North Okanagan

While the South Okanagan can serve up blistering heat in the summer, visitors to the North Okanagan will appreciate a more tempered climate while still offering up long, blissful days of sunshine. The area is very scenic with gorgeous lakes, mountains, woodlands and grasslands. And there are inviting little pockets of wineries producing charming wines for all palates. This area is home to a small collection of producers making ciders, meads and grape wines around the Vernon, Enderby, Armstrong and Grindrod areas. Vernon itself is a small city with a strong sense of community. It offers great shopping and dining experiences, as well as nightlife and entertainment. And just a short distance away, you’ll find the charming Silver Star Mountain ski resort. The City of Vernon is located on the northern tips of Okanagan Lake and Kalamalka Lake and is also surrounded by mountains and pastoral landscape with a strong connection to ranching and food production. If you love the water, the North Okanagan is your playground. Kalamaka Lake, which is routinely voted one of the most beautiful lakes in the province. Known as the “lake of a thousand colours,” the water’s hue will shift throughout the year from emerald green to deep indigo and all the shades in between. Considered a glacier waterway, the colour is derived from light scattering, caused by the precipitation of calcium carbonate. One of the products the area is well known for is cheese. There are several artisan cheese makers in the Armstrong, Cherryville and Enderby, as well as numerous shops dedicated to serving up fine local cheeses. Armstrong is also the setting for a small and quaint annual cheese festival. Visitors to the area might consider a combination wine and cheese maker tour that is capped off at the end of the day with a cheese board paired with a glass of fine wine.