And we still like it! In fact, we might hang out here for a couple of days. We have no schedule between now and September 25th when we have to be at Abbotsford (a suburb of Vancouver) to fly back to Ontario for Ruth's nephew's wedding.
Yesterday, we drove from Cranbrook area to Creston...
Yesterday's drive, 107 kms (66 miles)
We got up at 6am to do the drive.
Moyie Lake.
A mom elk and her baby ran across the road in front of us. Ruth grabbed the camera, but this was the best she could do...
Elk baby.
We got to Creston, and parked up to use the free wifi from the Save On Foods grocery store. Then, we hopped on our new used bikes, and rode them over to the visitors center.
Me, with my new bike!
Very happy with our new to us bikes! A few things I want to fix up with mine... the disc brakes work fantastically, but they squeal quite a bit. I'm going to try cleaning the pads and scuffing them with sandpaper, but I might have to buy new pads. And the hand grips are worn. And it came with the fancy pedals that require fancy bike shoes, so I'm going to replace them with normal pedals.
We ended up getting exactly what we wanted... good quality bikes at used prices! Now, we need to also buy better locks, and a cover for them.
There is a lot to see and do in this area!
We went for a walk up and down the main street.
They have these HUGE hanging flower pots.
Too funny!
We rode our bikes over to the Kokanee Brewery. We had visited the brewery when we were here in 2007, but the tours had been closed for the season at the time. Then, you could get a free beer! Now, they want $5 for the tour with an included sample (which is essentially the price of your "free" beer), so we passed on the tour and the beer.
With the huge glass of Kokanee.
The Sasquatch is the Kokanee mascot!
The Creston Valley.
We ended up riding about 8 kms (5 miles) in total. We can both feel that our legs need to be in better shape. You'd think with all the hiking we do that we wouldn't have any problems, but you're using different muscles. We plan on using the bikes a lot now that we have them!
In fact, we drove the motorhome over to the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area where we found a spot to park for the night. This morning, we're taking the bikes on a fairly flat 15 km (9 mile) route.
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I thought the same thing about Creston. Looks like a great place to live!
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike! :-)
DeleteI never go anywhere without at least one bike! Before retirement, I even had the luxury of riding a bike to work. (Half the time when I'm driving a car, I'm grinding my teeth and wishing horrible deaths on the traffic around me. That never happens on a bike.)
ReplyDeleteI think over the course of 11 years we have also always had at least one working bike but when you have two people in the motorhome it is better having two working bikes. It just isn't the same going for a bike ride by yourself, at least it isn't for me. I had a job for a little while when I was also able to bike to work. I enjoyed it, unless it rained of course!
DeleteSitting in a car in rush hour traffic is never fun, definitely something that we don't miss one bit with this lifestyle! :-)
Happy cycling! Awesome bike! I always wondered about the glacial water source for the beer in the Kokanee brewery. I heard that is why they built the brewery there and also why the beer that is actually bottled at that site and not from concentrate somewhere else tastes better. People I know drink Kokanee in the Kootenays, but not elsewhere in BC. Putting it on my list for sure! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI am sure we will have lots of happy cycling now! :-)
DeleteNo idea where their glacial water source comes from but Kevin definitely agrees with you about Kokanee beer made here being much better than the stuff they sold in Ontario. He actually stopped buying it when we lived in Ontario because it didn't come from the plant here in Creston, and tasted totally different!
That bowl of water is at the perfect height for me! We will have to check out more of my trails with your new bikes if you swing by Yuma again this fall!
ReplyDeleteLol, we don't judge either Doug! ;-)
DeleteWe would love to check out more of your trails but don't make them too difficult, we aren't pros like you. We will keep practicing on our way down and hopefully we will be in your area but no promises.
Nice bike!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great place to be when you have no commitments:)
ReplyDeleteYep, lots of things to do here between biking and the hiking. :-)
DeleteIt's great that Lindsey found the ad for Kevin's almost new bike. You have taught her well! So, Christmas has come again twice in one year. I agree about changing out the bike pedals; from the look of the current pedals, they don't look as if they would be comfortable to operate.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was nice of her to look. I am sure Kevin would have looked as well but she just made it easier. :-) We have taught her well, she is always looking for used before buying new and if she does happen to buy new, she is always looking for the best deal/price. She definitely takes after her dad.
DeleteKevin said they aren't uncomfortable, he would just prefer regular pedals.
With all this time and no itinerary you might want to consider a stop in Nelson. I have never been there, but I hear it is wonderful…
ReplyDeleteCreston is pretty!
All of a sudden it looks like we have a little bit more of a schedule than we did yesterday so unfortunately Nelson isn't along the route Kevin has for us. There will most likely be more on that in today's post. It would have been nice to have been able to explore that area but guaranteed we will still be seeing some beautiful areas of British Columbia.
DeleteYes, Creston is very nice.
ReplyDeleteAre you still coming to the west coast? If yes, please contact me. I tried to phone, but the numbers I have don't work. We are looking forward to seeing you.
Hi there Angi, hope you and Bernd are doing well. Yes, we are still coming to the west coast, it just takes us awhile to get there. :-)
DeleteOur phone isn't working at the moment but you can reach us at Kevin's email, [email protected]
We are looking forward to seeing both of you as well. :-)
Nice town Creston. You should have sprung for the beer Kevin after the last few days you’ve had to endure. Ride safe and enjoy your new to you bikes!
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed Creston.
DeleteYou should know Kevin by now, he likes beer but would never pay $5 for one when he has one in the motorhome home that cost less than half that price! ;-)
We are really enjoying our bikes.
Kevin and Ruth,
ReplyDeleteCan I put your Bigfoot photo on my blog...with a link to your post? I'd love to!
Still living through your posts -- our own escape to RV living had to be postponed some when Husband's appendex burst. Two weeks after that surgery, he also had to have his gallbladder removed. So we're still working on the house, and will put it on the market probably next spring. But the trailer is waiting for us in the backyard!
Of course you may use our Bigfoot photo! Thanks for asking.
DeleteHopefully your husband's health gets back to normal soon and you can get rid of your house with no problems. The road awaits!
LOVE the Bigfoot photo! It's so true that fitness is activity-specific. We are in fantastic cycling shape now after being in Florida for a year and doing long road bike rides 4x a week, but hiking right now -- we would die on the hills! Also wanted to mention Re: special pedals and expensive bike shoes, we've been riding with clipless pedals for decades, and we make our shoes (and pedals) last for at *least* 10 years (sometimes much longer), which ends up making them very cheap on a per-wear basis. My husband finally had to throw out his 16-year old, well-worn and falling apart, Sidi bike shoes after a cleat sheared off the bottom. They did cost about $250 to begin with, but 1000s of rides later, ended up being a bargain. And I am wearing Keen Commuter bike sandals I bought in 2005 and have worn hundreds, if not thousands, of times as well. I got them on ebay for half price -- $55. As you well know with your Tilley hats (which I covet!), decent equipment does cost a bit more, but it can be worth it if you do a particular sport frequently. Hiking boots, etc... Enjoy your new-to-you bikes!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until we can get a picture of the REAL Big Foot! ;-)
DeleteWe are going to try hard to keep up with both, cycling and hiking and work on all those different muscles. As for the clipless pedals, I guess maybe we will have to look into that more before we make a decision about them, especially after what you have just said.
We do agree with you that somethings are worth the price when it is something that will get used a lot! We love our new to us bikes by the way. :-)