Things to do in Okanagan Valley
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Il Vecchio Deli
Save your money, skip the trip to Florence and enjoy this aromatically spot-on deli where locals take as many deep breaths as possible while enjoying excellent sandwiches and other treats. Note: it's about the size of a ball of fresh mozzarella.
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Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park
The 10.5-sq-km Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, was 95% burned by the 2003 fires. The park is now closed to vehicles but BC Parks is restoring trails which give you a close-up look at nature's recovery and an unobstructed view of the lake.
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Sturgeon Hall
Fanatical fans of hockey's Kelowna Rockets feast on favorites like jumbo burgers while quaffing brews at the bar or outside at sidewalk tables. Others ponder the pizza and sports-spewing TVs dotting the walls.
reviewed
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Father Pandosy Settlement
The Father Pandosy Settlement is Kelowna's major historical site. Granted it only dates to 1859, but this is where the good father enthusiastically planted his seed (among other places) and built a mission. The church, school, barn, one house and a few sheds from what was the first white settlement in the Okanagan have been restored. The site is small, well away from the center of town and rather serene.
To get there, go south along Lakeshore Rd, then east on Casorso Rd to Benvoulin Rd.
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Fresco
The Okanagan Valley's finest restaurant is also one of BC's best. Noted chef Rod Butters (definitely no relation to the winsome South Park character) celebrates the produce of the region in this exquisite location in a restored brick storefront. The menu changes constantly - a surprise find at the farmers' market can appear that night - but always features intensely flavored yet simple prepared dishes. Book ahead.
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Penticton Museum
The Penticton Museum is an excellent small-town museum with well-done, delightfully eclectic displays, including the de rigueur natural history exhibit with stuffed animals and birds. Showing a tad more spunk than many of these places, it has a fun display on a typical Penticton living room from the 1960s. Speaking of spunk, check out the history of the Peach Festival and its many spunky contestants.
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BC Orchard Industry Museum
Located in the old Laurel Orchards packing house, the BC Orchard Industry Museum recounts the conversion of the Okanagan Valley from ranch land to orchards. The exhibits have great appeal and show just about everything you can do with fruit. Note the displays of beautiful old packing crate labels such as the mouthwatering art for Earl's Court brand apples.
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Birch Grill
Personality almost trumps the menu at chef Jeff Jefferson's storefront joint. But that's not bad as both are bigger than life. The open kitchen is almost as large as the smallish dining room which allows easy viewing of the action. Look for boldly flavored meat and seafood dishes. As you'd expect, local wines and produce star.
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Dream Café
Funky is defined by this fun-filled place that hums from breakfast right through dinner. Many mains are served 'gypsy' style, which means you get to choose from several brightly spiced dishes like gumbo or tandoori chicken. The outdoor patio is a treat. On many nights there's live acoustic guitar by noted performers.
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Front St Bistro
Once you arrive you may not leave. Two patios are heated or misted as conditions demand and there's a long list of local wines, microbrews and cocktails. The menu is an eclectic mix of salads, soups and everything from roasts to seafood to fondue. Work it off by dancing the night away to classic Top 40.
reviewed
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La Bussola
A recent move has put this local favorite close to the Cultural District. Since 1974 Franco and Lauretta Coccaro have worked to perfect their Italian supper house. The menu spans the boot, from pesto to red sauce, veal to seafood. Dine on the flower-bedecked sidewalk tables or in the smart dining room.
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Voodoo's
Small tapas-style plates are the thing at this dark and stylish place where black will never go out of fashion. The menu reflects the inventiveness of the kitchen. Expect to be surprised. Enjoy any of a myriad of cocktails at the long bar. On many nights there's live blues or other music.
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Villa Rosa
Northern Italian food is celebrated at this always popular restaurant which combines a certain formality with a laid-back vacationer haven. Outside there are a few tables on a vine-shaded patio; this is a major score in summer. The Okanagan Beach motels are just a short walk away.
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Beyond Wrapture
Most upscale hotels and resorts now offer spas for folks who want their cares rubbed and scrubbed away. Beyond Wrapture has a range of offerings including some with a local twist: massages and wraps using antioxidant-rich grape seeds and skins, wine and local honey.
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Doc Willoughby's
Right downtown, this classic pub boasts numerous tables and a vaulted interior much lined with wood. The menu is as comfortable as padded booths: nachos, burgers, sandwiches and weekend brunch. This is the place to find brews from Cannery Brewing in Penticton.
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Monashee Adventure Tours
Monashee Adventure Tours offers scores of biking and hiking tours of the valley, parks, Kettle Valley Rail Trail and buckets of wineries. Tours are accompanied by entertaining local guides. Prices include a bike, lunch and shuttle to the route.
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Kelowna Marina
You can rent speedboats, arrange fishing trips and cruises or rent windsurfing gear at Kelowna Marina at the lake end of Queensway Ave. Windsurfers take to the water from the old seaplane terminal, near the corner of Water St and Cawston Ave.
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Bouchons Bistro
A local fave in the heart of condoland, this upscale café brings a bit of French fun to Kelowna. Gallic standards are faithfully rendered using local produce - is it us or does the cassoulet here beat the cassoulet there?
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Castaways
Both Okanagan and Skaha Lakes enjoy some of the best sailboarding, boating and paddling conditions in the Okanagan Valley. Castaways rents just about anything that floats. A full day's rental of a ski boat is around C$480.
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Kelowna Community Theatre
Kelowna Community Theatre is a venue for music and theater. The Sunshine Theatre Company (www.sunshinetheatre.org) stages a range of productions at both Rotary Centre for the Performing Arts and Kelowna Actors Studio.
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Apex Mountain Resort chairlift
In summer, the fast quad chairlift at Apex Mountain Resort chairlift zips riders and their bikes to the top of the mountain . You can explore the backcountry or simply get a rush from following a trail down again.
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Kelowna Museum
A part of the civic center complex, the Kelowna Museum has everything from the bones of early valley inhabitants to displays on the roots of local agriculture. Special exhibits may draw you in on a non-rainy day.
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SS Sicamous
SS Sicamous is a classic stern-wheeler that hauled passengers and freight on Okanagan Lake from 1914 to 1936. Now both restored and beached, it has been joined by the equally old SS Naramata, a tugboat.
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Wine Museum
In the same building is the Wine Museum. The knowledgeable staff can recommend tours, steer you to the best wineries for tastings and help you fill your trunk with examples of the myriad of local wines on sale.
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Casabella Princess
If the Sicamous gets you in the mood for a boat ride, the Casabella Princess offers one-hour, open-air lake tours on a faux stern-wheeler. There are multiple daily sailings at summer's peak.
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