The Okanagan awaits
This valley abounds with food, wine, lakes and cycling
The Okanagan Valley is hot literally and figuratively.
This little slice of paradise in British Columbia’s southern interior has ideal summer weather and incredible attractions.
For instance, cycle the Okanagan Rail Trail along gleaming Kalamalka Lake in the north part of the valley, sip wine in the South Okanagan and forage and cook perfect pasta in Kelowna, midvalley.
Okanagan Rail Trail
After picking up rental bikes at KalaVida Surf Shop, the aha moments come thick and fast while cycling the section of the Okanagan Rail Trail that hugs glintinggreen Kalamalka Lake.
There are jaw-dropping vistas galore along the 23-kilometre glacial body of water.
My wife, Kerry, and I are tempted frequently to stop our peddling and simply stare at the view.
There’s that secluded beach we had completely to ourselves for a picnic lunch.
The Kalamalka section is the northern extension of the trail that now spans 50 kilometres from the Okanagan Lake waterfront in downtown Kelowna up to Lake Country and into Coldstream’s Kalamalka Lake Beach.
As the name indicates, the multiuse cycling, hiking, running and walking linear trail is fashioned from the decommissioned CN railway.
Tourism Vernon and KalaVida have latched onto the rail trail section running the entire 23-kilometre west shore of Kalamalka Lake as a tourist-and-local juggernaut.
“I don’t think we can overstate it’s importance,” says Ange Chew of TourismVernon.com.
“It’s one of Vernon’s greatest attractions and it’s free. And cycling or hiking the rail trail can be done on its own or combined with the area’s other greatest attractions like the lakes, wineries, food and downtown vibe.”
Oliver wine country four ways
From McIntrye Bluff to the Canada-U.S. border, from the Black Sage Bench to the Golden Mile Bench and everywhere in between, Oliver and Osoyoos are pure South Okanagan wine region eye candy.
And, yes, the wines from the 43 members of the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association in this 36-kilometre stretch are terrior-driven fabulous as a result.
Kerry and I recently spent the day criss-crossing the region in the sunshine to experience the diversity.
There was mineraly Cabernet Franc at River Stone Winery; peach-and-honey, sunshine-ina-glass Kerner at Oliver Twist Winery; Trebbiano paired with potato-and-truffle-aioli pizza at Hester Creek Winery’s Terrafina restaurant; and charcuterie and Chardonnay on the deck at Vin Amite Cellars.
You can certainly copy what we did and have an incredible time or use the new tour planning page at OliverOsoyoos.com to design your own romp through wine heaven.
Cycle, forage, eat, drink
Without hesitation, chef Michael Buffett of Start Fresh Kitchen declares his pasta-making classes the most popular.
After all, you can’t go wrong making tender noodles from scratch with nona’s recipe and smothering it in a sauce made of tomatoes, herbs and garlic grown at Start Fresh’s own Wise Earth Farm.
Paired with an uber-fresh green salad, assembled, of course, of lettuces, vegetables and herbs raised at Wise Earth, and a glass of wine from East Kelowna’s Kitsch Winery, it’s the ultimate farm-totable meal.
Start Fresh and Wise Earth have amped up the concept by partnering with Giro Okanagan for the consummate Farm-to-Table by Bike tour of Kelowna.
“The theme may be foraging, but really it’s a fun and educational way to ride a bike and strengthen our ongoing connection with the land,” says Gord Hotchkiss of Giro.
When you arrive at Start Fresh with your farm haul, you’ll do some hands-on work in the kitchen, but will be rewarded with that aforementioned farm-to-table meal, family-style, with wine, if you so choose.
The farm and culinary focus, particularly when combined with wine, has become huge for TourismKelowna.com.
Also check out StartFreshKitchen.ca, and GiroOkanagan.com.