Wherever I May Roam: 2017

Despite a comfy room and bed, I was unable to sleep very well after 5am, and my tossing and turning kept Leona awake as well. One would think the lack of snoring would allow her to sleep, but maybe my snoring isn't as bad as she says! That or she's just gotten used to it.

We started our day with coffee, and then 40km of curves and scenery, before stopping in Grand Forks for brunch. By the time we were done eating it was already getting quite warm outside again, and that was the theme all day. There were only wisps of cloud in the sky, and only the shade gave some respite from the heat.

I had a room booked in Creston so it wasn't a long ride today, which allowed us to take our time along the way. We spent some time sitting beside Christina Lake after a short ride from Grand Forks. A little further down the road we took highway 3B through Trail and Fruitvale, eventually connecting back onto the Crowsnest Highway a little west of Salmo. There were three passes over 5,000ft, but the best one by far was the Kootenay Pass between Salmo and Creston. There was still snow just off the road in the trees, and we got to play in the snow a little. It was also much cooler up there, so a good break from the heat.

Once we got down into the valley, riding into Creston, the heat was back to 32 celsius. We got checked into the Creston Valley Motel, had very refreshing showers, and went to do some laundry. This motel is awesome, the owners ride bikes too so it's a great place to stay if you're riding. There are around 15 bikes out on the parking lot of this small motel, so that speaks for itself.

After laundry was completed we walked a block or two downtown for a nice dinner at Jimmy's Pub & Grill. I had steak for the first time on the trip, Leona had a salmon salad, and then we finished the meal with an ice cream at DQ, which is right across the street.

Coming back to the hotel we walked with 6 other riders, and ended up sitting outside and visiting with a few other biker folks for well over an hour. It was a great evening all around, the kind of evening that makes one wish the trip would never end. Thankfully the trip isn't over yet, and tomorrow we get to ride a few top rated riding roads in Canada. We'll start the day with coffee and curves!