Summer in the Okanagan valley:
Here’s how I spent my 2022 summer…lying on beaches, swimming in crystal clear lakes, hiking up mountains and sipping on wines in beautiful wineries. IN CANADA!
Nestled right in the middle of British Columbia, Canada, is the Okanagan valley (pronounced O-kan-ar-gan). It’s the perfect spot to spend the beautiful summer months and indulge in beaches, being outdoors, watersports and it has a huge choice of wineries. Don't get me wrong - the Okanagan, British Columbia, and Canada, is stunning all year round and each season offers something magical, but summer in the 'California of Canada' really showed off that Canada is so much more than snow and maple syrup!!
I chose to spend the summer months of 2022 (June-October) enjoying Kelowna, a city right in the centre of the Okanagan. Kelowna is a lively city built around the Okanagan lake, the largest lake in BC (British Columbia) and is full of indulgent ice cream stands, stunning wineries, and it seems like everyone owns a paddleboard or some kind of water-toy! The lake is the perfect spot for any kind of watersports, whether you prefer to race your mates on a jet-ski, do your morning yoga on a paddleboard or maybe you choose to sit on the shore in a local winery doing wine tastings - also a sport in my opinion!
What made me spend summer in the Okanagan;
I first came to Kelowna back in March 2022 when I was ‘travelling’ Canada, as opposed to ‘living’ in Canada (I spent 4 months backpacking around British Columbia, (blog coming soon)). The next part of my plan was to travel from Vancouver, in the south west of BC, over to Banff, a small but infamous mountain town nestled right in the heart of the Rocky mountains in Alberta; the drive between these places, on a coach, would have taken me around 8 hours - or by car nearer 5 - so I looked at stopping at a ‘half-way’ point to cut up both the length and price of the journey - I was quite a poor backpacker by this point in my travels. I ended up finding an opportunity on Worldpackers (www.worldpackers.com/) that allowed me to volunteer at a hostel in return for free accommodation. This suited me - and my bank account - but changed my plans massively and I went from planning on spending a month in the mountains to cutting that time down to about a week because I had now committed to 3 weeks work at the hostel. There’s no denying that this was the best decision for sure and is why I always travel spontaneously and plan the next step as I go! It allows for flexibility in all areas of your travel, especially if you travel solo. I had been told that the Rocky mountains are expensive (to a poor backpackers budget) and they sure were - and I coincidentally fell in love with Kelowna and ended up extending my stay to 5 weeks instead (cutting off time from the end of my trip that I had planned to use to see the east coast of Canada)!
That takes us to how I ended up there for 5 sunny summer months. I fell in love with Kelowna over the course of my 5-week stay in March and April, but chose to carry on my travels and see more of Canada and then went home to England in May - as I had always booked too - and after 2 weeks of being home I had bought a 1-way ticket for a flight back to the Okanagan valley for 15th June 2022. In my time back at home I worked to earn enough money for a flight and to renew my 6 month visa and I was back on that plane before I knew it.
My 6 summer months:
During these months, I lived and volunteered at the same hostel that first brought me to Kelowna - Kelowna International Hostel; working here for 20 hours a week meant that I received my accommodation for free. I spent my spare time volunteering as a paddleboard instructor (for which I received some cool OKGN company merch as a thank you for my help (www.okanaganlifestyle.ca)). For 6 weeks at the start of summer, I was able to help this beautiful local company with their paddleboarding classes; their store is located just a short walk away from the Okanagan lake and so I would help carry kit, set up classes and get to enjoy tranquil moments out on the water. Paddleboarding quickly became one of my favourite activities - and not to forget how good it was for building a little muscle!
This summer also included hiking many nearby trails and mountains and becoming a red lobster sunbathing on the beach - alternating between that and swimming in the lake to cool off. The days were long and hot and we explored everything that the Okanagan offers. My favourite hike has to be Pincushion Mountain, one that we completed on the day of the summer solstice. The hike was quite steep up the mountain at first but quickly rewards you with views all around of the glistening lake below. I’ll release another blog with full hikes and advice in the area at a later date!
There’s no doubt that the Okanagan valley and Kelowna definitely break people’s stereotypes or perhaps, their first thoughts about Canada being mainly icebergs, ice skating and maple syrup. It shows another side to what Canada has to offer - bright blue lakes, watersports and wineries. The Okanagan is the wine region of Canada and is just as flourishing as others such as California, USA or Champagne, France. This summer (2022) temperatures hit 38 degrees celsius - this meant that many a day was spent at the beach with my toes in the water enjoying the weather. With its dry landscapes and beautiful summers, it’s clear to see why the city carries the nickname Kelowna-fornia!
A full blog of Kelowna activities coming soon.
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