Experiencing Summerland BC

Sunday May 28, 2017

We were up at 6:00 am to be greeted by a sunny, calm morning. Today was a planned Osoyoos Photo Club outing so we packed a picnic lunch and Randal organized his camera equipment for a day of photo shooting.

We left Osoyoos at 7:30 am driving north to the Ornamental Gardens in Summerland to join other members of the Osoyoos Photo Club. 

   

There was a Tai Chi group very intent on their graceful session. It gave a feeling of relaxation just to watch them. 

  

The history of the Summerland Gardens goes back almost a hundred years.

In 1916, when Agriculture Canada laid out the ornamental gardens around its two-year-old experimental laboratory just south of Summerland, the Kettle Valley Railway link to the coast had just been completed. Roads, at best, were rough tracks. Immigrants were coming to the Okanagan by rail and lake sternwheeler ship. Irrigation systems were being built because any agriculture more intensive than ranching had to have water.

After taking more than a hundred photos we drove into the town of Summerland. Our destination was find the Kettle Valley Railway and Trans Canada Trail. We certainly saw more of Summerland than we do when driving along highway 97.

'Bottleneck Drive' was most interesting with all the orchards, wineries and horse ranches. By noon we had finally arrived at the Kettle Valley Railway terminal.

The train had just finished its morning run so we purchased a ticket for a ride on the 3716 steam train. With more that an hour before we boarded we pulled out the picnic lunch and ate the same time the engineer and conductors had their break.

By 1:15 we boarded with a good size group of other customers for the 90 minute nostalgic journey through the rural beauty of Summerland and onto Trout Creek Canyon.

The train stopped on the Trestle which we saw when we were in the Ornamental Gardens. Then headed back. 

So until next time remember to "Discover it and Live It".