The turquoise surface of Kalamalka Lake, the Lake of Many Colours, just outside Vernon

Where You Are

Vernon, British Columbia.

Top of the Okanagan Valley. Population 47,000. Lake on both sides. Mountain at the back. Orchards in every direction.

The Two Lakes

Kalamalka and Okanagan.

Kalamalka Lake, the Lake of Many Colours, sits five minutes from the motel. The water shifts from deep blue to brilliant turquoise as the temperature climbs and limestone dissolves into the lake. Kal Beach has soft sand, a swimming pier, and views across to the cliffs of the provincial park. The park itself holds 978 hectares of grassland, forest, and 14 kilometres of trail.

Okanagan Lake unfolds 135 kilometres south. Beachcomber Bay, Paddlewheel Park, and Kin Beach are all a short drive. Paddleboard rentals, sailboat charters, and quiet sandy coves. The Vernon end of the lake is shallower and warmer than the Kelowna end. Worth knowing in June.

A ski mountain village under fresh snow at dusk

Silver Star Mountain

Thirty minutes uphill, both seasons.

Silver Star is the third largest ski area in British Columbia: 3,282 acres, 132 runs, a colourful Victorian-style village lit at night. The drive from the motel takes thirty minutes door to lift. Many guests buy a multi-day pass, drive up for first chair, and come back down to a heated pool and a full kitchen.

In summer the same mountain becomes the second largest lift-access bike park in British Columbia. 105 kilometres of cross-country trails. Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, just past the resort, hosts world-class Nordic skiing in winter and easy hiking through wildflower meadows in summer.

A vineyard on a sun-drenched slope with a lake in the background, typical of North Okanagan wineries

Wineries of the North Okanagan

The northern gate to Okanagan wine.

The Okanagan Valley is one of two serious wine regions in Canada. Vernon sits at its top end. The Scenic Sip cluster runs along the slopes above Okanagan Lake: Gray Monk, Ex Nihilo, Arrowleaf, Blind Tiger, 50th Parallel, O'Rourke's Peak Cellars, Intrigue, and Ancient Hill. Most have patios. Many have restaurants. Riesling and Pinot Noir do particularly well at this latitude.

Closer to home, Turtle Mountain Vineyards is a four-minute drive. Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, Western Canada's original craft distillery, is even closer. Tastings run year-round.

A warmly lit restaurant interior with set tables and ambient pendant lighting

Where to Eat

A real downtown food scene.

Walk from the motel into downtown for independent coffee at Ratio Coffee and Pastry, sushi at Kawakubo, modern Italian at D'Argento, steaks and seafood at The Phoenix Steakhouse, comfort food at Diner on Six, Mediterranean classics at Intermezzo, wood-fired pizza at Masiero Pizzeria, and craft beer at BNA Brewing.

Bourbon Street Bar and Grill and The Kal Eatery sit a few blocks further. Earls handles the dependable casual end. Reservations help on summer weekends.

The Okanagan Rail Trail

Fifty kilometres of flat gravel, beside the water.

The Rail Trail follows the route of the old CN railway from Vernon all the way to Kelowna, hugging Kalamalka Lake for most of its length. Walk, run, e-bike, or take a one-way shuttle and ride back. The Vernon trailhead is a five-minute drive from the motel.

Bring water. There is little shade between the lake and the cliffs.

Stay at Schell

Your basecamp for the valley.

An apple tree heavy with red fruit in a Vernon-area orchard, apples scattered on the grass below

Davison Orchards and the Fruit Stand Belt

Pick fruit straight off the tree.

Davison Orchards Country Village, three minutes from the motel, has been growing fruit on the same hillside since 1933. Apples, cherries, peaches, plums, pumpkins in the fall. There is a bakery, a market, and a wagon ride. Bring an empty cooler.

Smaller stands line the back roads off Bella Vista and Okanagan Landing. Cherries in July. Peaches in August. Apples through October.

Davison Orchards Country Village in Vernon — red and yellow barns against a rocky hillside under blue Okanagan sky

Polson Park, BX Falls, Allan Brooks

In-town nature.

Polson Park is a green corridor along Vernon Creek with a Japanese garden, a tea house, and an outdoor amphitheatre. A ten-minute walk from the motel.

BX Falls drops into a forested gorge a short hike from the parking area, ten minutes by car from downtown. Allan Brooks Nature Centre sits on a grassy knoll with a panoramic view across the valley, one of the best free vantage points in Vernon.

Heritage

Historic O'Keefe Ranch and the Greater Vernon Museum.

The Historic O'Keefe Ranch, twelve kilometres north of town, was a working cattle ranch from 1867 until the 1970s. The original log house, the general store, and the church still stand. Tours run May through September.

The Greater Vernon Museum sits nine minutes on foot from the motel, in the old courthouse downtown. Free admission. Strong collection on the Syilx people, the railway, and the silver mining era.

Jars of golden honey beside a wooden hive frame on a rustic table

Artisan Stops

Planet Bee and Okanagan Spirits.

Planet Bee Honey Farm and Meadery has been making honey, mead, and honey-based skincare from a farmhouse on the edge of town for thirty years. Free tours.

Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, Western Canada's first craft distillery, makes single-malt whisky, fruit brandy, and gin from Okanagan fruit. Tastings daily.

An Okanagan lake stretching between forested hills under a clear sky

Getting Here

Driving and flying.

By car: five hours from Vancouver via Highway 5 and Highway 97. Seven hours from Calgary via the Trans-Canada and Highway 97A. Six hours from Seattle.

By air: Kelowna International Airport (YLW) is thirty-four minutes south on Highway 97. Direct flights from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Seattle, and seasonally from Mexico. Vernon Regional Airport handles small private aircraft.

Stay at Schell