FOUR ROUTES TO OKANAGAN
Each path on the drive from Vancouver has distinctive charms and spots to explore
We all have our favourite roadtrip pit stops when travelling due east from Metro Vancouver to the Okanagan. Like the coffee shop whose good java (and good conversation) fuels a long drive ahead, or the harvest market that stocks the ultimate road-trip snacks. But have you really experienced what this swath of agricultural land has to offer?
Here are four routes made for road tripping — and smelling the lavender along the way.
TRAVELLING HIGHWAY 1: THE FRASER VALLEY
East of Vancouver, family-run farms near Abbotsford offer a quick (and quaint) escape from the city, to nourish your soul and replenish your walk-in pantry.
To start, get lost in the lavender at Tuscan Farm Gardens, where fragrant fields bloom alongside a flower garden with a lily pond, fountains, wildflowers, and a rosetrimmed gazebo (advance online tickets are a must). Tuscan’s handmade, natural products such as essential oils, honey, tea and spa products make for ideal take-home treasures.
Hope might be a gas-station hub for road-trip warriors, but did you know that this town of more than 6,000 is also a hot spot for some seriously good home-cooked meals?
The Owl Street Cafe, for example, is a “great Canadian pit stop” with melt-in-your mouth omelettes, delicate Dutch Baby pancakes, and decadent caramel lattes. And that’s just breakfast. Consider your next stop as you take in the eatery’s eclectic melange of owls (ceramic, stuffed and otherwise) — more than 300 creatures that largely have been donated by customers far and wide.
It may be wishful thinking, but you could try to two-wheel your calories away. No matter where you fuel up (car and/or stomach), ask the locals where best to hit the mountain biking trail. Chances are they’ll steer you to the Hope Bike Park (a.k.a. Coquihalla River Community Park), right next to the Coquihalla Campground. It includes 2.5 acres of woodland with sections for all skill levels, including three pump tracks and seven jump lines.
TRAVELLING HIGHWAY 7 TO HIGHWAY 1:
THE SCENIC ROUTE
Highway 7 is fondly referred to as “the scenic route,” and for good reason. Running parallel to Highway 1 on the north side of the Fraser River, it provides a lovely change of scenery from the slightly quicker Highway 1 corridor out of Vancouver — with some pretty compelling reasons to stop along the way.
The forested community of Maple Ridge is a natural beauty that boasts a bounty of craft breweries and taphouses along their B.C. Ale Trail. Choose a designated driver, park your car and stay awhile at local favourites Foamers’ Folly Brewing (try the Blackberry Lemoncello
Sour Ale) or Maple Mead- ows Brewing (the Nitro Margarita Ale is a must). For more variety, check out Ridge Brewing’s Wind & Sea Northwest Pale Ale or have a pull of Silver Valley Brewing ’s Californication: California Common.
TRAVELLING HIGHWAY 5/ HIGHWAY 97
Ah, the “fast route.” With its nearly straight shot to Kamloops (you turn off onto Highway 97 to make your way to Kelowna), this stretch of road is often overlooked for roadside stops. Here’s your chance to slow down and explore.
With more than 7,000 residents, Merritt may be modest in numbers but it’s big when it comes to country music. Built on ranching, mining and forestry, Merritt sits at the junction of the Nicola and Coldwater rivers. It’s home to the Merritt Walk of Stars — handprints and bronzed stars that line the sidewalks and adorn the local businesses — commemorating artists who have performed here (think: The Dixie Chicks, Keith Urban and Tim Mcgraw). Learn more about Merritt with a stop at Baillie House, whose buildings and general store date back to the early 1900s.
Fuel up for the road ahead at Indigenous-owned Kekuli Cafe with Bannockwiches, Pow Wow Frybread, and Bannock Flatbread Tacos — all traditional offerings with a modern twist.
Explore the surrounding Nicola
Valley grasslands, hills, lakes and ranches. For the latter, the historic Nicola Ranch is just 10 kilometres northeast on Highway 5A — home to the region’s first post office.
Stop at nearby Nicola Lake in Monck Provincial Park for a breather before moving along to Douglas Lake Ranch, a fly-fishing spot that boasts a few private-access, stillwater lakes for casting alongside comfy lodge-style accommodations.
Before you head into West Kelowna (Highway 97), take the turn-off towards Peachland/ Penticton (Highway 97 South) to Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards, set on the historic Greata Ranch overlooking Okanagan Lake.
TRAVELLING HIGHWAY 3/ HIGHWAY 97
This less-hurried route is lined with trees, trees and more trees. But there’s more to it than that. Here, you can explore vast nature, Indigenous experiences and unexpected wine tours along the way.
While this valley may not receive the same hype as its sizable Okanagan neighbour, the Similkameen is a charming, bucolic place of orchards, ranches and lesser-known wineries. Enter Grape Escapes Wine Tours, a skilled crew eager to help you explore B.C.’S “undiscovered” wine region.
Sign on for their Similkameen Valley Wine Tour, where you’ll visit five hand-picked wineries. These may include the artisan Clos
Du Soleil (co-owned by Dr. Bon- nie Henry herself ) that produces Bordeaux-style wines infused with the flavours of the rocky landscape.
For a bird’s-eye view of the landscape, consider a full-day, four-stop tour with Valhalla Helicopters. High-flying fun begins in West Kelowna with touchdowns at choice wineries in the Naramata Bench, near Oliver, and in Summerland. The tour stops in the Similkameen for leisurely sips of either the full-bodied reds at Seven Stones Winery or the dry-pear and apple pours at Forbidden Fruit Winery, a certified organic tree fruit farm, vineyard and nature estate on the Similkameen River.
If you’re hungry after all that sipping, take advantage of the area’s orchard setting and visit the array of produce stands, especially for luscious summer peaches and corn. Where to start? Keremeos, the “Fruit Stand Capital of Canada,” of course.