We decided to take a quick trip out of the city for some R&R. Over the course of several recent dining adventures, it became clear that Naramata is Mecca for the local wine and cheese set. So, after a lot of deliberation (and breakfast) on Sunday, we packed some stuff and set off.
We set a pretty leisurely pace and stopped in Harrison Hot Springs with the intention of soaking up the minerals for a while and maybe even just staying there for the evening instead of pushing through to Naramata. I went to a friend's wedding in Harrison a couple of years ago and had a great time, but I didn't check out the hot springs that time. This time, I found out that the "hot springs" are more like an indoor public swimming pool with some local water, not at all like Radium Hot Springs, for example. The setup in the resort may have been nicer, but we decided to just move on with our original plan.
When we got to Naramata (or at least what was probably Naramata since it's more of a smooth dissolve from Penticton than any kind of sharp boundary), it was still sunny, the skies were clear, and the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival had just wound down so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Driving through hills of countless little vineyards, orchards, and vegetable gardens, Wendy commented that it was like France except with better roads. Toilets, too. Through sheer dumb luck, we wound up at the Sandy Beach Lodge and Resort. Trust me, if you find yourself in need of a peaceful getaway, give the good people at Sandy Beach a call.
Monday started with a buffet breakfast at Sandy Beach, a canoe paddle out on the lake as the sun came up, and a little lounging around in the lawn chairs. Then it was off to the wineries for some tasting. We visited Elephant Island, Lang Vineyards, and Red Rooster. We tried to visit Poplar Grove, but they were closed. Elephant Island was our favourite. They do the tasting in a coutyard that makes you feel like you're there for a casual barbeque with old friends. The other two were fine, but had a much more commercial feeling. A few hours later we had 7 bottles of wine in the trunk and fair bit of driving ahead of us, so we took off for home.
We stopped a few times on the way home for essentials like fresh asparagus in Keremios and ice cream in a small town whose name I forget. Sitting in the hot sun eating my ice cream, I wondered how my friends back home were enjoying their Monday afternoon.
All in all, a very good spur of the moment trip.
Posted by tim at May 04, 2004 12:38 PM