So the blogging timeline has gotten a little random. My travels have taken from the Californian Coast, the Oregon Coast, Hillsboro, Vancouver (and the soccer) and now the Okonagan District of British Columbia near the US border.
Yesterday was a pretty brutal day in the saddle. I was supposed to drive 400km from Vancouver to the lake town of Osoyoos. I passed through a town called Hope, whose claim to fame is that Rambo was filmed there. I drove 90km on from Hope and then was stopped dead in my tracks. A multiple fatality accident had occurred 15 minutes before I arrived. The road to Osoyoos would be closed for the night.
So back to Hope to do an alternate long route. 90km back so 180km to travel zero kilometres. And then it was another 324km from Hope via the town of Merrit to Osoyoos. By the time I got to Merrit, I was absolutely stuffed. I don’t mind driving long distances, and the scenery is pretty amazing – but I’d gotten to sleep at 2am after watching the mighty Socceroos at BC Stadium. I didn’t want to be another fatality on BC roads that day.
Fortuitous™ly (really), the Empty Keg Brewhouse was next to the Merrot information centre as I tried to find a campground on the way to Osoyoos.
Flights have been getting a workout as I mentioned and I reckon this might have been the best flight on tour. Four very different beers – and not the most common styles, but all done magnificently.
Probably my favourite beer name (certainly for British Columbia any way) has been Beaver Tail Slap Maple Cream Ale. And it was a bloody good beer too. The use of maple syrup was restrained and gave the beer a rich raisiny (mapley) depth without being cloying.
I really like a good ESB and Empty Keg put on an outstanding example. I would have stayed the night in Merrit if Empty Keg had a TV showing the soccer, but I wanted to get little closer to Osoyoos before finally pulling over for the night. A 500km day and the 400km destination not reached !
back of the ferry 