Canada Day In Vernon

 

The weather in the interior of BC has been sweltering over the last month.  I understand it is due to a high pressure area that is hovering over the northwest coast of North America, bring blistering hot dry weather to the west side of the continent.

Don't get me wrong, we like hot weather here in the Okanagan and we are used to temperatures that hover in the low 30's during late July and into August.  But in late June our comfort zone is set for temperatures in the mid 20's.  At least the evenings cool off and the heat does not start building until late morning.

So on July 1st, Canada Day we decided to start off early.  We biked down to Kal Lake passing through Polson Park about 9am.  The tennis courts were full and a few kids were running about the spray park and the middle field was filling with rows of fine old cars, all sparkling clean, ready for the "Show and Shine" .  Parking attendants were relaxing the  shade, not yet busy.  The Canada Day program was not to start until 10am. 



 

We biked passed a quiet Kal Beach and up to Sovereign Park to take our first dip in the lake this season.

  We were alone and enjoyed a half hour swim without any company.  The water was refreshing but not cold.  It was definitely warmer than one would expect for early July.

By the time we had taken a shower and got back on our bikes, the parking lot had filled.  A couple kayaks had pushed off from the beach and several people had settled down along the water.

We biked past Kal Beach which was now considerably busier, and back to Polson Park to take in some festivities. 

 

 

We wandered up and down the rows of old cars, then sat and enjoyed some of the entertainment at the band shell, watched Ukrainian dancing and listened to some good jazz and light rock.  There seemed to be a lot of people, many sitting under the big shade trees in the park, enjoying the music.  Food trucks were parked close by and doing a brisk business.  And children were enthusiastically participating in free games and face-painting.

 

And almost everyone was decked out in red and white. 

 

 

 

We wheeled past the now very busy spray park and headed home.  Although the park was wonderful and cool and we were missing the free Canada Day cake, we wanted to get home before the temperature climbed any higher.

 

It was a lovely way to spend Canada Day!