The Okanagan ...

We hiked to that little point one day ... Turtle Head Point or Rattlesnake Point

The Okanagan, British Columbia's wine region and annual holiday location for many Calgarians, has been on my Canadian 'must-travel-to' list for some time now and why wouldn't it be?  Warm weather, wineries and fresh fruit.  To be honest, my first impressions of the Okanagan weren't great.  I had pictured quaint little lakeside towns, lakeside cottages with view of nature rather than people, beautiful lakes to swim in and roadside fruit stands with honesty boxes.  So, visiting on the biggest long weekend in summer meant that I was going to be a little disappointed.  Firstly, we stayed in the least impressive town of the Okanagan because there was no other accommodation with vacancies.  The town wasn't lakeside and was filled with the usual north American things - too many fast food outlets and no hint of quaintness.  Secondly, despite the warm weather (high 20s, low 30s), the lake was FREEZING!  The only time I dipped my toes in (very quickly) was after a hot and sweaty hike.  C also scared me with tales of the OgoPogo (Canada's answer to the Loch Ness Monster).  And lastly, gone were the days of roadside fruit stands with honesty boxes.  In their place were larger establishments, still selling the delicious fruit (cherries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines etc.) but often accompanied by farm tours, petting zoos and other such touristy things.  Despite my not-so-favourable first impressions, there were many wonderful experiences to be had in the Okanagan.

Looking down on a little beach - a dog beach

Kalamalka Lake 

The first very pleasing aspect was the similarity in landscape to Hobart, my home town.  The further south into the Okanagan one drove, the drier it became.  It reminded me of growing up just outside of Hobart - at the bottom of a mountain (hill, really) with views over the Derwent river.  The views here bought on a mix of nostalgia and home-sickness.  Any hint of home-sickness was promptly cured on this trip with a taste or two of the local wines.  We visited three different wineries, a mix of small and large, and came home with a carload of wine to last us quite some time.  One night, we dined at a lovely winery, Gray Monk, where we enjoyed local produce, local wines and splendid sunset views over the Okanagan Lake.

A little beach on Kalamalka Lake

Dinner view from Gray Monk winery

The fruit, of course, was another highlight of the trip.  I have eaten enough stone fruit to keep me well and truly regular for some time.  Our biggest challenge of the weekend was trying to keep our bounty cool in the car as we racked up miles in the car.  I'll write more tomorrow about how we managed to return to Calgary with well over 10 kilograms of fresh cherries.

Sun-Oka beach on Okanagan Lake

Coldstream Valley, near Kalamalka Lake

Another highlight was driving around and discovering cute little areas that lived up to my expectations of the Okanagan.  C was keen to visit an area where his family had annual camping trips when he was a teenager ... Peach Orchard Campground.  Now, who couldn't resist a campground of that name?!  It was nestled into the hill above Summerland (again, who could resist?!) in the grounds of an old peach orchard and was simply divine.  Next year, we'll be better organised on long weekends and book a spot here.  

Long weekend craziness on the city beach in Kelowna

Bridge in Kelowna - it's a mini version of the Tasman Bridge in Hobart!

So, despite the initial hesitations about the Okanagan, it turned out to be a brilliant trip.  We just need to learn to get a little more organised when it comes to booking accommodation on summer long weekends!