Headed off early since I had a 58 mile ride ahead of me today, all along Hwy 97. The first leg was approximately 30 miles to Vernon through mostly flat roads intermixed with mild rolling hills. Farms and colorful fields lined the road.
About halfway to Vernon, I entered what is called Lake Country, precisely because there are a series of beautiful scenic lakes running along side the road.
I made good time and got to Vernon at approximately 11:30 am. Stopped by A & W for a root beer float, since it was getting quite warm and I wanted something refreshing to go along with my lunch apple. I had noticed a group of people playing in a park across the street and sauntered over to watch during my break. It was a lawn bowling club. As I watched, a gentleman player smiled across the fence and asked, "Do you understand the game yet? The goal is to get the bowling balls close to the little white target ball. The bowling balls are not perfectly round and you have to take that into consideration." I nodded that I had a very basic beginning of understanding. He smiled and proceeded to bowl.
As I headed out of town, I noticed that my bike was a little wobbly due to the fact that I was losing air in my rear tire - my first flat of the trip! I have to admit that I have been happily surprised that I had had no flats so far. Stopped and unloaded the bike and fixed the flat. I was not able to determine the cause, and will explore that later when I have time. I was please with how easily I was able to make the repair and resume the ride.
The final 28 miles were mostly through the country along flat roads interspersed with a number of rolling hills that pushed my tired legs. More farmland and small hills. It was quite warm, and I had to stop frequently to drink water.
I gratefully arrived at the Highland Motel in Falkland at approximately 3 pm. Falkland is essentially just a few buildings and businesses along the side of the road, but very cute. The motel was small and quaint, and had a lovely grassy area out back near the railroad tracks. Across the street in the opposite direction was a large hill with a Canadian flag. My room was essentially a large clean suite, and included a nice tub to soak in and good wifi. Very happy. And the price was right - approximately $40 in US dollars.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there was an awesome little restaurant next door. I had a delicious skillet macaroni and cheese dish with chicken and broccoli, accompanied by homemade corn bread. Right up there with some of the best meals I have had.
Tomorrow I ride about 49 miles to Kamloops. I hope to get off fairly early to try and avoid the heat as much as possible. I had enough points to book a free room.
Finally - an update on the jaw pain problem. There has been a vast improvement since I took the stronger pain med that one time, and I have not taken any more yet. However, that is not to say It has totally gone away, and I continue to monitor the situation. I have taken to chewing on one side. My guess is that I need to have my bite adjusted when I return home, as I think an uneven stress may have caused the TMJ like symptoms. So much for my amateur self-diagnosis.
