The first challenge was trying to pack everything on Silver.  I had packed pretty tight to begin with, having 20 days on the road and needing to be prepared for all kinds of weather and social situations.  The problem now was that I had about 10 bottles of wine to pack as well.  Not only did this cause a problem with available space, but weight was a factor.  Once I was in the saddle on Silver I noticed a serious difference in acceleration, turning, and less clearance on bumps.  I was pushing Silver to the max as far as weight was concerned, and I was slightly worried.

My final destination was Kelowna to the north, but I wanted to see Osoyoos one last time so I spend the final hours of the morning heading down there, checking out the amazing vista to the east of town, and then headed back north to Oliver.

After a classic tour lunch in Oliver (a Subway wrap), I headed west into the heart of the desert so that I could ride on the White Lake road.  This is one of my favourite roads because it is far away from any irrigation, development, or tourist traffic.  The road itself twists and turns around the small hills of the south Okanagan desert- each of which is peppered with sage bushes and golden sands.

The convenient thing about the White Lake road is that it joins back up with Highway 3a, and a few kilometers on that highway leads to the turnoff to the Green Mountain Road.  This road is possibly the best motorcycle road in the entire Okanagan valley…it twists and turns around the tight mountains to the west of Penticton, takes you through a First Nations community, a few ranches, and a few isolated lakes.  It is 30km of pure motorcycling bliss.  My only regret was that I didn’t turn back and ride it again once I was done.

The Green Mountain Road leads you right into the middle of Penticton- a beautiful community in one of the most gorgeous locations in the entire world.  My route through the White Lake and Green Mountain roads meant that I avoided the horrible tourist traffic associated with Highway 97 in the Okanagan (and the large RVs and impatient weekend warriors that go along with that) and was able to bide my time and enjoy the ride.  Being in Penticton meant that leisure time was over, because I had no choice but to join the army of recreational vehicles cruising up the side of Okanagan Lake to Kelowna.

The 97 between Penticton and Kelowna is fast, and for that reason slightly dangerous.  However, the scenery is absolutely fantastic.  The road hugs the eastern shore of this massive lake the entire way, and in the hot midday sun it is very hard not to stop, rip off your clothes, and jump in the lake.

I resisted that urge, despite the fact that I was very hot and whenever I stopped I was extremely uncomfortable.  It was about 35 degrees out at this point.

I reached Kelowna at about 3:30 in the afternoon and I was glad to be out of the heat.  I was staying downtown this time in Kelowna (I usually stay in the Mission area on Lakeshore away from the busy downtown).  I checked in, went back to Silver to unload, and in the parking lot I ran into my surprise tour companions- my family.

The reason for the timing of this tour and the extended visit in Kelowna was that my cousin Lara was getting married.  In the parking lot unpacking their things was my family- my parents, brother, neice, uncle, and aunt.  This was just the tip of the iceberg- my other brother and my sister were on their way, as were more aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  This was basically a family reunion and it was going to be a hell of a lot of fun.

The rest of the day was spent visiting with family, waiting for everyone to arrive, and relaxing.  This new dynamic would certainly be an interesting twist on my usual motorcycle tour activities.  I was looking forward to it.