Looking out onto the lake from downtown Kelowna, Summer is just getting started and this region of Canada is all about good weather. The Okanagan Valley is named after the language of the natives who lived in the area and there are only a few dozen speakers of it left today.
Because of the mild weather by Canadian standards, this place is booming. Retirees from Western Canada and beyond move here because it rarely gets below zero and it's quite dry which is unlike the coastal region of BC where it rains all winter. You can see the dryness in the hills behind the downtown, even in the Spring.
Most of Canada's good wine comes from this region, with Niagara Falls area being the other main wine area in the country. When looking at things to do in Kelowna, it's mostly centered around winery tours, which means getting wasted. There are plenty of outdoor activities and a winter resort called Big White for people whose idea of fun doesn't involve mixing wines and getting bussed around. The wineries overlooking the lake are beautiful and even if you're not a big drinker, they are worth checking out. The one above was in West Kelowna.
This is an example of some of the Condo living Kelowna has to offer. With the boats parked out front, it makes one think they are in Florida or some place that's always pleasant. Not a bad lifestyle if one can afford it, the cheaper units in here with a city view would go for over half a million dollars and there are monthly fees.
The downtown has plenty of parks lining the lake and is excellent to walk around. The trails up in the hills can be hot, so we stuck to the water. Fish swim in a pond, I think they were carp.
We noticed some fawns hiding in the bushes. This is right downtown and there are deer everywhere in the Okanagan Valley.
Here is their mom. It's a classic photo to see Deer with a lake in the background.
Turtles sunbathe on a log in the pond. There are many more residents than the 200,000 some odd thousand humans living in the area.
It looks like a painted ear turtle and may have been someone's pet. Turtles would thrive here compared to most of Western Canada where it is too cold most of the year.
The beach in town was busy for an early June weekend. In the middle of Summer it would be hot and packed. Much of the lake is rocky so anywhere with sand is going to be a coveted real estate.
This is a fake waterfall that was in the park in front of the Delta Hotel. They have to justify those prices somehow, it's a beautiful resort and it's in the best part of Kelowna.
This is another view of the Condo or high end residential apartment building area of Kelowna. It's hard to be here on a lovely day and not wonder if that's a lifestyle worth living one day. There's direct flights to Hawaii from the airport in town and connections to major cities in the area.
Okanagan lake has stories about a sea monster, the Ogopogo who lives there. The lake is long and wide, like a Fjord or Loch it was carved by glacial action and is a thing of legends. You can see how bustling the marina is as people are getting boats ready for the Summer.
Parasailing is one of the activities available in Kelowna, while the lake was still too cold for swimming, it would offer an amazing view of the wineries that dot the hills and the beautiful lake homes. I am sure we will come back to Kelowna as it is one of Canada's hottest destinations. We may even think of getting a condo there one day.
Thank you for reading. I was quite surprised to see no posts from the entire Okanagan region on WorldMapPin and am happy to be the first.
All photos taken with an s24 or an iphone 15 pro and are unfiltered