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The Road to Osoyoos
  • JoAnne Gelowitz
Sep – Oct 2024

The Road to Osoyoos

I had imagined when Ger and I retired that we would plan trips on the spur of the moment. But there was a pandemic that put a stop to that thinking. Looking forward to our first "Let's do it!" trip. Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 29, 2024
    JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Great Sand Hills Route

    September 30, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Today we traveled from Saskatoon to Medicine Hat. Since we were in the area we decided to go see the Great Sand Hills. We've viewed the Sand Hills from Bald Butte in Cypress Hills but have never actually been there. We were on the northern portion where the dunes meet the ranchland. The area we were on was private land owned by the Sand Hills Stockman's Association but it was open to the public. There were some trails, so we went for a little walk onto the dunes. It was so windy. We got a bit sand blasted. I crouched down to take a picture and the wind blew me over. That gave me the opportunity to experience the sand hill up close and personal. As I write this post I am still chewing on sand.

    I have an added bit more to this post. We stopped for our overnight stay in Medicine Hat. Our first stop was supper at Papi's. It was roadhouse type food and was very good. Sorry, I should have taken pictures because the food looked great but I didn't. On the way out I noticed a painting of the wooden arch with the cowboy boots nailed to it. It was the same arch that we saw at the Sand Hills. Turns out that the guy who was the rancher that took care of the area for Sand Hill Stockman's Association was the owner of the restaurant. The arch was erected in his honour.

    Also, there was a wood stove from Scotland in the front entrance to the restaurant. Very cool. Didn't notice it going in. I must have been hungry.

    Also, also, I added a video with our room. It's pretty nice. Especially for the price we paid. I was expecting just a bed and a bathroom.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Liebenthal

    September 30, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    As we made our way from the Sand Hills to Medicine Hat we passed through the town of Liebenthal. It's not really a town, more of hamlet. It had a really nicely kept up church. We had to stop to take pictures because there was an interesting looking museum for me and a nicely kept graveyard and chapel for Ger. Sadly, the museum was closed. I really would have liked to go and see it. It had its own unique appeal. Ger is thinking that Liebenthal is German for love valley. Glad we stopped to take pictures.Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump

    October 1, 2024 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Today's sight to see was Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. We have been in this area a number of times but we've never stopped here. I'm glad we decided to add this stop to our trip. Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump is an UNESCO world heritage site. It's pretty awesome that there is a sight with this designation in western Canada. We went out to see the cliff. It was crazy windy again today. I couldn't stand still enough to take pictures so the outdoor pictures are Get's.
    The exhibition explains the significance of the buffalo to the Blackfoot people. How dependant these people were on the buffalo for food, to make tools and to make clothing and tipis. Every part of the buffalo was used and the people were grateful to the creator for providing them with the buffalo. A video explains how the buffalo herd was forced over a cliff to kill the herd and provide food to the tribe for the winter. It was quite a complicated process and they had a great knowledge of the forces of nature and of the buffalo in order to convince the buffalo to jump over the cliff.
    This process was done over and over again for 6000 years. The buffalo never disappeared. Then the British came...how many times have I said that in my blogs? The British killed the buffalo for sport, for show and to make fur coats. They almost wiped out the species. A few buffalo were taken to Montana and bred. If it wasn't for this act the buffalo would have been extinct. Slowly buffalo are being reintroduced to back to the Canadian wilderness.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Charmed Resorts

    October 2, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    While looking around at the shops in Fort MacLeod we had a nice chat with one of the shopkeepers. When we told her where we were going she suggested we should take a drive around Charmed Resorts. That they have fairy tale themed cabins. It was only an hour away and right off the highway. She highly recommended a stay there but it really didn't fit into the timeline since I had already booked places for the next couple of nights.
    However, on our way to Creston we decided to find the place and take a look around. It was right off the highway but the signage was crappy. When we finally found the place it looked like it was being redeveloped. Then we found a lot of tiny homes and a lot of RV camping. We decided that we had about enough and turned around to leave. On our way out we found the fairy tale themed cabins. The place on a whole really didn't look inviting but those cabins did look cool!    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Marysville Falls/Kimberly

    October 2, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Ger has been asking since we started the trip if I want to go to Kimberly. We had been there before and really didn't feel like I wanted to. It was a 'been there done that kind' of feeling. The downtown area is German/Austrian themed and is cool but I didn't feel I wanted to see it again.
    As we were driving I looked up things to do around Cranbrook. The top suggestion was Maryville Falls. Sounded nice and worth a look see. As we were getting close to the turn off I realized the falls were off the same highway that goes to Kimberly and it was pretty close to Kimberly. Turns out the falls were on the edge of a town called Marysville, which is considered part of Kimberly. We went to see the falls and then decided to go and see the downtown area which is actually in Blarchmont, another town that is considered Kimberly.

    The falls were beautiful!! And the downtown area is still touristy cute.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Basasak

    October 2, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We are staying overnight in Creston. Tomorrow we will drive along to Kootenay Lake. We did this drive when the kids were quite young. However, we wanted to catch a ferry and drove quickly along the lake. It looked beautiful but it went by fast. Tomorrow we plan to see it at a more leisurely pace. And that is why we are staying in Creston, so we can get up and take in the beauty of that drive without time constraints.
    Creston feels to me like a working town, not a tourist town. A little bit dingy but still nice because it is surrounded by orchards. We decided to go to a Korean restaurant, Basasaks, for supper. We got there and we were pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere. Very tastefully decorated with jazz music playing.
    Ger wanted to try their Korean fried chicken. I picked bibimbab. Both were delicious and we have enough leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. We hadn't planned on having this nice of meal. I'm glad I took pictures of this one.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    The Drive Along Kootenay Lake

    October 3, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Today was our leisurely drive along Kootenay Lake. It was much more enjoyable than the last time. However, the drive was reminding both of us of our CAA approved scenic drive along Lake Superior. In both cases the lake and the view are spectacular but can't usually see it because of the trees. But I'm not complaining.
    Our first stop was at Kaskanook Harbour for a little walk around. There was a wooden tipi on the beach. It was very beautiful and of course a nice clear view of the lake. Just past the rest stop there was a tourist attraction called the Glass House. We didn't go in, just took a picture from the outside.
    The next stop was Crawford Bay. We wanted to see the place Dani and Chris went for their their first honeymoon. It's a cute little artisan town that is very close to the Kootenay ferry. Most of the shops were closed with only a handful being opened. The Broom Shop is the one place Dani suggested we go see and it was still open. So we went to see what that was all about. It was full of handmade brooms, many were functional and some were decorative. The brooms are made with grasses imported from Central America. These brooms reminded me of the broom my Vietnamese hairstylist uses to sweep up the hair cuttings. And yes I bought a broom.
    Last stop on this part of our journey is the ferry to take us across Kootenay Lake so we can go to the Ainsworth Hot Springs.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos
    This was taken outside but it was pretty much the view from our room in Nelson.
    The park beside our hotel.Brilliance Rest Area pic 1Brilliance Rest Area pic 2Car outside of the Copper EagleOur lunch spotRandom shopSome Greenwood Halloween decorationsFirst view of Osoyoos.The last hairpin turn before Osoyoos. There were quite a few after Greenwood.

    Nelson to Osoyoos

    October 4, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Today we drove from Nelson to Osoyoos. We made two memorable stops.
    The first was a rest stop called Brilliance a half hour out of Nelson. It had a beautiful view of the Kootenay River.
    The second stop was in a small town called Greenwood. A young lady in Kimberly suggested we stop at the Copper Eagle Bakery. It was a good suggestion. Ger had homemade soup for lunch and I bought a loaf of sour dough bread for our breakfasts for the next couple of days. The town, like many towns in BC, had a quirky charm about.
    Got to Osoyoos about mid afternoon. We spent the rest of the afternoon familiarizing ourselves with the area. Everyone we have talked to that lives here seems to be very proud of the warm temperatures here. More about Osoyoos tomorrow.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Spotted Lake

    October 5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    We started the day by taking a drive in the area. Our first stop today was Spotted Lake. This lake is sacred to the Okanagan indigenous people. It is high in minerals. When the water in the lake evaporates it leaves small pools of mineral filled water. The lake is not open to the public but it can be seen from a viewpoint off the highway. Although we are in Canada and in the mountains this area really feels like we are in different country.
    We continued on and did a little one hour loop back to Osoyoos. It was a nice way to start a day of exploring.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos
    View from the peninsula.
    So many orchards.The end of the peninsula.View of the peninsula from a park in Osoyoos.

    swiws Provincial Park

    October 5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Nope that title is not a typo. That is the word the indigenous people use to describe this area. This provincial park is on the edge of Osoyoos. Swiws means a place where it is shallow or narrow in the middle of the lake. The park is a peninsula that juts out into the Osoyoos Lake. It is quite small and we walked through pretty much the whole thing. Pretty much just campsites, with most beside the lake. Poison ivy is rampant there so we now know what it looks like. We had a nice walk on nice warm afternoon.Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Nk'mip Cultural Centre

    October 5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Later in the afternoon we took a drive to Nk'mip Cultural Centre. Nk'mip is the indigenous name for this desert. At the centre we learned about the indigenous people of this area and how they are preserving their culture. I was quite struck by the statues that led to their trails. The animals looked so real and some were hidden. I think I found them all but I can't be sure.
    The cultural center is part of a bigger complex. There is a rather large resort, vineyards, wine cellars, and a restaurant that specializes in highlighting local indigenous food. It is quite the operation.
    We wandered around the area for quite a while. I tried very hard to walk on the trails but turned around because I'm pretty sure I heard rattle snakes. We were there at the warmest part of the day and there were signs out alerting people that were snakes in the area. Yuch, couldn't do it. I'm pretty sure cowboy boots are to keep your ankles from being bit.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos
    The hair wreath
    Lots of flowers still blooming nicely.

    Things around Osoyoos

    October 5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We did a bit of wandering around Osoyoos. I did a short visit to the museum. They had a lot of interesting artifacts. The most interesting one was a hair wreath. It is actually a wreath made of hair. Hair wreaths were usually made of a person's hair to honour them after they passed.
    We also strolled a park that overlooks swiws Provincial Park. A nice way to end a busy day. Tomorrow we start heading back home.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Vibrant Vines Winery

    October 6, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Today we started to make our way home. Like the rest of this trip we are trying to keep the daily drives to 2-3 hours. It usually takes us way longer to get to our destination because we are making stops at places that seem interesting. Now that I said that, I don't have any photos from today's stops.

    Our first stop in Kelowna was the visitor centre. The young man who helped us was very enthusiastic and gave us really good suggestions of things we could do for the afternoon.
    Ger wanted to check out a winery or two, so we went to the one that had the most unique description, Vibrant Vines Winery. The unique thing about this winery is that the labels are 3D.
    One of the staff described this winery as a retirement project that got a little out of hand. A winery was purchased and then the owner asked his son, who is an artist, to design the labels. The son has a very unique artistic style. His friends discovered that his artwork was 3D. So that was a happy accident . The winery doubles as an art gallery for the son. His work is amazing, and may be influenced by hallucinagenics.
    Ger took part in a wine tasting. I was wishing I could taste the wines. The descriptions made the wines sound wonderful and they smelled awesome. Ger assures me that all the drinks tasted good.
    I'm glad this is the winery we picked to go see. Also, the grounds were lovely. It was very inviting to stroll around outside to see the vineyards.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos
    Ger's favourite type of tree on this trip. Seems to be a lot.

    Knox Mountain Park

    October 6, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Knox Mountain Park was another suggestion give to us by our enthusiastic visitor centre host. It is Kelowna's nature park that has a few trails. We took a stroll along the lake. There were also some trails going up the mountain but we opted out of those. We had a lovely walk along the Okanagan Lake. Another nice ending to a nice day.Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Mission Hills Winery

    October 7, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    First stop today was Mission Hills Winery. It was vastly different than the winery we visited yesterday. A very large operation with pristine gardens and buildings. It worth the stop just to see the Okanagan Valley and Lake from the top of this small mountain (maybe it's a hill). It's hard to tell the difference here. As we left thevwinery I said to Ger that it's nice to see how the other 2% lives.
    We then drove off to 50th Parallel Winery. The road traveled along the lake. It was nice to drive on a less busy road. After a quick tasting Ger bought a bottle of wine that could be drank now but will be better in a year.
    We continued on this road until we got to Vernon and then had to go back to the main highway to get to Revelstoke. We left Kelowna at 9:00 am and got to Revelstoke at 5:00. Not bad for a 2.5 hour drive.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos
    2

    Revelstoke

    October 8, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Today we left Revelstoke and are on our way to Canmore to visit one of Ger's lifelong buddies. We had a couple of very windy days to start this trip and since then the sky has been sunny, the winds have been calm and a few days were warm. Today was cloudy and cool and a bit rainy. I even pulled out my down coat. I actually thought I had unnecessarily packed it, but today I needed it.
    Revelstoke seems to me to be a combo working and tourist town. There seems to be enough industry in the area to keep people working, with added bonus of year round touristy stuff. It is definitely a place for the younger and more adventurous with rock climbing, ziplining, mountain biking, skiing, etc. And then lots of opportunities for places to drink afterwards.
    Most of my pictures today were taken on the road. I was enjoying the clouds in the mountains.    Read more

  • JoAnne GelowitzTravelerThe Road to Osoyoos

    Golden

    October 8, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Made a stop in Golden. I wanted to see where Regan and Cam spent their honeymoon. It was a lovely town with quite a big system of urban trails. It would be worth staying there for a day or two just to do the trails. We strolled around for about an hour and then got back on the road.
    Although this trip is lasting a few more days this will probably be the last post. We are doing visiting more than sightseeing for the rest of the trip.    Read more

    Trip end
    October 10, 2024
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