Most photos are from various sites in the internet.
The interior of BC (or the Okanagan Valley) is fabulous.
I've always entered it coming from the Rocky Mountains through Jasper. After you approach BC, you'll be in Mt. Robson National Park. When its a clear day, you can see Mt. Robson. I'm sure I've driven this route a few times as a kid...but I always had my nose in a book, so never bothered to see the landscape. The 1st time through as an adult was in around 2003 and I couldn't stop looking at the mountains out my rear-view window.
The scenery is nice following the rivers towards Valemount and Clearwater. As you continue to go south, it gets drier and drier. There are often forest fires in these areas and the town of Barriere was hit with one the time I went through in 2003 - it was so sad to see all the burnt trees - I'm sure they are still standing there.
We stop in Kamloops over night - even though its only another 1.5 hr to get to Kelowna. I find it so strikingly dry when you arrive in Kamloops after leaving the mountains several hours earlier. I found this photo on the internet and it looks alot more green than I remember, that's for sure.
I'm not sure I've spent alot of time here as its pretty small and we're always trying to get to Kelowna or onward to Vancouver. (see Kamloops website: here) There looks like there are some nice buildings to tour, but I've never been, so I can't comment.
The main attraction in the Okanagan is Kelowna! (well, in my opinion). (see website: Kelowna)
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| Dolphin statue - not sure why its there, but I like it |
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| See this along the marina - not far from the dolphins |
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| Ogopogo - I was SURE this was out in the lake (when I was a kid) |
Must See - Wineries! I've been to a couple and they were both very different. Mission Hill Winery (website) is fairly fancy for the area. You get a great view of the Okanagan lake. It reminded me alot of the tour I had in California's Mondavi wine estate. GJA and I enjoyed our time wandering around and looking at the views before our tour started. The wine was yummy too!
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| I needed to bring my wider angle lens - oh well, next time |
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| This is what happens when you get strangers using your camera |
Another winery I went to was Summerhill Pyramid winery (see website). Its bizarre because it has a pyramid there. The views were very nice from there & we had a fabulous time tasting the wine.
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| My brother, his girlfriend, mom & me |
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| Same gruesome bunch |
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| My brother & father |
Must See - Meal at the Gasthaus on the Lake (in Peachland - across the lake from Kelowna about 1/2 hr away - see website). The food is fabulous and is worth the trip. My brother owned a house in Peachland and the hamlet is right on the lake and is teeny tiny. The boardwalk is nice to walk along - but for me, the draw is the Wiener Schnitzel YUM!
Must See - Orchards. The Okanagan valley is the perfect place to grow grapes, apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums and lots of other things. The best part is going to orchards or to road-side fruit stands and buy some fruit. The fruit is always HUGE compared to what Safeway (etal) get - and very juicy too. I love the cherries, but I've never been there in cherry season (which is around June). I've always been there in late August - so there's pears and peaches. GJA and I just drove around randomly in Kelowna and found rows and rows of apple orchards. I couldn't find my photos of the orchards, but I'll keep looking.
Must see - SS. Sicamous. (see website) This is a sternwheeler (boat) and it is actually in Penticton and not Kelowna. Its had been restored and is beautiful inside. I believe that plays are performed in it and it can be rented out for gatherings. I read that the group that is in charge of it might be going bankrupt (April 2011), so I'm not 100% sure its still there, which would be a shame.
Penticton, BC - (see website). This city is about 1 hr south of Kelowna. I've only been there 2x - each to see the SS Sicamous (well, and to watch my brother in the Ironman) so I'm not sure what there is to do there (other than wineries). Its quite far south in BC and its very dry...so the only time I've heard of it, all I hear is that its really dry and really hot and these people just like to sit outside all day long and bake in the sun (not something that I do).
We like to take a different route through the mountains to get back home (i.e., not through Kamloops and Jasper). Driving from Kelowna to Banff takes about 6.5 hr - without stopping. This is when we typically stop for fruit (so we can take it home to enjoy) at fruit stands. In places like Enderby and Sicamous. I've only driven through these places but lots of people spend their summer vacation at Sicamous - they rent houseboats and float around in the Shuswaps (see website) for weeks at a time.
As you approach the mountains, you'll go through Revelstoke (see website). We've only just stopped to get gas, but based on this website, its pretty popular for outdoor activities in the summer and winter.
Continuing onward, you'll hit Golden, BC. (see website)
Spiral train tunnels (see website) near Field, BC. Because the grade was so steep and Canada wanted a train to go across the country, engineers designed this spiral train tunnel system that is still operating today (several trains a day). If you're lucky, sometimes you can see the front and the end of a long train at different elevations as its goes through the tunnel.
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| Never witnessed it my self, but this photo is pretty cool |
Then you cross the Continental divide - the border between BC and Alberta - at ~5300 above sea level - and it is the point where rivers on the west flow to the Pacific ocean and rivers on the east flow to the Atlantic ocean.
Then you arrive in Banff National park - but you still aren't in Banff town site - still a way to go through the mountains (you'll pass Lake Louise/Moraine Lake turn-off).
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| I love driving along the highway and seeing THIS in the distance - Banff Springs Hotel. |
Travel times (with no stopping):
Vancouver to Kelowna - 4.5 hrs
Kelowna to Jasper - 7.5 hrs
Kelowna to Banff - 6.5 hrs
Banff to Calgary - 1.5 hr
I hope your enjoyed your stay in the Okanagan Valley, BC
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