The Okanagan Silkameen
The Okanagan Similkameen is one of the most popular tourist areas in British Columbia--and no wonder. First, there is the sun--it is the sunniest part of B.C. The beautiful lakes in the region (Osoyoos, Skaha, Okanagan and Kalamalka Lakes) are relatively narrow and shallow and, therefore, very warm. In the summer and fall, fresh fruit is always available from stands beside the highways and from the orchards that grace the hillsides. The approximate dates for ripe fruit are:
| Cherries | June 25 - July 20 |
| Peaches | July 20 - September 10 |
| Pears | August 15 - September 15 |
| Apricots | July 15 - August 10 |
| Plums | September 1 - September 20 |
| Apples | August 1 - October 20 |
| Grapes | September 5 - October 10 |
The Okanagan is becoming well-known for its wineries--there are now approx. 25 throughout the region and more starting up every year. Most give tours and wine tastings. The wineries are of three types the large commercial wineries, the beautiful estate wineries and the small, charming farmgate wineries. The B.C. wine industry has made dramatic strides in the quality of its products in the past few years and is beginning to enjoy international recognition. White wine is the mainstay of the industry, but in the past few years many wineries are increasing their production of red wines. The wineries giving tours include Bella Vista (Vernon), Gray Monk (Okanagan Centre), Calona (Kelowna), Cedarcreek (Kelowna), House of Rose (Kelowna), Quails' Gate (Kelowna), St. Hubertus (Kelowna), Summerhill (Kelowna), Lake Breezes (Naramata), Mission Hill (Westbank), Hainle (Peachland), Sumac Ridge (Summerland), Lang (Naramata); Lecomte (Okanagan Falls), Wild Goose (Okanagan Falls), Divina (Oliver); Domaine Cambret (Oliver); Gheringer Bros. (Oliver), Blue Mountain (Oliver), Okanagan Vineyards (Oliver), Tinhorn Creek (Oliver) and Crowsnest (Cawston). Note that some tours and tastings require you to call ahead.
If you like a little more excitement, there are waterslides at Kelowna, Osoyoos, Westbank and Penticton--not to mention all sorts of other "tourist" attractions, such as Flintstones' Bedrock City at Kelowna, Old MacDonald's Farm at Westbank, the Okanagan Game Farm near Penticton and Swan Lake Animal Village at Vernon.
There is also plenty of history--the Enderby & District Museum, Kelowna's Centennial Museum and Father Pandosy's Mission, the restored 1877 Grist Mill at Keremeos, the S.S. Sicamous, the last sternwheeler to ply Okanagan Lake, in Penticton and the historic O'Keefe Ranch near Vernon (the original ranch in the area).
The spring and fall seasons in the Okanagan are special--spring for blossom time in the orchards and fall for fruit picking time and the annual Okanagan Wine Festival with its events throughout the area.
The region has many delightful towns and cities. Kelowna is the biggest city in the region, and its older downtown area located on Okanagan Lake (the home of legendary Ogopogo (B.C.'s Loch Ness monster) is lovely. Vernon, Penticton, Summerland, Peachland and Westbank are some of the other towns in the region that are worth a visit.
At the southern end of the Okanagan Valley lies the only true desert in Canada. With less than 10 inches of rain annually and summer temperatures usually exceeding 30 degrees (C.), the South Okanagan is a mecca for sun-worshippers and desert-lovers alike.
The South Okanagan begins at the village of Okanagan Falls which lies at the southern tip of Skaha Lake. For a great ice-cream cone, stop at Tickleberry's as you leave Okanagan Falls. Vaseaux Lake, a bird sanctuary and wildlife preserve, lies a few miles further south. A couple of miles further south you will see McIntyre Bluff, with its distinctive 1000 m. profile of a face. Highway 97 crosses the Okanagan River a few miles south of McIntyre Bluff, just past Inkaneep Winery. Four miles south of this point, the bridge marks the beginning of a 15 km. paved bike path that follows the Okanagan River south to Oliver and beyond. This is also a good place to float down the river on inner tubes.
If stars interest you, tour the White Lake Observatory, near Oliver--located here because of the consistently clear desert skies. If you are visiting in the Oliver area, make sure you stop at fruit stands along the highway for cherries, apricots, peaches and plums in season. Many orchardists will allow you to pick the fruit yourself.
While staying near Oliver, visitors can play at Fairview Mountain Golf Course or Cherry Grove Golf Course, a beautiful green acreage beside Tuc-el-Nuit Lake. Tuc-el-Nuit is a warm shallow lake only 1 km. long, making it ideal for swimming. Horseback riding and trail rides for novices or experienced riders are available in the raw desert at the Inkaneep Indian Band.
For those more inclined to para-sailing and water-skiing, travel south a further 20 km. to Osoyoos, a Spanish-motif town catering to summer visitors located at the midsection of Osoyoos Lake.
The Similkameen Valley is at the southwestern side of the Okanagan. It has a different feel than the Okanagan--more frontier-like--dotted with old mining ghost towns centred around Princeton and the historic mining operation at Nickel Plate Mountain near Hedley. Visit the Princeton Fall Fair and Rodeo in mid-September.