Kelowna & the Okanagan

Friday afternoon we took of with Nic & Daragh for the long weekend - it was a public holiday on Monday as well as Nic's birthday. We were heading for the Okanagan, and staying in Kelowna. It's the heart of BC's wine area, and right on a big lake. Kelowna is about 5 hours drive from the centre of Vancouver, and mostly highway all the way so you can do speeds of 120km/h or so most of the way - so we didn't get there until about 9pm. As Andrew and I checked in they mentioned that there was a comedy night on next door, so we went along to that, which was great!

Saturday morning we headed north, to a place called Vernon, which is on the north end of the lake. There is also another lake up there which we heard was really pretty, and you could see it had potential, but as the weather was so overcast and threatening rain, potential was about it really. Still, pretty countryside. In the afternoon the boys went and had a round of golf, while the girs went shopping. Nic & I came across some really cute little shops, little craft shops and cafes painted in cool colours. The boys finished, and said it was an awesome course - despite not being able to work out how to reverse the golf cart, so instead of asking, they just got out and pushed it whenever they needed to reverse!! The thing about boys not asking for help or reading instructions is so true!! That evening we went out for dinner and a couple of drinks.

Sunday and it was time to hit the wineries. Nic & Daragh have been here a few times before, so they knew where to go - the first one was in a really pretty location, overlooking the lake, but I didn't like the wine so much - but free tasting was alright! The next one was really nice - Mission Hill Vineyard. Beautiful location, on a point overlooking the lake in both directions, and lovely grounds. Good wine too, which helps! Then I suddenly realised that this was where Jillian had brought Jason on her hometown date (the Bachelor, people), and that made it even better! Yay!

Next it was on down to Penticton, at the south end of the lake. The weather had packed in and poured down, but we managed a bit of sun over lunchtime, which was nice - a lakeside cafe, across the road from the "beach" - imported sand by the lake! I think the rest of us by this time were all wineried out, but Nic was still going strong, so it was off to another two. Most overlook the lake, so it's nice to sit and dream away anyway. On the way back up the lake to Kelowna there was a big thunder and lightening storm over the lake, so we stopped and the guys tried to get photos of the lightening - both failed. That stuff is quick. In the evening it was out for a nice dinner in anticipation of Nic's birthday the next day, at a cool little wine bar.

Being a bit further east, we managed to get some good licence plate hunting in. Those of you who have had the pleasure to travel with me, especially in Ireland and the US, will know of my passion for spotting different states/provinces/counties. This has now continued in Canada. Obviuosly, being in BC, we get a lot of BC plates, but also the odd Washington one, being close to the border. However we've also seen Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario - in fact, we have an Ontario plate in our building, and Nic has a Quebec plate in hers - very fortunate. One of the highlights was seeing the highly sought after Saskatchewan (spelt without googling the name - becoming a true Canadian) plate in Kelowna. And then seeing another one on the drive home - double whammy! I'm still on the hunt for the northern ones, and the maritimes. I can but dream.....