Driving to Okanagan

So I received this e-mail invitation from the guys who had applied a job from in inner British Columbia. It was stated in the message that first I would need to participate in a physical fitness test and if successful, I would have to sit for an interview. OK. I collected a few items including hiking gear and workout attire, booked a place and then hit the road at about 08:15 hours, I believe it was.

Everything was as boring as always until I finally reached Field and continued. Golden came after that and then Revelstoke and I had been already on this section of TransCanada Highway. There I realized that I had made a mistake not filling up my tank. The price of gas was some 114 Cents per liter! About 15 Cents more expensive than everywhere in Calgary! What bothered me the most is that I realized that was the problem in Golden because in the other towns and cities of inner British Columbia I even got gasoline for 101 Cents a liter! So I don't know. I will just be careful next time I'm going there to make sure I skip Golden for purchasing gasoline!

There I carried on to TransCanada Highway until I reached the Town of Sicamous, probably an Aboriginal name. That was where and before in a small gas bar, where I realized that I had been screwed in Golden because in both places I got gasoline for 101 Cents per liter. This is where I left TransCanada Highway and headed south on BC 97A. The environment and terrain changes from here. You see lakes, small clean towns, orchards and vineyards. These places are all nice and most of them are vacation destinations but the first major one you notice is Vernon. From there where you head south you encounter Kelowna which actually is a very beautiful town. I had heard that many people go there to retire and I also had heard about retired millionaire Hockey players having properties there. I found the answer why they might do that. I didn't stop though and kept going further down south.

Shortly after West Kelowna, I guess it was, I realized a malfunction in the GPS! It looked to me that the had reconstructed that part of the highway and since my GPS has not been updated, it got really confused and keep recalculating! This picture that I took while driving (not recommended!) shows that my vehicle is off the road but at least it is clear that I'm driving parallel to the highway. So there's nothing to worry about. 

From there you see all these small towns. First there's Peachland. Then Summerland, Penticton, Oliver and finally Osoyoos where border crossing is located. I stopped at Penticton and gave my buddy a ring to see whether he's free and wants to get together. He said he's meet me later in my motel. I headed further south, found my motel and checked in. It was some 9 hours drive particularly because I stop for photos, coffee, water and gasoline and I am always within the speed limit. This really is a scenic drive.

(Photo: Shell Gas Station in Golden, British Columbia is showing 114.9 Cents a liter for regular gasoline. It is at least 13 Cents more expensive than any other town in my trip and 15 to 20 Cents more than Calgary and generally Alberta)