Remember those days when every summer, the entire family would hop into the car and venture off into the Okanagan?  It was the classic holiday for many families, especially those living on the mainland.  It was the family holiday that many of you all looked forward to each and every year.  Today, there are many of us who now live on Vancouver Island and have our own families.  And even though we are across the water from the mainland and the Okanagan is a little further away, it is still strong in our hearts and our memories.  We remember the warm summer breezes and crystal clear warm waters of Lake Skaha and Lake Okanagan.  We remember the days of Motel 6 when it was true to its name; rooms were only six dollars a night.  We remember coming home with boxes of fresh fruit and those big juicy luscious peaches we picked right off the tree.

With fond memories of a truly great holiday in the Okanagan and years of wanting to do it again, we packed up our car and headed down Island from our home in Parksville. Our journey would include stops at: Victoria, Harrison Hot Springs, Osoyoos Penticton and Kelowna.

Victoria

Our journey began in Victoria and that can be a great vacation in itself. The shopping is great and there are so many things we have on our list of ‘Victoria things to do’. Museums, art galleries, castles, amazing gardens and the choice of restaurants are one of the best you will find anywhere. Some of our favourite hotels to stay right downtown are The Laurel Point Inn, Grand Pacific, The Oswego, The Queen Victoria and the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort Hotel & Spa. These hotels are in fact some of the selected hotels for H&L’s Premier Hotels & Resorts and you can find out more about them with contact information and a direct link to their website at hlmagazine.com.  Our choice for this trip was the Delta Ocean Pointe with stunning views of the harbour and city.  I absolutely love the view from this hotel at night with the Parliament buildings all lit up.  Speaking of views, it’s hard to beat the view from the Delta’s famed Lure Restaurant with floor to ceiling windows while you enjoy award winning food from renowned chef Craig Stoneman.  The other thing I love about The Delta Ocean Pointe is the Indoor Solarium Pool, sauna, hot tub, fitness facility, racquet/squash courts and the outdoor tennis courts.  Our stay would not be complete with experiencing the European-style spa where we were treated to facials that left us feeling restored and rejuvenated before we headed off to the ferry to our next destination, Harrison Hot Springs.

Harrison Hot Springs

Now this brought back memories!  I remember my parents going there without us for romantic weekend get-aways, as it is only two hours east of Vancouver.  They would talk about the famous Harrison Resort where they would stay, and the dinner and dancing they enjoyed in the Copper Room.  We just had to stop here and experience what they did and many couples did and still do today.  Harrison Hot Springs was named after Benjamin Harrison, an important shareholder and committee member of the Hudson Bay Company.

Surrounded by mountains and situated on the southern shore of spectacular Harrison Lake, the springs have been welcoming guests for nearly 125 years. Harrison Hot Springs activities are endless.  The Resort Marina offers fishing charters and lake tours year round plus jet ski and boat rentals throughout the summer.  There’s also great golfing, waterslides, eco tours and so much more.

In my mind there is nowhere else to stay but The Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa.  The resort features five natural mineral hot springs pools both indoors and out, a children’s water park and playground, tennis courts and great nature trails.  The resort is the only place you can enjoy the natural healing waters for which Harrison is famous for.  Take a walk along the south shore and there you will find the steaming hot water coming out of the ground. There is a variety of accommodation choices including cute little cottages situated at the back of the resort property along a river and set amongst fir trees.  These charming cottages include a living room with gas fireplace, refrigerator, separate bedroom with queen bed and bathroom. They even come complete with patio chairs and tables – perfect for the family who wants some space and freedom!

Osoyoos

Back in the 60’s when I travelled with my parents to the Okanagan, there was no Coquihalla Highway.  We always travelled the old Hope-Princeton Highway, known as Highway #3.  The highway, which is mostly two lanes, was officially incorporated in 1932, and follows a mid-19th century gold rush trail.  I love this old original route that passes through the small and historical towns of Princeton, Hedley and Keremeos before descending into the warmest town in Canada – Osoyoos.  Along the way you’ll pass the famous Hope Slide.  I remember when this happened.  On Saturday, January 9, 1965 Johnson’s Peak broke in half and plunged 4,000 feet into the valley below. The Hope-Princeton Highway #3 was covered approximately 300 feet deep and a mile and a half long. The slide was triggered by an earthquake and is the largest landslide ever recorded in Canada.

Wow, Osoyoos has really changed since I was last here in the 60’s.  There’s is so much more to see and do. Great restaurants, two fantastic golf courses and wineries abound. With Mount Baldy just a 45 minute drive away, you could ski in the morning – golf in the afternoon.  Osoyoos is the southern most community of Canada’s Okanagan Valley and boasts the warmest fresh water lake and longest golf season in Canada.

There’s a wonderful new luxurious hotel we have been hearing about and we just had to go experience it.  It’s called The Walnut Beach Resort.  Situated right on the lake with its own private sandy beach, outdoor pool and two hot tubs with wine bar offering a mouth-watering selection of tapas, we felt as though we were sitting at a 5 star resort on Cabo!  The rooms at The Walnut Beach Resort are some of the nicest appointed you’ll find anywhere.  They come with a fully equipped kitchen with a full size stainless steel fridge, stove, dishwasher and microwave.  They also come complete with Flat-Screen TV and MP3 Player and fireplaces in some of the suites.  Oh, let’s not forget the spacious balconies overlooking the lake, mountains or both … exquisite!

Penticton

Leaving Osoyoos was tough but we were excited to experience what the Okanagan still had in store.  Our next stop was Penticton and the drive there was splendid as we drove through Oliver and passed by numerous and unique winery signs.  I could not believe the multitude of wineries as we drove with the windows down in our Jaguar enjoying the warm Okanagan air I so much remember as a child.  As we drove along the highway I also enjoyed seeing Penticton below, just as I did nearly 50 years ago.  There it was Penticton with Skaha Lake and its long golden sand beach!  I was filled with the same feeling of excitement as I had been 45 years earlier.  I couldn’t wait to pull the car over and jump into the lake just as we had always done when we were kids.

Now, where else to stay in Penticton but the Penticton Lakeside Resort & Casino!  Previously owned by the Delta Hotel chain, the new owners, RBP Resorts & Hotels have done an amazing job with many upgrades.  The recently expanded and renovated hotel has been decorated in rich colours reminiscent of ancient Tuscany.  The 18,500 square foot casino is stunning and I particularly love sitting outside on the patio of the Barking Parrot Lounge and enjoying the warm summer breeze coming down the valley and off the lake…truly relaxing.  Our room was perfect, as each morning I went out on our balcony and savoured the lake view.  I loved each morning, as I took in a 5k run and would dive into the warm lake when I finished…ahhhhhhh.

When staying at the Penticton Lakeside Resort, don’t miss dining at The Hooded Merganser.  Named after the rare and reclusive North American duck, the Hooded Merganser is an architectural masterpiece built right on Okanagan Lake. The panoramic views of the lake and mountains are the best views found anywhere in Penticton.  Inside, the décor is luxurious, the atmosphere is casual and the menu diverse – yet reasonable.

There is so much to do while staying at the Penticton Resort.  There’s a dock right there at the hotel that provides boat rentals as well as waterskiing, sailing, parasailing, windsurfing, and jet skiing.  There’s something at this resort for every member of the family and you’re a 5 minute walk from all the great shops on Main street!  Oh, and one more thing. Do not miss out on a tubing adventure down the channel that connects Lake Okanagan and Skaha Lake. However, in order to tube down this channel you will need to take an intensive four hour tubing course in order to get your ‘tubing licence’ from the Department of Okanagan Tubing.  Tubing without a licence is strictly prohibited and the RCMP has several motorized inner tubes that regularly patrol the channel ….. kidding!  Really, it’s easy, it’s fun and it’s worth it.  No licence necessary and it’s a very inexpensive darn good time.

Kelowna

Kelowna is a dynamic city of about 120,000 people.  It’s the largest and fastest growing city in the Okanagan with daily direct flights to Seattle, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto.  Our stay, yet another gem and pride of the town – The Delta Okanagan Grand Hotel & Resort and I can tell you we were royally spoiled as we graciously accepted the privilege of staying in the luxury waterfront villas of The Royal Private Residence Club.  Our room was one that you would expect for a Hollywood star. In fact, the day we checked out, Rod Stewart was checking in.  These suites are superb with massive balconies with mountain and lake views. The décor is rich, timeless and elegant… pass the Grey Poupon!  I have always adored the Grand Okanagan Hotel & Resort.  I love that it’s situated right on the lake in a park-like setting with a wonderful boardwalk that meanders through over seven magical acres of flowers, trees and waterfalls. While we enjoyed the beach at our doorstep, we took advantage of a pool patio area on the top floor…amazing.  Simply amazing!  As we sat by the pool sipping strawberry daiquiris and looking out over the lake, we had to pinch ourselves just to make sure we weren’t in a fairy tale dream.   Before we left Kelowna, we drove 15 minutes north to Oyama to meet Chris Casparis who builds hand-crafted luxury (and I mean luxury) wooden boats.  His company, Sea Sonic, builds the highly acclaimed Centaur with two massive 454 cubic V-8 engines pumping out over 800 hp!  We just had to give this baby a go!  And go we did, as we screamed down the turquoise blue waters of Kalamalka Lake in this half million dollar missile…yeee haaaaa!

If you haven’t visited the Okanagan recently, you’ve just got to do it.  Grab the kids, hop in the car and experience what families and couples have experienced year after year for decades… a value packed memorable holiday that keeps you coming back.  I know we’ll be back.  In fact, we’re going back again this summer. And this time, we want to experience some of the fabulous wineries, cycling the Kettle Valley Railway and experiencing some of the world renowned golf courses.  We can’t wait!