There’s nothing like the sound of a vintage steam locomotive to immediately conjure up images of the old west, complete with women in ankle-length walking skirts, men in oil-skin duster coats and cowboy hats — and even the odd train robber — depending on just which train adventure you’ve chosen.
It was a sunny May morning when I climbed onto locomotive No. 3716 along with my husband and nine-year-old grandson Carter to revisit that era as we rode the only preserved section of the historic Kettle Valley Railway during a recent weekend in Penticton. The railway adventure is a great activity for multiple generations to enjoy and we watched as toddlers jumped up and down in delight at their first glimpse of the train and seniors smiled in anticipation of boarding. We were concerned Carter might get bored hanging with the G-parents, but he was just as excited to get on the train as we were.
We chose to sit in an open-air (covered) railcar for the 90-minute trip because I thought it would be more condusive to taking pictures, but after checking out one of the enclosed cars realized the photo opportunities are endless no matter where you sit.
During our time on the Kettle Valley Railway, built between 1910 and 1915, we chugged through picturesque Prairie Valley dotted with orchards, vineyards and fields of green and then onto the Trout Creek Bridge, which offers stunning views of Okanagan Lake and the canyon below. You can also choose the Great Train Robbery option, which is two hours and includes a barbecue. Note: With this package, you’ll get held up by the notorious Garnett Valley Gang so make sure to take lots of loose change, which all goes to charity.
But over the course of the May long weekend we discovered just how much there is to do when visiting Penticton — whether you’re travelling for a girls’ weekend, golfing, wine tasting or fun with family. Here are just a few of the highlights of our visit:
What to do?
Penticton Farmers Market
Saturdays: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
100 block of Main Street and beyond
This weekly event is so much more than a farmers market. We spent almost two hours wandering the market, stopping to listen to live music along the way and to pick up fresh radishes for roasting, ribeye steaks for the proverbial long-weekend barbecue and hand-crafted mini fruit pies for dessert. It’s a must-visit when in Penticton and you won’t be sorry you took the time to go.
Visit the SS Sicamous Heritage Park
Visit sssicamous.ca for hours of operation and cost
The stern wheeler SS Sicamous is a luxury vessel, which decades ago was used to transport passengers and cargo to remote communities along the shores of Okanagan Lake. The ship launched in 1914 and remained in service for 22 years.
Today the SS Sicamous has been painstakingly renovated and recreated and operates as a museum managed by a non-profit society made up from volunteers. Visitors can climb right up to the main bridge where the vessel’s wheel is still in place and enjoy a gorgeous view of Okanagan Lake.
The main floor of the vessel is also home to an astounding scale model of the Kettle Valley Railway built by volunteers from the Kettle Valley Model Railway Club. Tip: ask if you can have a sheet to do the scavenger hunt, which includes finding various figures and objects along the miniature rail line.
LocoLanding Adventure Park
So. Much. Fun. We spent four hours at LocoLanding and our nine-year-old grandson enjoyed everything from bumper boats (you’ll get soaked) to the high level ropes course to 18-holes of mini golf, which I also played. There were groups of all ages enjoying the park with older teens and young adults arriving later in the afternoon.
LocoLanding also has a go kart track that looked to be super popular. But my grandson stuck with rock climbing, the Big Baller, Xtreme Ninja and the previously mentioned attractions. Tip: Buy the $38 value pack, which allows for seven activities at a considerable saving.
Where to eat
Brodo Kitchen
“Brodo” is the Italian word for broth, so we hoped there would be some excellent soup choices on the menu and we weren’t disappointed. And if you can’t decide, luckily at Brodo you can order a flight of three soups.
Soup and sandwiches are the specialty of the house and chef Paul Cecconi changes the menu seasonally to reflect what's fresh. Friendly staff made this the ideal spot for lunch during a busy day of sightseeing.
TIME Winery
During a tour of TIME Winery, based not on the luscious green slopes surrounding Penticton as one might imagine, but instead in the heart of downtown, hospitality manager Kelley Michael Schaefer pointed out structural details that pay homage to the former PenMar movie theatre, which closed in 2012. It was not long after that when entrepreneur and pioneer wine maker Harry McWatters envisioned taking over the space and creating the 20,000-square-foot TIME winery, of which he’s president and CEO. McWatters, often described as the godfather of the B.C. wine industry, founded this province’s first estate winery, Sumac Ridge in 1980.
During my tour Schaefer acknowledged McWatters unique vision for the winery.
“We’re not an urban winery, but rather a downtown winery,” said Schaefer, who explained that as a downtown winery, TIME is part of the community. Of the four original theatres once located within PenMar, one is now a fermentation room, another is the barrel cellar and the third is for production and storage. It’s hoped the fourth will eventually be restored as a theatre and the exterior will be used for public events. TIME Winery also includes the Kitchen restaurant, where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner following an (adult) wine tasting session.
Treats
Your stomach — and Instagram account —will thank you for checking out these ice cream dreams
The Peach Ice Cream Shop
Whatever you do, you have to save room for a Crazy Shake and or a Crazy Cone from the iconic Peach on the Beach. The Crazy Shakes are topped with everything from strawberry shortcake to cotton candy to brownies to a birthday candle. This shake is guaranteed to blow up your Instagram account. The cones are also over-the-top and include the Unicone, Birthday Bash, Brownie Dunk, the Sweet Tooth and PB&C.
Lickity Splitz
Located down the beach from the Peach is another Penticton fave. Lickity Splitz is one of those ice cream places that offer too many choices to choose from, but the good news is they offer samples. Tip: Try the Shark Attack ice cream, you won’t regret it.
Where to stay?
Tiki Shores Motel
The Tiki Shores was so centrally located we could walk almost everywhere we needed to be. We stayed in a deluxe two-bedroom, which was large enough for a family or group — and it had its own private patio and barbecue — there’s also a barbecue area everyone can share. The motel is right across the road from the beach, but also has its own pool, which we used every day of our stay. Our suite also had a kitchen so we were able to eat breakfast at home before heading out each day.
sthomas@vancourier.com
@sthomas10
