Blog 5 – Jessica Rempel

August 14, 2018 11:05 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Alright, it’s time for you guys to get the insiders scoop on all of the BEST things to do in the Okanagan. And by the Okanagan, I mean the paradise of British Columbia which lays between Penticton and Vernon. If you’re not one of the many Canadians who already vacation in the Okanagan, then you might want to change your flights after you’ve read how incredible this place really is. Whether it be for our wineries, our incredible lakes, or simply for some hiking through the woods and camping in our forests, people love to come visit us. And luckily for me, I’ve lived in the Okanagan almost my entire life, so I think I can safely give you all of the “local” secrets and hidden gems.

A little background on the layout of the Okanagan (for those who have never been here or never even heard of it). Starting from the South and working your way North you’ve got Penticton, Summerland, Peachland, West Kelowna, Kelowna, Lake Country, and then Vernon! And every one of those cities is positioned right alongside one of our 4 beautiful lakes (mostly alongside the Okanagan lake). As for our lakes, also from South to North, you’ve got Skaha Lake, Okanagan Lake, Woods Lake, and Kalamalka Lake (I’ll talk more about those later).

Okay so now for the insider’s scoop. Let’s start with the good stuff ? FOOD!

Everyone loves to find a secret local spot that has the best scones, the best coffee, or the best soup. Fortunately, I happen to know where all of those places are.

Okay so breakfast.

  • Specialty Bakery: their Saturday morning breakfast buffet is a meal of kings, there’s no way you can leave without your tummy feeling like it will burst. They are also famous for serving a local specialty: the Kelownut Donut! The batter is half croissant half donut and then filled with a delicious custard that will truly have your mouth watering. My sister ordered 200 of these donuts for her wedding, they are seriously THAT good. They have two locations in Kelowna and you won’t regret checking them out.
  • Eatology: a breakfast-served-all-day kind of diner located in the Greyhound in Vernon. Hands down the best eggs benny you’ll ever have.
  • Bohemian Cafe: Situated right downtown Kelowna, this place is always bumping, and for good reason! They make their meals with local ingredients and the best quality. It’s never a disappointment.

Lunch/Dinner:

  • Mad Mango cafe: If you like vietnamese food, this quirky (and busy) little restaurant will definitely satisfy your taste buds. Their laksa soup, vermicelli bowls, and curry soups will literally have you drooling. And don’t forget to try their famous mango jam! Plus their right across the street of the Bohemian Cafe!
  • Raudz: If you’re wanting to try truly incredible cuisine, Raudz is the place to go. Definitely more on the pricey side, and they don’t take reservations, but put your name down, then go for a stroll around downtown Kelowna to build your appetite, and come back for a meal of a lifetime.
  • Burger 55: Although it’s an hour drive from Kelowna, we will often drive out to Penticton just for these burgers! You can’t go wrong with their build-your-own style burgers!

I’m really just scratching the surface of the good places to eat in the Okanagan, you’ll probably have to come here and check it out for yourself to find your own favorite place to eat.

Now my personal favorite recommendations ? Camping!

There are many many places to go camping in and around the Okanagan. Growing up my family took us to Bear Creek Provincial Campground every summer for a week of floating on the lake, soccer in the field, and marshmallows over the fire. If you’re camping with a family, this is definitely a great place to go. It’s located just 30 minutes from downtown Kelowna, across the bridge and up West Side rd. As I mentioned in my second blog, Kentucky Alleyne Lake is another incredible campground to go to! Since there’s hardly enough time to talk about every cabin/campground I’ll just list some of my favorite places and you can look them up yourselves:

  • Idabel Lake: near Big White Ski Resort, this can be either a summer or winter getaway, they have a great fishing lake and beautiful cozy cabins.
  • Mabel Lake: another perfect campground for a family getaway and located just 45 minutes from Vernon. (you can check out the video I made from Mabel lake in Blog #3)
  • Aspengrove equestrian academy: just outside of Vernon, this is the most relaxing getaway I’ve ever taken. There are beautiful trails and great cabins to stay in.
  • Echo Lake: also just outside of Vernon, they have both cabins and campsites to stay at. A great place for families or a fishing weekend.
  • Postill Lake Lodge: a little more on the rustic side and you’d probably need an all wheel drive vehicle to get up there in the winter, but definitely worth looking into!
  • Tin Poppy Retreat: we found this cabin on Airbnb actually, and would highly recommend staying there! My family went there for a winter retreat and we loved it.

Cabins at Aspengrove Equestrian Academy

If you’re looking for more of a lost-in-the-woods, no cell service, running water or civilization kind of camping then I would suggest the Oyama look-out. Although it’s not an “official” place to camp, lots of locals will bring a tent (or a hammock) up there and spend the night. It’s actually my personal favorite place to spend the night (or even just hike around for the day). Getting there is quite simple as well. You drive 8km up Oyama lake rd (towards the zipline) and between kilometer 7 and 8 there will be a sharp hairpin turn. You pull over there and the view is just over the bank.

Camping at Oyama Lookout

Kentucky Alleyne Lake

Fishing on Mabel Lake

Cabin at Tin Poppy Retreat

Snowshoeing at Postill Lake

And lastly ? Hiking/Biking/Waterfalling/Beaching

Although Okanagan Lake is most well renowned, there are actually 4 lakes all within a few kilometers of Okanagan Lake, and I personally think the other 3 lakes are much nicer than Okanagan. So if you’re planning on checking out the lakes, I would recommend these 3 beaches: (in order of my preference)

  • Kaloya: this beach is hands down on our most beautiful lake, Kalamalka lake. In the summer the water turns emerald green and looks like it should be a desktop background. This beach also has lots of grass for sports and a trail that runs along the peninsula.
  • Resiwig: this beach literally has it all. Soccer fields, volleyball courts, picnic tables, a giant gazebo, and lotssss of sandy beach! You could spend all day here and be totally happy.

Bertram Creek: this beach has both trails, soccer fields, and beach. It’s a little bit out of the way, but it will definitely be much quieter than some of the more popular beaches.

Biking:

  • Okanagan Rail Trail: this biking trail runs all the way from downtown Kelowna to downtown Vernon. The majority of it runs alongside Woods and Kalamalka lake with breathtaking views the entire time. It’s 48 kms in total, but the most scenic views are in Lake Country, so I would suggest starting there and working your way towards Vernon. You will be biking right along the shore of the lake and the best part is, as soon as you get hot you just pull over and hop in the lake to refresh!
  • Knox Mountain/Paul’s tomb: this hike is probably one of Kelowna’s most famous hikes. It’s base is right downtown and climbs to the top of a small mountain that overlooks all of the city. Knox mountain is a hike straight upwards, but Paul’s Tomb is a leisure walk that takes you around the base of the mountain to a peaceful beach.

Okanagan Rail Trail (along Kalamalka Lake)

Waterfalls:

  • Bear Creek falls: these waterfalls are located across the street from the Bear Creek campgrounds I mentioned before and they are also a place I spent a lot of time exploring growing up.
  • Fintry falls: These waterfalls are a little ways passed the Bear Creek waterfalls, but definitely worth checking out! There’s a rope swing at the top of one waterfall and a natural slide down the other.
  • Crawford falls: These falls are a lot closer to town, and a nice hike at the same time. If you go during the spring it’s quite spectacular to see the immense amount of water pouring over the cliff!
  • Mills Creek: A smaller waterfall in Kelowna, but it’s alongside a beautiful trail that winds through the trees. I often take friends from out of town here simply because it’s a short 5 minute walk into the trail until you get to the waterfall.

Hiking

  • Dilworth Mountain: my favorite part about this hike is that it’s right in the middle of town (and literally 5 minutes from my old house), the walk is very easy, and the view is spectacular. I often bring my hammock up there to catch the sunset.
  • Cosens Bay: this has been my go to place now that we’ve moved to Vernon (it’s 10 minutes away from me), it has incredible views, plenty of trials, and a gorgeous beach at the end.
  • Spion Kop Trails: this is a slightly more strenuous hike, but the view at the top is worth it! From the top you can see 4 different lakes!

 

Spion Kop Summit (Lake Country)

Cosens Bay Trail (Vernon)

View from Paul’s Tomb (Kelowna)

 

Dilworth Mountain (Kelowna)

If you have any questions on how to get to some of these places feel free to comment and I would love to help you out! And I guess the only question I need to ask you now is have you started packing your bags yet?

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