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Top 10 of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

There’s something about the Okanagan Valley that stays with you long after you return home. Perhaps it’s the landscape, from scrubby hills covered with sagebrush to steep slopes carpeted with vineyards overlooking calm lakes. Or the good food, the cornucopia of fruit and the award-winning wines.

Maybe it’s the people, a friendly bunch who don’t take seem to take life too seriously judging by the names of some of their wineries, like Laughing Stock, Blasted Church and See Ya Later. Or maybe it’s just all that blue sky – no matter what time of year you arrive.

Photo provided by Cynthia DavidWhatever it is, you’re bound to be surprised, as I was on my first visit late last October. Though the valley was slowly closing for the season, it was still gorgeous, we ate well and met lots of great people. Here are a few of my favourite things from our Okanagan road trip.

1) Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre (pronounced in-ka-meep), built by the Osoyoos Indian Band, is a moving tribute to thousands of years of First Nations history in the desert – a real one! – surrounding Lake Osoyoos. Get up close and personal with fragrant sagebrush and learn about native life as you wander the 2 km self-guided trail behind the centre, next to Spirit Ridge Resort and Spa.

Photo provided by Cynthia David2) La Stella, an upstart boutique winery inspired by Tuscany, sits on a gentle hill overlooking the western shore of Lake Osoyoos. Each of its fine wines is named after an Italian musical term to remind us of the simple joys of good food, wine and music. There’s Vivace, a rich, lively Pinot Grigio, Leggiero, an elegant unoaked Chardonnay, and Maestoso, a majestic $85 Merlot that has become a legend among North American collectors. Though La Stella’s wines are produced in state-of-the-art equipment, its grapes are tended as naturally as possible. Vines are pruned severely to keep yields low, compost replaces chemical fertilizer, fierce falcons ward off greedy starlings and they’ve even brought in chickens to munch potentially harmful insects between the rows. Visit the winery and taste for yourself the passion that goes into each bottle. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy a glass, and the view, from the patio.

Photo provided by Cynthia David3) Tickleberry’s: It’s tacky and touristy, but you can’t pass Tickleberry’s without stopping for an ice cream, at least. The low building with the garish sign is right on Highway 97 at Okanagan Falls. Buy a big bag of scrumptious sweet-salty kettle corn for the road, and pick up individual gift bags of chocolate covered dried fruit from local orchards. Milk-chocolate-covered blueberries are a Tickleberry signature, and I highly recommend the dried cherries enrobed in dark chocolate

Photo provided by Cynthia David4) Summerland: The promise of endless summer seems to have worked, judging by the line-up of electric scooters for seniors on sale outside the drugstore in Summerland’s Olde English downtown, 50 km south of Kelowna. Keep walking until you reach Victoria Rd. Deli and Bistro, a sleek little boîte offering excellent food and great local wines by the glass. After lunch, retrace your steps and stop for coffee at rustic Beanery Coffee Co. Pick up a pound of freshly-roasted beans to take home.

5) Kelowna’s boutique Hotel Eldorado, on Lake Okanagan a few kilometers from downtown, combines the time-worn feel of a century-old inn with a new modern wing of luxurious guestrooms and suites. It’s so comfortable and close to beaches and golf, you may not want to leave.

Photo provided by Cynthia David6) Dinner at Raudz Regional Table in Kelowna is a delicious adventure. With a big communal table in the centre of the dining room, you don’t even need a date to truly enjoy your evening. The menu lists the many local producers who supply ingredients for chef/owner Rod Butters’ creative fare. There’s “baked” chickpea-battered rockfish with fennel-spiced fries, hand-rolled pasta with venison meatballs and wild mushroom ragout, grilled salmon BLT and so much more. Before dinner, try one of chatty bar chef, Christian Smith’s, spectacular martinis made from fresh fruit of the day.

Photo provided by Cynthia David7) The three-acre Kasugai Japanese Garden behind Kelowna’s City Hall is easy to miss. Within its wooden gates, you’ll find a tree-lined path meandering beside a stream, a waterfall that splashes over rocks into a pond beloved by ducks, a stone garden, statues and places to rest. The gardens change colours with the seasons. For a few moments, you could truly be in Japan.

Photo provided by Cynthia David8) After you’ve been up and down the south end of Highway 97 a few times, take a detour through the Similkameen Valley. Turn left at Osoyoos and head up Highway 3. Don’t miss the mysterious Spotted Lake on your left as you stop for one last look at Osoyoos Lake below. With snow-capped mountains in the distance in late fall, the valley opens into a swath of pastureland for horses and cattle. By Keremeos, huge signs advertising apples, pears, peaches and plums for sale line the highway, signaling you’re in orchard country. The town’s main street is like one giant fruit stand, some selling spices, lentils and flour as well for the East Indians who’ve settled here. Highway 3A takes you back up to 97 and north to Penticton, where the water is like blue glass, reflecting the mountains above.

Photo provided by Cynthia David9) The Penticton Visitor’s Centre is a key stop on any valley tour. Book a room, access all the information you’ll need and visit the classy wine and gift shop featuring bottles from many Okanagan wineries. This is the place to pick up that bottle you tasted at a local restaurant or didn’t buy when you had the chance during a winery visit. The friendly staff are happy to share their extensive knowledge of the region. If you’re in Penticton for the weekend, stay at the Lakeside Resort and casino and stroll over to the Saturday market.

10) Tinhorn Creek Vineyards on the Golden Mile bench just south of Oliver offers one of the best self-guided tours in the Okanagan. Walk between rows of vines behind the winery to check out how the leaves and fruit differ in varietals such as merlot, pinot noir and gewurtztraminer. Lean over a catwalk to see the 36,000-litre stainless steel tank named Ralph used for blending, and visit the barrel cellar to learn how barrels are toasted. Did you know that one barrel made of European oak costs between $900 and $1,200?

For more information, visit hellobc.com.

Resources: 

Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, www.nkmipdesert.com
La Stella winery, LaStella.ca
Tickleberry’s, www.tickleberrys.com
Victoria Road Deli and Bistro, www.victoriard.com
Hotel Eldorado, www.hoteleldoradokelowna.com
Raudz Regional Table Restaurant, www.raudz.com
Penticton Lakeside Resort, www.pentictonlakesideresort.com
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, www.tinhorn.com

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