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The Thompson Okanagan Beckons

Posted: Friday, April 24th, 2009

Famous for its lakes, vineyards, deserts and endless activities from golf to festivals and wine touring- the Thompson Okanagan beckons.Famous for its lakes, vineyards, deserts and endless activities from golf to festivals and wine touring- the Thompson Okanagan beckons.
The Thompson Okanagan gets more sunshine than any other part of BC, creating prime conditions for outdoor recreation. Cycling and hiking trails abound through spectacular parkland, while the many renown golf courses have made this region the golf destination in the province. There are more than 50 courses offering panoramic mountain views, sage-covered desert, backdrops of orchards and vineyards and greens bordered by meandering rivers and the shores of shimmering lakes.

The weather is so reliably good in the Thompson Okanagan that even theatrical and musical performances are commonly staged out of doors.

Wine festivals occur spring, summer, fall and winter, and vineyards and orchards welcome visitors for tours, tastings and shopping. Harvesting in "Canada's fruit bowl" begins in June with the sweetest cherries and runs until mid October with the final yields of apples and squash.

The history and culture of the Thompson Okanagan region is strongly tied to the land. Aboriginal peoples led a semi-nomadic life moving between hunting and fishing grounds in the summers and settling into pit houses for the winter. The Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park in Kamloops lets you experience the rich cultural history of the Shuswap People. Europeans came at first to trade for furs and then to establish cattle ranches, farms and mining operations. The region is full of museums and heritage sites that bring this colourful past to life for visitors.

The people, industries and events that figured largely in the late 19th and early 20th centuries can be experienced at Princeton District Pioneer Museum that also features an extensive fossil and mineral collections. While there are plenty of fascinating collections of artifacts and detailed interpretive displays - the sort you'd expect to find in any museum anywhere - the region's museums endeavour to create interactive learning opportunities as well. You can, for example, sit in an old stagecoach, hold a 4,000-year-old fossil in your hand or step inside a Shuswap tule mat lodge.

There are many authentically restored historic sites in the Thompson Okanagan. Most date from between the gold rush and Depression eras, during a time when the region was rapidly absorbing new people, new technologies and new ideas. In R.J. Haney Heritage Park, you'll find two rustic log structures of roughly the same size: one is a family homestead and the other a servant's quarters. That they were built around the same time says much about the contradictions of the day. You can also explore an 1877 flour mill with its original machinery intact, a turn-of-the-century railway station, a gold rush-era roadhouse and Canada's largest remaining sternwheeler.

Today, the Thompson Okanagan region is famous for its golf courses, orchards, ski resorts and vineyards as well as the wildly varied landscape. This landscape includes Mount Robson, located in Valemount which is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, a waterfall twice the height of Niagara Falls in Wells Gray Park and Canada's only desert environment found in Osoyoos.

Each year, outdoor enthusiasts flock to the Thompson Okanagan to hike and bike, ski, snowshoe, fish, kayak, canoe, camp and view wildlife.

Thompson Okanagan has award-winning golf courses on varied terrain. The wide variety of courses, designed by internationally-renowned architects like Les Furber, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Thomas McBroom and Fred Couples, provide a golf experience that is second to none.

In 2007, Kelowna was named the "Best Canadian Golf City" by SCOREGolf, Canada's largest golf magazine. All of the region's courses offer exceptional golf for players of all skill levels and the longest season found anywhere in the country (approximately March through November).

A few things to remember for your visit or golf excursion: Tee times should be booked in advance of arrival, especially during July and August. Many courses have a dress code in effect. Check with the course or resort first so you know what to bring with you.

A round or two of golf can also be followed up with a relaxing spa or an all-inclusive tour at one of the regions wineries and vineyards. With more than 100 wineries, many with excellent restaurants, Thompson Okanagan is British Columbia's main wine region. Awards and accolades for the region's wineries keep pouring in. At one of the largest wine competitions in Europe, Mission Hill Family Estate won the 2008 International Icewine Trophy. At the prestigious 2008 Chardonnay du Monde competition in France, Summerhill Pyramid Winery took home a gold medal. As well, 2009 marked the eighth year in a row that an Okanagan winery was awarded the Canadian "Winery of the Year" title from Wine Access magazine.

From the Gold Rush to Grapes and from the green parklands to the long green fairways it's no wonder in the Thompson Okanagan they say, Life is good!

For more information on your vacation, please contact the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association at 1-800-567-2275 or visit www.totabc.com

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