From good to Amazing - Merritt to Lumby to Golden, BC

The rain continued to fall as I was packing up the bike preparing to leave Merritt on Tuesday morning. Although that had been enough to keep me there an extra day already, I could not justify staying stationary any longer. Merritt is pretty – but it just doesn’t have enough to see and explore to occupy another day. The East Indian proprietor of the little motel that I stayed at almost appeared sad to see me leave. As though he had not had a guest stay an extra night in a long time. Not sure why, but that kind of made me feel his loneliness. I thanked the gentleman, loaded up, and hit the road.
Within 20 minutes, as I cruised comfortably down highway 5A toward Princeton, the skies began to clear, and my smile began to broaden. In contrast, I found my speed began to slow. The scenery just looked so much more vibrant, alive and inviting in the sunlight. I felt much like I imagine a butterfly might feel as it emerges from it’s cocoon – taking in the wonder of the world that it has been born into. 
Natural Wonder.
I did not get too far along highway 5 before I found myself once again stopping to snap some pictures. I was gifted with one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen in my life a little ways after my first photo-stop.  I spotted a baby deer, or fawn, standing on a rise in a pasture and immediately pulled to the side to ready my camera. I snapped off one picture of the lone fawn, and then saw two siblings come bounding into the frame. I was mesmerized with this display of natures innocence and beauty, staring in wonder as these three little children of the animal kingdom engaged in the favourite game of all species of young – chase! I came out of my reverie just in time to snap off one picture of these playful kids, seen below.
Kids at play.
Riding on a natural high, and absolutely at peace with the world, I began, for the first time during my trip, to feel that which I believe I had been seeking since I began planning this adventure 9 months ago.
I am a part of something magical. Something wonderful and beyond the ability of my human mind to express. Connected and alive. I am sitting in a McDonalds restaurant in Golden, BC as I write this, looking out the window at the fluffy white seeds riding the breeze against a mind-slowing backdrop of the Rocky mountains, and I feel the exact same thing.
I hope and pray that I never lose this newfound ability to connect. Or, if not new found, at the very least newly realized.
I arrived in Princeton a short and enjoyable while after taking the above pictures, and decided that it was time for a coffee and a bite to eat. Actually, I think it is more accurate to say that it was decided, not so much that I decided, however…..
I pulled up to a run-down, almost gone-to-seed tire shop and asked the fellow who was lounging in an Adirondack chair in the middle of the parking lot where I might get a bite to eat.
“You could try the place right there” he said as he pointed to Thomasina’s on the corner.
Well,…..
When is a grilled cheese sandwich not just a grilled cheese sandwich?
When it is made at Thomasina's in Princeton, BC.
The bread that I enjoyed was baked fresh that morning - a specialty of the owner/ cook / baker, it is a hearty, wholesome and flavour rich blend of corn meal, flax, oats, whole wheat, rye and a touch of molasses.
The melting cheese that was dripping from the edges was a smoked apple blend that made my taste buds sing!
Served beside a delicious little salad with a light vinaigrette, and accompanied by a rich dark coffee brought to my table in a press, I could not help but feel content. At ease. Happy. All of these and more. Just the way comfort food should make you feel.
Comfort food at its finest.
I finished my wonderfully rich coffee alongside a delicious Irish soda bread, made from 2 ancient grains known as spelt and emmer. Slightly warmed and patted with butter, this was the perfect end to a delightful dining experience.
Jerome and Thomasina, your wonderful little restaurant and superb menu are the things of great and fond memories. You can be sure that I will one day return - and that I will sing your praise. Well done folks.
Worthy of praise.
I rode the old Hedley road out of Princeton – yet another magnificent motorcycle road, and stopped at a curio shop in Hedley where the owner felt obliged to tell me that the store was for sale if I was interested. Ah, if only….
I followed highway 3 back into Keremeos and the Okanagan Valley, the one area that I saw the sun during my ride west from the Rockies to the Cascades, and was once again blessed with beautiful riding conditions. The ride continued on up to Penticton, Summerland, Peachland, West Kelowna, and finally into Lumby.
Roads of note on this stretch are the Eastside road in Penticton which follows the eastern shore of Skaha lake – gorgeous scenery and really nice twisties with a low speed limit of 50 km, allowing the rider to really enjoy the area; the old Westside Road that follows the western shore of Okanagan Lake from West Kelowna up to highway 97 in Vernon – ranks right up there with the best of them, full of very challenging twisties and sudden drops and rises, it is another amazing motorcycle route;
I arrived in Lumby exhausted – it had somehow taken me almost 9 hours to travel a little more than 400 kilometers. Not sure how that happened. Well, maybe…………
I stayed the night in another motel – it was too dark to ride any further seeking a BC Hydro recreation site – and went right to bed.
Getting up yesterday morning, I packed up and left the motel a little late – almost 11:00. I went to find breakfast, and discovered Alice’s Restaurant – a ‘biker friendly’ spot with a good, quick breakfast, strong coffee and a couple of Harley’s in the lot. I struck up a conversation with a fellow rider who proceeded to give me some sage advice about the roads I would be encountering from Lumby to Golden, and we shared riding stories for a bit. After my coffee, preparing to mount up and hit the road, ‘Stinky’ (his self-admitted nickname) offered to lead me out as far as Cherryville. Stinky offered to give me a chunk of BC hash when we stopped to go our own way – that made me smile too. Just the way of the people out here – if they have it, it is yours. I thanked Stinky for the offer, assuring him that there was a time when, but I had since cleaned up and was approaching 6 years. Stinky reached out his hand and gave mine a firm shake. “Congratulations” he said, “I been thinking about doin’ that".”
Sometimes it really is the thought that counts. Pleased to have met you Stinky.
I got some good GoPro footage of the ride and will post it sometime after I get home.
Highway 6, from Lumby to highway 23 at Nakusp is another wonderful ride – lots of pictures and GoPro video to come. I rode on another ferry, always enjoyable, and continued on Revelstoke, crossing on yet another ferry, and finally made my way into Golden BC at about 8:30 last night. I stopped at the Tim Horton’s and got directions to the Cedar Lake campground, rode in and set my camp up in record time, and even had time to scavenge enough wood for a roaring fire before full dark had finally set in.
Oh – I forgot to mention that I saw my first black bear on highway 23 just before the Galena Bay ferry at the Kaslo turnoff. No pictures, but wow, what a sight.
I would love to be able to describe to you what the ride on the TransCanada highway, from Revelstoke to Golden was like, but I just don’t think that my words could do it justice. It is said that the Sami people had over 100 words to describe snow. I cannot imagine their description of the beauty that I have witnessed.
Riding through the Rockies last evening, all I could think to myself was ‘thank you god.’
I encourage any who would say that there is nothing else out there – nothing beyond ourselves – to take this ride. And see what I have seen.
Well, I have been in this McDonald’s for going on 2 hours now. It is almost 10:30 and I still have to return to Cedar Lake to pack up my camp.
There was a major rock slide in Golden this morning, closing the TransCanada. Looks like it is time for yet another route change.
Rockslide
Nothing if not flexible,….
My apologies for the super-long post – there was a lot to cover, and I actually feel like I cheated you out of the Rockies run from Revelstoke to Golden. Ah well, a reason for you to ride, maybe…..
2 days of pictures can be seen HERE. …..
….and HERE.
Thanks for riding along so far. More to come.
Peace.