Travel idea: 7 reasons to visit Kelowna, B.C.

Long before it hit its current prestige as Canada’s wine-country “Napa North,” Kelowna B.C. was known as an affordable family vacation destination extraordinaire. About a four-hour drive from Vancouver (or fly into its international airport), this interior gem right on Lake Okanagan is straddled by the Cascade and Coast mountain ranges, making for gorgeous sightlines all round. Originally known as the land of “peaches and beaches,” it has, in more recent years, developed a reputation for its world-class wineries, golf courses and booming high-tech sector.

The 100,000-person city offers ample opportunities for food-loving couples and families to bridge its old roots and new outlook. From the annual wine festival to a jaw-droppingly beautiful apple orchard, artesian goat cheese fromagerie to pioneer village, nature walks to spa indulgences, Kelowna’s got something for everyone, whether you’ve left the kids with your folks, or they’re coming with. Here are 7 compelling reasons to head into B.C.’s interior – pronto.

1. The Annual Okanagan Wine Festival
The 2007 festival runs September 28 to October 7, with over 165 food- and wine- oriented events. From guided tastings to free-wheelin’ winery tours, the festival will appeal to newbies and advanced oenophiles alike. See www.thewinefestivals.com for details.

Even if you miss the festival, the wineries still have much to offer in the way of tours and top-notch dining opportunities. Got kids? No worries. Summerhill Pyramid Winery and Mission Hill Family Estate winery both offer more than enough stimulation to keep kids interested.

Summerhill Pyramid Winery is Canada’s largest organic winery and proprietor Stephen Cipes believes that aging all his wines in a four-storey, 8%-scale replica of Egypt’s Great Pyramid imparts them with divine attributes. Tour the limestone-covered pyramid, then visit the winery’s pioneer cottage and First Nations Sacred Earth House.

Cipes is a tad eccentric but his wines have been earning both accolades and awards. Enjoy dinner on the Summerhill Sunset Bistro, with its unforgettable view of Lake Okanagan. Try top-notch regional cuisine like Muscovy duck breast with apricot and summer savory crumble finished with roasted shallots and bee pollen, paired with the winery’s 2004 Gamay Noir.

Mission Hill Family Estate meanwhile, also offers million-dollar views, as well as plenty of manicured lawn for kids to burn energy on, and a barrel room wine tasting that doesn’t leave them out. My five-year-old enjoyed sniffing, swirling and sipping raspberry juice while the rest of us sampled the estate’s award-winning wines.

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