STUNNING SUNSET, DAZZLING SKIES

STU NNING SU NSET DAZZ LING SK IES... The Only Thing Better Than an Okanagan Sunrise is an Okanagan Sunset

Visually, they are both mind boggling, streams of colour travelling off across the horizon. Pink, yellow and orange reflecting off the clouds, the sky and the lakes. Sometimes the colours are so vivid that what you are admiring almost looks fake! So many photos these days are over filtered and adjusted that you lose track as to what is real. Well, take the time and experience both, a sunrise and a sunset and make your own judgement on how wonderful it is in real life.

As Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Osoyoos and all points in between all continue to expand at alarming rates there are still many aspects that will forever stay the same. The Okanagan is full of vineyards, orchards, golf courses, lakes and untouched green spaces that will be around for as long as people remain to visit and live here. But there is a lot more to this valley than just nature. Developments and communities are digging deeper and higher into the surrounding hillside trying to accommodate the influx of people as they come, discover and fall in love with this stunning valley. As the entire Okanagan Valley continues to expand within and beyond its borders, one thing remains evident, that we are the luckiest people in the world to call this place home. It is a magical time as the region forges ahead with city infrastructure and community developments. As the business hub of the Okanagan, Kelowna is experiencing major modernization to the hospital, airport and regional roadways. What was once considered the outskirts of town is now being fully incorporated into a bigger scene. This all adds up to having a better ability to welcome residents and visitors alike to a more modern and updated environment. As much as things continue to change, most of the charm of the Okanagan continues to stay the same. Rolling mountain backdrops, flawless fresh water lakes and hot summer days (one after

another, sometimes for months at a time) grace this area, and likely will forever!

Even though the Okanagan is mostly known for long, hot summers, the region has continued to grow as a winter playground too. For the most part winters in the region are pretty mild, although you might not believe that after that last couple of winters!!, But compared to the rest of Canada, things here are pretty good!

Within an hours drive of almost every city/town in the region, there is a ski/snowboard resort. Winter sports around here are like planting crops, you live and die by the weather. Some years you have a banner crop, and some years you just don’t! This part of the world is no different. In the North Okanagan near Vernon is Silver Star Mountain Resort, renowned for dry Okanagan powder, an incredible terrain park with features for everyone and a great, colourful Victorian style village and community. They operate year-round, offering downhill mountain biking and a bike terrain park too!

Big White is centrally located in the area, just 45 minutes north east of Kelowna. They too benefit from cold, dry snow, several family-oriented activities aside from skiing and snowboarding and play host to many local, provincial, national and international events. Mountain biking is new on the menu at BigWhite and will surely grow in popularity as they get more established!

A quick thirty minutes outside of Penticton is Apex Resort, a full service destination resort known for light snow, friendly people and great terrain. Whether you like cruising the groomed runs, slashing through the trees or taking flight in the terrain park, with so much variety there is something for every skill and age level. There are many other choices for winter adventures as well. Ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice climbing and cross country skiing are all popular and easy when Mother Nature offers such an elaborate and extensive playground!

For the most part the Okanagan Valley runs North/South. So, for the adventurer, head East or West down almost any road and that will bring you into the more rural parts of the valley, where you can find fishing lodges, pristine wilderness lakes and campsites. If you are like many people and require more adventure than just sitting in the sand, it is easy to just wonder into the hillsides and discover all the vineyards, orchards and hiking/biking trails. The beauty is, the deeper you go, you will likely see fewer people and more of nature!

The weather often dictates what you do and when, but when the weather cooperates, it is mostly sunny and you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. That’s the Okanagan way. We are not just limited to adventure, lifestyle and agriculture, it also accommodates a wide variety of traditional sports too. Soccer (which seems to be the most popular sport in the world), tennis, golf, cycling, volleyball, softball and football, from organized leagues to weekend fun, there are enough fields, courts and courses for everyone visiting or living in the Okanagan. And, if it is too windy to participate in these sports, head down to Rotary Beach on Lakeshore Rd. and watch the multi-coloured kite boarders dance through the air and across the water in choreographed chaos.

There are four main bodies of water as you travel from North to South in the Okanagan Valley, and literally hundreds of smaller ones. Vernon is lucky enough to have shoreline on two lakes, Okanagan Lake, the largest body of water in the region and Kalamalka Lake, the most colourful body of water in the region. What makes this lake so unique is the crystal clear azure blue waters. This gives such a tropical feel. If you canít get out in a boat, at least make the effort to get to the shore, it is such a wonderful experience and you will not be disappointed. Okanagan Lake runs from Vernon in the North all the way down to Penticton in the South. There is only one bridge, The W.R. Bennett Bridge which spans Okanagan Lake. It is centrally located in Kelowna at the narrowest point in the lake. It is not only a long lake, but a very deep lake as well, with some spots deeper than 1000 feet. It is rumoured that they have never actually found the bottom of Okanagan Lake, opening the door for legendary stories of Ogopogo, an entirely different topic that you should explore on your ownÖ Okanagan Lake funnels into Skaha Lake via the Penticton Channel. For a relaxing afternoon, grab an inner tube, some sunscreen, a floating cooler and cruise down the channel with a bunch of your closest friends. If you are not a ìfloaterî, take the time to see the canal with your own eyes on a sunny long weekend day in the summer, you will be caught off guard by how many people are actually doing this. Skaha Lake is a little smaller than Okanagan & Kalamalka Lakes and comes to a halt at Okanagan Falls. The final body of water on the list is Osoyoos Lake, which heads

South from the town of Osoyoos and makes it way across the border and into the U.S..

From the North Okanagan down to the border in the south,

The roadsides and lakesides are dotted with communities that each have a charm of their own. Extending from the North Okanagan all the way down south to the US border.

North of Kelowna there is an area sandwiched between Okanagan Lake and Kalamalka Lake known as Lake Country, aptly titled considering its surroundings. The two business communities are Winfield and Oyama, both are full service towns with fuel, food, hotels and marinas, while Carrs Landing and Okanagan Centre are the other two that make up Lake Country. They are more rural with homes, cottages, picnic areas and waterfront parks. After crossing the bridge in Kelowna and starting to head south you come to Peachland and Summerland. Peachland is an adorable lakeside community that has an expansive pebble beach stretching the entire length of the town, the best Sunday walk in the area. With big developments in the hills above the town site, Peachland has some of the most stunning views in the valley as well. Summerland has an olde English charm, as well as a beautiful waterfront, with resorts, parks, beaches and restaurants.

As you wind your way along the highway you encounter such gems as Okanagan Falls and Oliver. This region is on the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert and these moisture rich soils are famous for some of the most amazing and awarded wines. The

hills are covered with scrub brush and ponderosa pines. Like the entire South Okanagan, daytime temperatures in summer are consistently in the mid 30’s. If you are interested in experiencing and tasting some of the amazing vintages, you will certainly enjoy the ‘Wine Capital of Canada’. It is some of these vineyards and wineries that have made the Okanagan so famous and given them such a foothold in the global market of wine production.

Clearly the Okanagan Valley has a whole lot to offer. If you think that all we have to offer is wineries, beaches, golf courses and ski resorts. to a certain degree you are correct! Things are changing here, there is no doubt about that. We are experiencing a growth spurt like never before and there is no end in sight. Life here can be as hurried as you want it to be or as relaxed as you need it to be. That is the real beauty of living in or visiting a region this size. It can have a big city feel or within 30 minutes in any direction you have absolute outdoor freedom! The Okanagan Valley gives you the prospect of trying something new or the comfort of keeping things more conventional.

As the old adage goes, the more things change… the more they stay the same! And that certainly applies here. It is the perfect union, the old Okanagan will stay old and the new Okanagan will progress and continue to move forward. Even if you are coming here to set up shop in the burgeoning tech sector, driving through town or visiting for a week, please make sure you take the time to enjoy a sunrise and sunset, because really, that is what we are all here for and you won’t believe your eyes!

THE LAND of RESOUNDING OPTIONS

As the Okanagan constantly expands, you are faced with more and more decisions. Where to stay, where to eat, where to swim, which wineries to visit and where to swing those golf clubs! These are just options, and they are literally exploding.

The word option is gloriously defined as “the power of choosing”. What a fantastic expression, the power of choosing. There are many parts of the world where this doesn’t even enter into the discussion. We are truly lucky and rewarded for being able to live here and visit here.

When you hear the word “options”, most people immediately think of cars, fast cars with cool options. Well, in the Okanagan fast and fancy cars are readily available. Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes, Jaguar… all available loaded with, you guessed it… options! Boats of all makes and sizes line the highways and shorelines like car dealerships. You would be truly amazed at the options that are now available in wakeboard boats. Pumps, ballast tanks, hot water showers, hot air vents and of course… the finest ice chests on earth that keep your beer and various other family friendly drinks, freezing cold. Just to clear the air, in these pages, there will be no talk of stock options! The path that you chose for a vacation or re-location is fraught with... here we go again, option! Most people will sit in front of their computer (or God forbid read a magazine!) and try to choose their destination. These decisions will be based on many things, what to do, where to go, what to eat, can I play golf, tennis and the list could seemingly go on and on… probably never ending.

After all the criteria have been tirelessly considered, you have settled on the Okanagan. Sun, beaches, wineries, boating,

shopping, skiing… you get the picture. Because there is such a wide array of options here, it attracts people. We are not only famous for sunny weather either, there are fantastic ski resorts within an hour of every major city center in the Okanagan. Don’t forget about ice climbing, snow-mobiling, fat tire biking and crosscountry skiing too.

Now, once the decision makers have arrived in the valley they are bombarded with things to do. Lost of people come here to relax and on the flip side, lots of people don’t have any idea how to relax. For the folks that enjoy relaxing, the main dilemma you are faced with is do you want to sit on a busy action packed beach, or would you rather be a little removed from all the activity? Lucky for you the sunny Okanagan delivers the finest in sandy beaches, pebble beaches and even rock beaches, all you have to do is decide which direction you want to face as you are sipping your margharita or glass of local wine as you read a book overlooking

the lapping waves as the sun starts to dip below the horizon, best sunsets ever! It is a fact that entertaining yourself is not just limited to going to the beach. You can stand up paddle board, golf, minigolf, orchard and wine tour, shop and go for a helicopter tour. If you really wanted to, you could actually do all this over the course of a single a weekend, and keep coming back for different adventures week after week, year after year.

Every day in the Okanagan Valley is just a maze of decision making guiding you through your morning, day, afternoon, evening and night. Luckily everything that you could possibly need is right here,

waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. Whether you are lucky enough to be residing here or just visiting, there are so many options dealing with every aspect of accommodation. The entire Air B&B experience has kind of melded visiting and home. You really get to experience the best of both worlds, spending time in a home while visiting. Every housing, hotel and camping selection is entirely full of options. How many rooms in a suite? Is the hotel next to the water? Can I sleep in a hammock next to my RV or tent? There really is no correct answer, because there are so many options, every night is definitely a new adventure!

One of the greatest observations that people have is the ability to find places to eat. Every group is full of food “on-lookers” and every group has that one special person that has a natural talent for finding that ideal eatery that checks all the boxes of everyone in at the party. From taco food trucks to the finest steakhouses and fine Italian restaurants there are so many options when it comes to food. You can enjoy a street style hot dog on a park bench just as easily as you can appreciate a rack of ribs, a fancy fish dish or roast pheasant!

Now, from start to finish, you have pin pointed where you are going to visit or live and as a result, several options got you to this point. You have also sorted out where you choose to relax, sit in the sand and unwind and enjoy your surroundings. There are so many options for water front activities, action sports, bird watching, hiking, biking, axe throwing and the list literally goes on and on…

On top of all these decisions, you have also chosen where to stay, which is a feat in itself. So many options from having as much as you want or to having as little as you want, there are so many bed and sleep options in the Okanagan Valley.