Hello friends! The other day we took a trip out to Oyama for a ziplining adventure at Oyama Zipline. This place is great for all levels, and requires zero experience. Some of our party started off pretty cautious but by the end of the course they were all going upside with ease! If you’re looking to try something new this year, or get a little adrenaline rush I would definetly recommend checking these guys out.
What to Expect?
Adult admission is $119 per adult and $99 for children 17 and under as well as seniors. PRO TIP: Check out Costco for gift cards to Oyama Zipline to save yourself $21 for every $79 spent.
To get to the site, you must travel along an unpaved dirt road for about twenty minutes. Make sure you have a suitable ride up and back. It’s not a horrible dirt road but be prepared as weather conditions can change the terrain. There is parking available on site for FREE and porta potties for your convenience.
Water is provided along the course but I would HIGHLY recommend bringing a fanny pack to carry your phone for pictures or wearing a go-pro on your helmet, as each photo they take of you is $8, and only taken on one or two ziplines. Trust me, the pictures and videos you’ll take will be so much better and they’re FREE! There are six ziplines in total all of them different with some really nice views of Wood Lake along the way. We were lucky and got a clear summer day for our adventure making the views so much nicer.
Final Thoughts
My final thoughts are that ziplining in Oyama is great if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary to do. It’s a little bit on the more expensive side but it’s also not something I would do all the time so I think it’s worth it. The views were really nice and being out in nature without alot of exercise involved is always a win for me! I also love how this course turns first timers into pros by the end of it. We turned one of my girlfriends who is extremely afraid of heights into a confident zipliner (Proof below ⬇️) and all had a great time. If you haven’t yet I would highly recommend adding this place to your Discovering Kelownabucket list ❤️
After a hard day, week, month, or year self-care is always so important. If you’re looking to switch things up from your sheetmasks and under eye patches, I highly recommend seeking out a facial in Kelowna. There’s no one better than Julie the facial queen over at The Skin Studio. I found her while I was scrolling on instagram, and I am so lucky I did! Julie is extremely skilled and knowledgable, and is known to have been the first to offer hydrafacials here in Kelowna.
What to Expect For Your Facial?
This oasis is located at 1912 Enterprise way. Appointments can be made online through the booking app. The booking process is nice and easy, and if you have any questions Julie normally responds quite quickly. This was really nice when picking my first facial and asking her about what treatment would be right for me. When you arrive FREE parking is available for clients, making this a relaxing experience right from the get go!
When you walk in Julie will greet you and give you some intake forms to fill out. Her instagram page is filled with real client photos and videos, so ensure you check (or don’t check) off the box that lets her share. This is also where you can let her know of any skin concerns and goals you might have!
Next, she will be show you to your treatment room to change into a towel wrap if your treatment requires it. The bed is heated and there are lots of extra blankets to keep you nice and cozy during your appointment. Julie also puts a pink head wrap on to ensure no product gets in your hair, making this an excellent treatment to add on to your self-care day if you’re including a trip to the hair salon.
Final Thoughts
Collectively beween myself, partner, and family members, we have tried numerous different treatments and can honestly say you couldn’t be in better hands. Julie really puts an effort into tailoring each treatment to your specific needs. Pictured above is myself glowing after enzyme therapy, also known as the zombie facial. This facial promotes reverse osmosis and tightening of the skin. I have also tried her hydrafacial which includes a peel, extractions, light therapy, and mask.
Facials in Kelowna can be an expensive treat, but so worth it when you think about all the delicious benefits for your skin! With all that fun you’re having Discovering Kelowna, don’t forget to recharge, however you decide to do so 😊
Here at Discovering Kelowna we love and support everything local! So let’s talk about one of the many farmers markets that can be found here in the lovely Okanagan. The market I’ll be commenting on is the Kelowna Farmers Market. This market is open every Saturday during the winter at the Parkinson Rec Center, and every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday either downtown or on Springfield during the summer. I’ll tell you all about the vendors we visited and what we thought was awesome about them. Something to note is the winter market has fewer vendors on site BUT my absolute favorite Chinese food stand is always there! Parking is free and abundant, and it’s strongly recommended to get there early to enjoy first picks.
*During this particular visit, we went during the Winter market so I promise to update this post as soon as we visit the summer market.
The Winter Market
Okee dokee, let’s dive into the experience! When we first walked in we were welcomed by the Farmers Market staff and offered a mask. As soon as you walk into the market, there are FREE food samples. With absolutely no purchase necessary and no guilty feeling of trying and not buying. I know we all feel that way to some extent right? But that’s ok! That’s how some of us find our new favorite sweets or can’t live without items! By now I’ve just happily accepted that it’s just part of the market experience. I would also like to mention that we did not follow the recommendation of getting there early so we missed out on certain goodies. Did we still leave with tons? Absolutely.
JC Honey
As we started walking around we were offered a sample of organic honey straight from a local farm. We had been talking about the differences in honey earlier, and how you could really taste the difference between the honey you get at the grocery store, the organic honey you get at the grocery store, and then the organic honey you get from the farm. Let me tell you, this sample confirmed our suspicions. Honey from the farm is FAR better than any honey from a grocery store. I’m not sure what kind of sorcery they perform, but believe me when I say it just tastes better. So thank you to JC Honey for ending the great honey debate for us. You should also know that there were plenty of honey farmers out at the market, each offering something a little different. Flavored honey more your thing? There’s a vendor for that 😉
Flavors Kitchen
Next we visited Flavors Kitchen and were treated to a sample of their gourmet perogies. We tried the spicy garlic pickle havarti… and immediately bought a bag. To sum it up, it was like a charcuterie board exploding in your mouth. We also purchased their jalapeño mac n’ cheese and to our surprise there were actual mac and cheese inside. Not just flavored mashed potatoes. These guys specialize in packing so much flavor in such a small package! They make over 20 different flavors with a ton of vegan options. I have tried them on other occasions, and can honestly say you wouldn’t even know they’re vegan. They’re that good! Don’t tell your meat eating friends, just amaze them with some stellar perogies.
Haskap Farms
Something I didn’t know, is that you can pick up haskap berries all year round! Every summer I’ve been gifted a box from my mother… but truth be told, I’ve never actually dived into the box to try them. Don’t judge me, I can’t be the only one who leaves things in their freezer to live out the rest of its days. Anyways, now I’m kicking myself for not trying them sooner because they taste like you hit the blueberry jackpot. You know when the blueberry is sweet and not dangerously sour? Not to mention they’re double the size? Jackpot. Haskap Farms have upped our smoothie game to a whole new healthy level. They also make delicious drinks and jellies that we’re going to have to try next time.
Sweet Bees
Lastly, we stopped at Sweet Bees. The lovely Belinda had started telling us about these amazing Oreo stuffed cookies she had baked, and our mouths instantly started drooling. We picked out the bag with the biggest cookies in them and can’t wait to go get some more. I hear that Nutella stuffed cookies will be around this weekend! Belinda, we are now certified addicts of your baking. Thanks for killing our diet plans this summer.
Final Thoughts About Kelowna’s Farmers Market
Look at that steamed bun. Please just trust me when I say the sweet and sour veggie steamed bun from King’s Vegetarian Food is to die for. The bubble tea not very good but the buns and crispy bean curds are WOW. Anyways, my final thoughts on the Kelowna Farmers Market are that there are a lot of duplicate vendors in the winter and stock runs out faster than during the summer market. Also, there are only a 1/4 of the vendors from the summer that can fit at the winter venue, making your trip around the market no longer than 30 minutes. This just means you can come every weekend and find something new! Also, if there’s one thing you can be certain of when visiting the Kelowna Farmers Market, it’s that you will always leave with a snack. Always. Sweet or savory, big or small, the market has something for everyone!
The next question is, when are you going to start Discovering Kelowna?
If you’re looking for a new trail to hike in the Okanagan head on over to Rose Valley Regional Park in West Kelowna. This park offers trails for all levels, and is dog and bike friendly!
What to Expect?
There are a few different entrances to start your hiking adventure on.
Main access is on Westlake Road near the pond and Rose Valley Elementary School, with a parking lot to the south of the pond and across from the West Kelowna fire hall.
Gated parking lot (closed during winter months) at Westlake Road and Starlight Crescent
The park is open from dusk to dawn; you can check out the exact times depending on the time of year you go here. One of the great things about this hike is the amount of options you have for your adventure! This park offers 12 different trails ranging in difficulty from easy to hard. The best part is that most trails come with spectacular views making this a great choice for beginners, and plenty of benches along the way for a picnic.
One thing to note is that no matter the trail you choose, it will take at least an hour to an hour and a half to complete at walking speed.
Our Experience at Rose Valley Regional Park
When we first got there we actually didn’t realize there were different trails to take! We started up on the path pictured above and took the first left. This put us on a steep uphill climb. There was a map at the next flat section telling us where we were, where the view points in the park were, the trails to get there and their difficulty. After the climb up, we decided to do an easy trail and maybe switch if we felt we could handle a challenge.
Disclaimer: Just because I write about trails, does not fit by any means! I was out of breath and bent over after the short climb up, while small children ran by.
We took the trail called Yellow Bell, which we followed until we came across the map for a second time. This time we decided to switch over to Bitterroot trail after some advice from fellow hikers. Bitterroot trail is steep in some sections making it moderate in difficulty. I’m so glad we rose to the challenge! The view points on Bitterroot are amazing! We were treated to stunning views of Okanagan lake, as well as Rose Valley lake.
Final Thoughts
We will definitely be coming back to try out some of the other trails! There are maps along the way letting you know where you currently are on the trails, which is helpful when deciding on what lookout points you want to see! Signs are posted every few meters, telling you what trail you’re currently on. This is especially helpful when you’re not sure which way to turn at a fork in the trail. However, be prepared to get lost! We ended up getting lost at the very end, which luckily only tacked on an extra ten minutes. You can find GPS enabled maps for this park here.
Here’s a hidden gem for those of you who like to exercises outside. No need to bring anything to this outdoor gym but your cute self, some water and a towel!
Where to Find This Outdoor Gym
The gym, tennis courts and calisthenics park are tucked behind the Parkinson Recreation Centre. It is absolutely free to use and includes plenty of massage stations for an added bonus. Parking around the building is also free!
What to Expect
There are two of everything at the outdoor gym making this an awesome place to check out by yourself or with a friend.
The exercise stations pictured above include:
The elliptical
Pull up bars
Leg massagers
Waist and back massagers
Range of motion and coordination machines
The exercise stations pictured below include:
Benches to do core work on
Leg massager/hamstring curl machine
Bonnie thruster
Exercise bars for rows and triceps dips
Core rotator
Leg stretcher/leg press machine
Core machine
Lateral pull down machine
To get that total body workout, you might need to get creative with how you use each machine or piece of equipment provided.
What makes this place so special is that it gives everyone the opportunity to get a great workout in without the barrier of cost or equipment. I would also highly recommend coming here with a friend to take advantage of the double sided equipment. If using all this equipment isn’t really your style, head on down behind the tennis courts to the calisthenics park!
Calisthenics Park
Ok, now this calisthenics park is like an adult playground. I mean there are monkey bars, climbing apparatuses, bars to swing on or push off from, and so much more! The possibilities for your workout here at the Parkinson Recreation Centre are endless. If you don’t know what exercises to do, don’t worry! They have exercise ideas posted to the equipment to get you started. We just enjoyed being able to climb things without the stares of parents when you cruise across the monkey bars, while their child waits patiently (or not so patiently). Jumping around and being silly outside with your friends on an adult playground is a breath of fresh air that everyone can benefit from.
I hope this post has helped you plan your next Discovering Kelowna adventure!
Have you always wanted to go wine touring but could never justify spending $130-$200 per person? You are not alone.
In this post I’ll show you how to host a 5 hour wine tour for less than $130 per person. This price will include a private driver, wine tasting fees, water and even snacks. Some things to consider: wine touring companies tell you about some of the background information about the buildings and sites on the drive. Wine tasting fees, water, and snacks are also included in wine tour company prices, but I’ll show you how you can have it all for less.
Step 1. Decide Who You Want to go Wine Touring With
First you will need to send out your invitations. You will want to have 5-6 people confirmed to split the costs of your driver. 6 is the magic number if you do not have a driver or a vehicle big enough to accommodate you and your crew. You’ll see why in the third step.
Step 2. Pick a Date
Second, you will need to pick a day that is about 3-4+ weeks out. This is important as many wineries require a reservation for tastings. Reservations typically accommodate 6 people (another reason 6 is the magic number), some wineries charge the tasting fee during the reservation process but most do not. You can always choose to not make reservations at wineries that charge the tasting fees upfront, and just wing it. If you end up buying a bottle, the tasting fee at most places gets waived anyways.
Step 3. Decide on Your Wine Touring Ride
Third, you will need to hire a driver. You could ask a friend or family member, but make sure they will not be participating in the drinking festivities whatsoever. Drinking and driving is not only seriously uncool, but it’s against the law. If you can’t find a driver this way, I suggest using Your Driver if you have a vehicle amongst yourselves that will fit everyone. They drive your ride and charge $45 per hour with a minimum requirement of three hours. This works out to be around $40 per person! STEAL OF A DEAL. I’ve booked with them twice in the past and the drivers are quite knowledgeable about the area and they provide water.
If you don’t have a vehicle big enough for everyone then I suggest using West Cabs. I used them for my last wine tour and their cost is $100/hour including tax. If there are six of you (another reason 6 is a magic number) this turns out to be around $85 per person. The driver was friendly, picked us up and dropped us off right at the door, carried our wine to the car, and took photos for us. He didn’t know anything about wine, but the sommeliers at each of the tastings made up for that and provided us with water.
Step 4. Map out Your Wine Touring Experience
Then, you will need to pick the area you want to do your wine tour in and plan your route. Some of the best areas to wine tour in are Lake Country, West Kelowna, and East Kelowna. Try to pick an area that’s close to your pick up and drop off location as time is money!
Once you have decided on an area go onto google maps and save all of the wineries in the area. You might not get to go to all of them, but this will give you a pretty good idea of what route you’ll want to take. If you want to hit 5-7 wineries, your total driving time should be less than 1 hour if you’re using the taxi service. You can find this out by using google maps, and adding the driving times between each place up. Don’t forget to include the time from the pick up spot to the first wineries and the time from the last winery to the drop off spot.
Once you have a route planned out you’re going to want to visit each of the winery’s websites to see if they require a reservation. If they do, now would be a good time to book them. In the summer wineries are extremely busy, and walk-ins can be subjected to long wait times. Plan for 30 minutes at each winery when making a reservation. Don’t forget about the driving time from one winery to the next either.
Step 5. Snacks and Water
Lastly, you’re going to want to plan for snacks and water. Ask everyone you’ve invited to bring a bottle of water. This bottle will come in handy on the tour! For one, you’ll have access to water on your drive. Secondly, you now have a container to hold wine in while you get driven around, decreasing the chance of spills on you or the vehicle. Thirdly, you now have something to hold a decent amount of vomit in if it comes down to it. I KNOW. GROSS, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
For snacks, it’s the same thing. You can either ask your guests to all bring some sort of snack or you can provide them for everyone. Good choices include: chips, baked goods, trail mix, pepperoni, cheese, veggies, or fruit. Think of things that are easy to eat and won’t make a mess. The cost works out to be less than $10 per snack depending on your choice!
Step 6. Extras
If you want to add a lunch/dinner stop into your tour and have room in your budget, I suggest booking your table ahead of time as well. Make a reservation and plan to be there for an hour. You can also call the restaurant about an hour before you get there letting them know you’ll be in a time crunch and order your food ahead of time. This will ensure that it’s ready at your table when you arrive, cutting the time there down to 30-40 minutes! You can also plan to make the restaurant your drop off location if you want to get dinner and continue on with the night.
No room in the budget for lunch/dinner? No problem! I get it, eating out is expensive and eating out at wineries can be even pricier. If you want to include some food, make the pick up/drop off location your home. Ask your guests to each bring an appetizer over that you can all enjoy when you get back. You could also crack open a bottle of wine from one of your new found favorite places and cook up a glorious meal together!
I hope this post gets more of you out there Discovering Kelowna and trying the beautiful wines that the Okanagan has to offer.
With September comes pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin carving and corn mazes. Below you’ll find some of my favorite fall activities to do around Kelowna!
Grab a buddy or five and check out these local fall spots.
O’Keefe Ranch
I’ll start with my all time favorite fall activity in the Okanagan, the corn maze at O’Keefe ranch. My favorite because it’s the best haunted maze around and town and by haunted I mean, I’ve pushed a friend aside as I hauled ass through to the end. They hire actors and offer three different mazes to try out. Each equally as spooky as the last. To give you an example, one year you were chased with chain saws while other monsters jumped out from under the bridge. This maze is located out in Vernon, making a little bit of a drive and a long line to wait in if you don’t get there early enough. They do have food trucks to help you forget about the wait time, like mini donuts from Ogopogo concessions and hot drinks. I encourage you to check out their menu as they serve more than just your average mini donut!
McMillan Farm
Next up on this fall activities list is McMillan Farm. They are known for their pumpkin patch, hay rides, a petting zoo, games, and family friendly corn maze. This is one of the most popular places as it has the most to offer, so it can get busy! This farm is dog friendly but be prepared as it can be quite muddy on some days. You can buy tickets ahead of time online or risk a walk in. The animals at the petting zoo are a must see. They’re just so cute munching away on all that pumpkin!
Davidson Orchards
Fall has more than just pumpkins to offer! Snack while you pick your own apples straight from the tree over at Davison Orchards. There’s something about the crisp fall air and apples that feels so fresh. This experience is part of a guided tour where an expert will tell you a little history about the place, show you the picking technique, as well as all the different types of apples they grow. You’ll walk away from this tour with a 10lb bag of apples hand picked by your loving hands for $15 ($8 for children). They also offer a pumpkin picking experience straight from the vine!
Kelowna Actors Studio
Not into being outside? That’s ok. I got you. Here are some awesome indoor fall activities in Kelowna to check out!
Kelowna Actors Studio offers amazing musical theater, which can include a delicious 3 course dinner if you so choose. This is a great experience that so many people don’t know about! The meal is themed around the play making it a truly immersive experience. They also offer an afternoon showing that includes dessert… if you love dessert be really nice to your servers as you can sometimes score an extra one or two servings of it! A word of caution as you will need to book your seats in advance since they fill up quickly. Also, if you have any dietary restrictions, please let them know ahead of time so they can have something special prepared for you.
Dakota’s Sports Bar
Another great indoor fall activity is hitting up Dakota’s Sports Bar for a comedy night! They host Kelowna Comedy every Thursday and Friday nights. I highly recommend checking out their website for what charity they are hosting their event for, or if it’s a night where they partner up with Summerhill Pyramid Winery. I mean local award winning wine and comedy? Yes please.
As always, I hope this post has helped you get some great ideas on how to start Discovering Kelowna this fall.
Lookout points, these are the best seats in the house when it comes to viewing the city. While some views take a little work to get to, others just require a ride and a good GPS. First, I want to say that no pictures other than how to get there will be displayed on this post. I don’t want to ruin your magical moment when you get to these lookout points in Kelowna!
I’ll start with the ones that don’t require any leg work. These are great for all members of your family as they are accessible for all, and well worth the drive.
Harvest Golf Club Lookout Point
This spot overlooks the beautiful Harvest Golf Club, and includes views of the city and Okanagan lake. It’s located up in East Kelowna near plenty of wineries and a farmers market which is open on Sundays from 10am – 2:30pm. There is a bench to sit on, making it a great photo opportunity!
Please park facing the view to allow others to enjoy the space alongside you.
Map to Harvest Golf Club lookout point
Cedar Creek Park Lookout Point
Just like a good pair of jeans, this view can be dressed up or dressed down depending on your style. If you have a fur friend to share the view, I suggest going to Cedar Creek Park. This park is dog friendly with a couple of picnic tables to sit at. You can also park your car facing this close up view of Okanagan lake and West Kelowna.
Feeling fancy? If you want to take it up a notch, you can visit St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery, (which is just across the road) to try a bit of what our wine country has to offer. You could also drive a little farther down Lakeshore Road and to take this view in. Complete it with a local glass of wine and a farm to table meal at Cedar Creek Winery.
Myra Canyon Lookout Point
This view is farthest from town and does require a drive up an unpaved road, as well as a little bit of walking. Have no fear, the trail is nice and flat! You can often find bike riders up here, strollers filled with tiny humans, and plenty of dogs on leash.
This experience can be as long or short as you want it to be as this provincial park offers horse back riding and bikes for rental all year long. There are 2 large tunnels and 18 trestle bridges for you to explore, at the first trestle is where you’ll find a great view but I encourage you to keep going as the views keep getting better.
Type in “Myra Canyon Bike Rental” into your GPS to get directions to this entrance.
You can find a map of the route there, and the trails below ⬇
Knox Mountain Lookout Point
This final lookout that I’ll talk about in this post is on the other side of town, and does require a bit of an uphill hike depending on the season. During the spring and summer the gate is open, allowing vehicles to drive up to either of the two main lookout points.
The first lookout can be found halfway up the trail at the first upper level parking lot. The hike to this section is about 10-15 minutes and includes one section of stairs.
The second lookout can be found all the way at the top of the path, passing by two sets of stairs. I recommend taking the apex trail! On this trail you’ll pass by some other great spots to look over Kelowna. One of my favorite spots is just before the stairs leading up to the gazebo. This is also where the second main view can be seen. The hike up this section takes about 20-40 minutes depending on your speed.
Coming down you have two options: Take the road or take the trail. The road is longer, shaded, and has less of a decline, while the trail is shorter and steeper. Parking is available at the bottom of the mountain as well as at either of the two main lookout points depending on the season.
See one, or see them all! Whatever your adventure style and which ever look out you choose, you’re sure to catch some breath taking views of Kelowna. I hope this post has helped you with Discovering Kelowna 🗻.
