Hand of Fate

The phone kept ringing. It was my third attempt at the number that was scrawled on a water-stained note tacked to the office door of the hidden campsite by the beach. "Hello?" calls a frail voice from the other end of the line. Surprised, I continue to give our details, hoping to clinch a few days for a good price. "Well, I can't do this today... all hell's broken loose today, yunno. Call me back at 9:30 tomorrow morning and I'll figure this out." I was getting impatient with the guy, but it was worth following up for this site.

Driving around Vernon a week ago, we got lost on our way back to Kelowna. We followed what seemed to be a main highway and took a turnoff that read "Okanagan Lake". We were totally off, but in our efforts to wing it, we stumbled on a cute little cove with a nice beach. As we drove further, we noticed a campsite directly across the road from the beach. On first glance it seemed basic, but with such a great location, who cares. Although the campground didn't seem to have a name or address, I quickly jotted down the contact number on the office door.

We sit here a week later in what has to be a camper's paradise. This beautiful site on a small beach at the end of Okanagan Lake has been such a wonderful place to set up for a few days. The beach is literally 30 seconds from our trailer, although full, the sites are arranged around mature trees that throw shade and create private spaces.

After scouting out the beach for trees suitable for stringing up our hammocks, we've positioned ourselves where the trees meet the water at the end of the beach. On this beach, people have driven their trucks up onto the sand. Music can be heard blaring from old beat-up trucks, people whip tennis balls into the lake as their single-minded dogs dart and dash along the beach. People watching on the beach, campfires, spending time together, experiences like this are what camping should be.

I never did figure out why the campground caretaker seemed so stressed out. For us, this place has had the opposite effect. We have had a great time, and look forward to the next stop as we head up the mountain towards Silver Star to a campground set in the forest.