Penticton, BC to experience the Okanagan wine festival. We left Friday morning, and the drive (which was about 8.5 hours), was beautiful... Driving through the mountains and then heading into the Okanagan valley.  When we arrived in Penticton we enjoyed a nice bottle of wine with dinner, and headed out for the night.



The next day we travelled to Oliver on a tour of 7 different wineries.  My favourite was "See Ya Later" ranch... The winery logo is a dog with angel wings, and the deceased previous owner of the winery was an eclectic old man who loved his dogs!   Each of the wines is named with a dog theme in mind (eg. Fido).  Every winery was different and unique in it's own way. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and we met up with two lovely ladies that joined us on the tour.
 















In the evening, we attended a 5 course dinner with wine pairings.  The food and wine were delicious, and we enjoyed dinner with a very accentric and eclectic mix of people and ages.  It was a fabulous time!



The next morning we did some sightseeing, and had lunch at a winery just outside of Kelowna.. and then headed home.  The drive home was a little foggy and done somewhat in the dark, but we made it safe and sound.





Overall, an amazing way to spend the weekend! Cherie and I have both agreed that we will be going back sometime!