**Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored and all opinions are my own**
Growing up, my family often took a vacation to The Okanagan, specifically Summerland and Penticton. My dad has family that lives in the area so we would typically do a trip to visit our family there. If you are not familiar with The South Okanagan, Summerland is approximately 35 minutes South of Kelowna and just over an hour North of the Canada-USA Border.
Summerland and Penticton are located along The Okanagan Lake, home of Ogopogo! And, if you are a wine lover, there are a ton of amazing wineries all over The Okanagan. One of our favourite places to go is Summerland Sweets, they are mostly known for their amazing jams and syrups, but they also have some delicious fruit wines available for tasting and purchasing. This is hands down a must visit for us when we go to The Okanagan.
Another one of our favourite wineries is Elephant Island Orchard Wines. This winery is not in located in Summerland or Penticton, but it is just a short drive to Naramata, which is on the southeast side of Okanagan Lake. The tasting room is outside and is surrounded by beautiful trees and vineyards and it has amazing views!
During this trip, we were gifted 2 tastings at different wineries. Our first stop on the winery list was Okanagan Crush Pad. This year was a different experience at wineries due to COVID-19, and Okanagan Crush Pad had great safety measures in place. The tasting room is outside and tables are well spaced from one another. Inside, you were able to see some of the concrete tanks they use.
Our second wine tasting was at Singletree Winery Naramata. Again, the tasting room is outside with amazing views of their vineyard and the lake. If you step to the edge, you can actually see a bit of production that goes on at the winery. Singletree originally started in Abbotsford, but they expanded into Naramata and now have the 2 locations.
If you want to go on a great wine tour, make sure to take a drive along Summerland’s Bottle Neck Drive. Not only are there amazing wineries along this route, you will get to see some pretty amazing views of the country.
I used to visit Summerland and Penticton often in my childhood. I had family that lived there so we used to go there for visits. This quickly became my favourite place to visit. When I first met Shawn, he had never been to The South Okanagan, so I was excited to show him around my favourite place. One visit and he was hooked! We even had our honeymoon in Penticton.
One of my all time favourite things to do as a child was to go play in the lake. I am a fish, I love being in the water. Swimming in the lake turned into me relaxing on the beach with a good book as I got older, but now that we have Olivia, I am certain I will be back in the water, splashing and playing with her.
There is a lot to do and see when you are at the beach in Penticton. From various different motels and restaurants, to souvenir shops, there is definitely something for everyone. Walking up and down the beach you are sure to find something to do. You can even go and rent jet skis, boats, kayaks, etc.
If you want to take a drive, there are some really beautiful places to visit north and south of Summerland. Peachland has some really tasty restaurants lakeside, along with some cool shops. There is a great playground near the lake for the little ones to play at. After lunch, make sure to go grab an ice cream and take a walk along the dock to take in the sights!
The best part about the Okanagan, in my opinion, are all of the amazing beaches you can get to! From the main beach in Penticton, to smaller beaches like Powell Beach, there are a lot of options for your days on the beach. Speaking of beaches, there is an amazing floating obstacle course in Penticton that I am dying to try out the next time we visit, it is called the Penticton Wibit and I have heard amazing things about it.
No matter what you are all about, The Okangan has a little bit of everything to accommodate everyone in your family! If you have never been anywhere in The Okanagan before, I highly recommend booking your next summer vacation there!