Savouring summer at the Sicamous

Outfit details
Red hair flower with feathers: Arden
Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12 Silver toned hoop earrings: Claire’s
Czech glass bead and plastic anchor charm necklace: Handmade by me (ages ago)
White cardigan: Suzy Shier
Red ruched neck tee: Forever 21
Vintage denim circle skirt: etsy seller Here Lies Boots Vintage
Red vintage purse: etsy seller I Love Vintage Stuff
Dark blue bangle bracelets: Local annual curling club flea market
Thicker red bangle: Forever 21
Thin red and white bangles: etsy seller Me She Designs
Aqua bangle: Claire's
Red and white stripped wedge sandals: Payless (years upon years ago)
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Antonio Cangiano   ♥ ♥ ♥

Penticton is a town sandwiched neatly between two lakes. On the south end one finds the smaller of the pair, Skaha, and on the north side the mighty Okanagan, stretching onward for an impressive 135km. While each certainly have their merits, of the two, Okanagan Lake has always been my favourite, and it is certainly where I spent far more childhood days with my toes in the sand and surf alike.

On the far west end of Okanagan Lake, docked and out of water travel commission for several decades now, you encounter a slice of the beloved past in the form of a paddlewheel boat by the name of the SS Sicamous. Once one of the largest ships to ply the waters between Penticton and all other towns and communities along the lake's hefty border, the Sicamous was a vital part of life in the Okanagan during the early days of the twentieth century.

As time wore on however, railway lines, modern roads, and later the construction of local airports all conspired to help put paddlewheel boats (be they for the transportation of passengers, mail, or goods) out of service in this part of British Columbia. While the Sicamous' fate was questionable for a while after she was put on grounded, thankfully a group of local citizens saw to it that she was permanently docked on shore to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike as a museum and event hall.

Instead of floating passengers up and down the mighty Okanagan, for many years now the Sicamous has served as a local landmark and can be visited throughout much of the year for a small fee (or rented for events). As with most pieces with age to their name (especially those made largely from wood), the SS Sicamous needs an ongoing dose of repairs and maintenance to ensure she remains safe and presentable for all those who come to spend time on her sturdy decks.

For as long as Penticton has been in my life (so pretty much from the get-go), I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Sicamous, and often daydreamed as a child playing mere feet away in the warm waters of Okanagan Lake, what it must have been like to travel on her during her heyday.

It was with no small amount of elation then that I learned earlier in the year that my parent's renovation company, Ricklyn Renos would be doing work this summer on the Sicamous. The reno repairs/improvements they've been making are terrific, and will go a long way in helping to ensure that the Sicamous continues to sit majestically on the shores of Okanagan Lake for many years to come.

While I'd certainly stepped foot on the Sicamous before throughout my life for various events and simply to visit, before this year I'd never had a family connection to one of the area's most impressive and important pieces of history.

With that thought in mind, one gloriously sunny summer day not too long ago, as the afternoon hours slowly burned into early evening, Tony and I hopped in the car and shot some photos near the once powerful paddlewheel of the Sicamous, as well as the surrounding area, including the charming little vintage tugboats that are located beside the great ship they once helped traverse the waters of Okanagan Lake.

These images bring a smile to my face and heart alike, for they capture not only the spirit of summer's golden beauty, but also some of the grandeur and elegance of of the SS Sicamous and a time when water travel was vital to the area's economy, growth, and daily life. Which I'm now honoured to say,  my own parents have had a small role in helping to preserve for generations of locals and visitors alike to discover, enjoy and daydream about - just as I long have - too.