British Columbia Canada Blog

I am not a wine Connoiseur but being a resident of Okanagan valley, I know how much fun Okanagan Spring Wine Festivals are and am excited about 14th annual Okanagan Spring Wine Festival which will be held from May 1-10 2008.

There are over 70 Wineries in the Okanagan and Okanagan Spring wine Festival is the perfect time to visit them. The Okanagan Spring Wine Festival has been described as ‘One of Canada’s best small festivals’ and offers an exciting experience to anyone interested in great wine and fine cuisine. There are several interesting events and you can get tickets for different events on Ticketmaster.

 So, what are you waiting for ? Purchase your tickets and experience the finest wines that are being produced right here in Okanagan Wine Country.

 For more information, call the Okanagan Wine Festival Society at : 250-861-6654

Related Links:

BC wineries
Thompson Okanagan Wineries

(Image Credit : www.owfs.com)

If you hate big tourist crowds then February is the right time to visit Victoria. As it is a low key season, you can get great deals on hotels and flights. If you’re in Victoria there are numerous attractions to see such as: The Parliament Building, the BC Museum, Empress Hotel, City Tours, Butchart Gardens, Whale Watching Tours and much more. Check out some pictures of Victoria in February.

Victoria Accommodations

• Victoria Hotels
• Victoria Extended Stay
• Victoria Resorts
• Victoria B&B

Victoria Activities

• Victoria Attractions
• Victoria Spas
• Victoria Fishing

Attention Snowboarders!

One of the most happening events is about to take place at Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops, British Columbia, called You Look Good Rider’s Cup (YLGRC08). The event is scheduled to take place at Sun Peaks on March 15, 2008. This is YOUR chance to win $30,000. You Look Good Rider’s Cup is an event for you to meet pro snowboarders, models and local celebrities. Check out the details on YLGRC08 below:

• Practice: Open Practice

• Qualifiers: All riders will receive 2 judged runs. Best run counts. Number of finalists determined at Mandatory.Riders meeting on event day.

• Finals: 2 Judged runs, Best Run Counts. In the case of a Tie Break judges will use second run score.

CASH & PRIZING:

SALOMON Amateurs Top Men/Women will receive new gear from SALOMON SNOWBOARDS and a chance to earn a 2008 SALOMON SNOWBOARDS sponsorship contract

RIPZONE Best Trick: Ripzone will be awarding $500 Cash for the single best trick during the finals on the Ripzone specific feature. Riders of any age, male or female, must make it to the finals to be eligible for the Ripzone Best Trick.

CAMP OF CHAMPIONS

CAMP OF CHAMPIONS will be awarding one five day camp in the Salomon Amateur category and one eight day Pro camp in the Coors Light Pro Category at each of the five YOU LOOK GOOD Rider’s Cup events. In addition COC will select the most deserving stand out rider that competed throughout the series and award them with a 2008 coaching opportunity at the CAMP OF CHAMPIONS.

YAMAHA MOTOR CANADA

Yamaha will be awarding a 2008 Yamaha Phazer to the overall series champion, the individual who collects the most points throughout the series in the Coors Light Pro Open (men or Women) COORS LIGHT PRO: Top three in each category will receive cash prizes.

PRO MEN: 1st $2000 2nd $1000 3rd $500

PRO WOMEN: 1st $500 2nd $300 3rd $200

One of my favourite things to do at Big White Ski Resort is Snowmobiling. You can also take advantage of professionally guided snowmobiling tours like Outback Snowmobile tours.  

Check out some Snowmobile Tour rates:

• Single Rider ( With Passenger)
• 1 hour Tour - $ 119 (+ $49)
• 2 Hour Tour- $169(+69)
• 4 hour Tour -$229(+99)

I personally think Snowmobiling is a good idea for holiday celebrations, family reunions, corporate adventures, weekend getaways, bachelor parties or even upcoming spring break. Many snowmobile tours involve: Scenic rides with Photo stops and Hot chocolate. So, if you haven’t tried snowmobiling before, it’s time to try it out now before the season is over.

For any questions or concerns, contact activities desk : 250-491-6111

Related Links
BC Snowmobiling
BC Ski Resorts

A few weeks ago I met up with a few friends for a winter weekend away in the Okanagan. A phone call to Louise at Raven B&B at Idabel Lake was all it took to set something up. She has a guest house (it’s not really a B&B since she does not do a breakfast unless there is a special request – usually from Snowmobile groups or summer cycling groups travelling the Trans Canada Trail, which runs right by her place) Winter was setting in at the higher elevations and the lakes were freezing over, with an marked shortage of snow.

Temperatures had dipped to -20 degrees Celsius in the previous nights, so with caution, we tiptoed out onto her dugout which had frozen over. The ice was solid, so Louise and her husband began to flood the ice for their private skating rink. This requires drilling a hole in the ice and setting up a pump to spray a thin layer of water across the top to create a perfectly smooth surface. Since the dugout was sufficiently frozen, we decided to venture out onto the adjacent marshland and then eventually onto Idabel Lake. The surface was almost perfectly smooth, and with 4-5 inches of ice it made a perfect skating surface. Since we hadn’t thought to pack along our skates, we had to settle for sliding around in our boots. 

Our sliding took us past the popular Idabel Lake Resort which is situated right on the edge of the lake, facing west. The resort itself has numerous rooms, with balconies and hot-tubs, as well as several self-contained cabins perched up on the hillside, also facing west. We definitely plan to return to the resort in the future to have some drinks in a hot-tub after skating or cross-country skiing. What could be a better way to watch the sun set over a frozen lake on a cold winter evening than from a hot-tub? The remainder of the weekend was very relaxing, enjoying the fireplace  and some great food and drinks at the guest house.

Related Links

BC Resorts
BC B&B

This past weekend we traveled to Silver Star Resort in Vernon British Columbia.  Silver Star is better known for its skiing/snowboarding vacations in winter, however there is still much fun to be had in the summer as well.  Silver Star is actually only 20 minutes away from downtown Vernon and hosts numerous condos, chalets and restaurants.  We stayed at Silver Star’s spectacular Snowbird lodge and were very impressed with the high quality of the room.  Here’s a brief overview of our room at the Snowbird Lodge.

The Snowbird Lodge 3 bedroom executive unit has 1 king size bed (or queen) in bedroom 1 and bedding varies per second and third bedroom and living room. This unit has 2 bathrooms. The unit offers a dining area, as well as a kitchen with fridge, stove, oven, dishwasher, microwave, a living area, TV/DVD fireplace, wireless Internet access, private outdoor hot tub, balcony and private laundry facility. - SilverStar.com

We also took advantage of the warm weather at Silver Star to take a chair lift to the mountain top in order to hike down one of many trails.  The hike actually only took 40 minutes and provided us with wonderful views of the entire resort.

Related Links:
Silver Star Hotels
Silver Star Resorts
BC Hiking

It was our 2nd wedding anniversary last week and my husband surprised me by taking me on one of the most interesting boat tours in Kelowna, ” The Princess.”  It was a very enjoyable experience. He had informed the Captain that it was our special occasion so the crew had prepared a delicious anniversary dinner for us. Believe me, dinner on a boat with a cool breeze blowing, spectacular view of Lake Okanagan and surrounding lush green forests is a delightful way to celebrate your special day. Our dinner which included BBQ chicken, Potato Salad, Grilled Carrots, Toasted Bread and Macaroni Salad was sumptuous.  The boat also offers various alcoholic beverages such as beer, Okanagan Wine, and other fine cocktails.

I do recommend braining a sweater or fleece as it can get pretty cool out in the open water of the lake during the evening.  It is also much windier on the Lake than it is on land so don’t bring a blanket because it may fly away.

Tour Pricing - Call 1 250 869-6696

Senior (65+) $13.00
Adults (18-64) $15.00
Youth (13-17) $12.00
Child (5-12) $7.00

Related Links
Thompson Okanagan Spas
Thompson Okanagan Sightseeing

When searching for travel, accommodation or vacation information in British Columbia, how do you search, what keywords do you use?  We are interested in better understanding this so to help us out, please answer our question in the British Columbia travel poll below. Thank you!

Clearwater is located in spectacular Wells Gray Country and is known for its camping grounds, renowned Wells Gray Park, scenic beauty, abundant wildlife and white water rapids which are suitable for young and old alike. It is only about an hour drive from Kamloops, British Columbia.

It’s not too difficult to find suitable accommodation in the region. However, for a true Clearwater experience try camping at the KOA campground and you will surely have lots of fun. Last month I visited Clearwater for the first time when I had a chance to go camping with some friends and was truly impressed by its pristine beauty. We camped at KOA campground and it offered amenities like neat and clean restrooms, games room for kids, wireless Internet access, mini golf, beach volleyball, swimming pool, restaurant (which is a bit expensive) and a campground store (just in case you forget your toothbrush or Bug Spray)   

The rafting experience in Clearwater can be described as absolutely thrilling and exhilarating.  The North Thompson river is suitable for easy going paddling and for extreme rafters the swift currents of Clearwater River can provide some challenge.

If you have a craving for a sumptuous meal after a few hard days of outdoor activities, I would definitely recommend “Old Caboose Restaurant” for breakfast as their breakfast specials are really delicious and quite reasonable.

Related Links:
Clearwater Whitewater Rafting
Thompson Okanagan

I’m told that Kalamalka Lake was once voted by National Geographic  Magazine to be one of the top 10 most beautiful lakes on earth. I believe  it. If you ever drive by there on a sunny summer afternoon, you’ll see  why it is called Kalamalka, which translates to “lake of many colors,”  in the local native language. I’m not sure what causes it, but I’m guessing that there’s an abundance of minerals in the lake which must come  from the glaciers in the Monashee Mountains to the east. The colors are  all difference shades of blue depending on the angle of the sun and  the depth of the water. The colors are much more pronounced in the  summer.

Fortunately, the lake is relatively undeveloped because it is lined  by steep cliffs on the east side, and a railroad track on the west side. Vernon lies to the north end of the lake, which makes it quite busy  there, and the South end of the lake is at Oyama, which is a small  agricultural community on the isthmus between ‘Kal’ Lake and Woods Lake.  There’s a small channel that actually connects the two lakes beneath the road and railroad tracks at Oyama. Situated on that channel is a campground called Tween Lakes Campground. Great spot to enjoy both lakes, especially Kalamalka, in the summer and shoulder seasons. Book early if you want to be on the water!

Related Links:
Thompson Okanagan
Vernon Hotels
Vernon Resorts and Lodges