iN PHOTOS: Riding the retro trolley to Naramata
Experiencing the Village of Naramata feels even more quaint when you ride a vintage trolley to get there.
Since the middle of May, Grape Savvy Wine Tours has been offering a such a service with hop-on-hop-off shuttles between Naramata and Penticton.
There’s lots to see outside the bus – riders pass thousands of rows of vineyards, apple trees and cherry trees, with Okanagan Lake and a range of mountains in the background. There’s something intriguing to notice on nearly every property along a route lined with luxury homes and wineries that find creative ways to set themselves apart from one another.
Inside each of the three trollies – which are named Mr. Merlot, Miss Chardonnay and Miss Riesling – not much has changed since their days offering transit in Vancouver's Stanley Park. The hardwood seats have little leather cushions, there are brass bars to hold onto, and large windows that open nearly a metre wide – which can make for a nice breezy ride.
The drivers are jovial, full of local trivia, and get excited to ding the bell whenever they see people to wave at.
The route runs from the Fairfield Inn in Penticton to the Naramata Inn and makes several stops along the way. Schedules differ between weekdays and weekends.
Riders can hop off, enjoy a tasting or lunch downtown, and jump back onto the next shuttle before their next destination. And nobody has to be sacrificed as the designated driver.
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