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Issue #002, August 2009

It's been a hot, dry summer so far in the Okanagan.

Hot and dry equals forest fires here. And unfortunately, we did have a few, with one still burning.

If you're camping in the Okanagan, this time of year is especially important for being fire smart and aware of campfire bans.

If you're in the Okanagan now, we hope you're enjoying your visit!

Here's what's New At Okanagan Vacation Guide.com

Photo Of The Month

We've added a photo of the month to our E-zine. Each newsletter we'll select a favorite picture to share with you, and show you the beautiful sights, history and lifestyle of the Okanagan Valley.

This photo is taken by our friend Janelle. Click here to visit her wonderful website.

Thanks Janelle for sharing your beautiful pictures of the Okanagan with us and all our readers!

#1) Okanagan Wine

A few years ago we visited a number of beautiful Okanagan wineries along the Golden Mile Wine Route and Black Sage Bench between the towns of Oliver and Osoyoos BC, Including Burrowing Owl Estate Winery. (it was actually a project for a course - gotta love adult learning!)

Burrowing Owl Winery is located on Black Sage Road, about half way between Oliver and Osoyoos in an area that contains the highest concentration of wineries around.

During our tour we enjoyed some of the best wine tasting and the most delicious food ever!

And being a lover of sweets and desserts, I was all for trying out those yummy dessert wines!

Silver Sage winery "Flame" was our choice of wine to take home. It's a deliciously spicy apertif wine with a pepper in the bottom of a long sleek and classy bottle, that is to die for with my favorite sweet chocolate desserts!

Now it's your turn...What's your favorite Okanagan wine?.

Oops, we goofed! The winery link in our last E-zine didn't work for you! So here it is again! Sorry about that! Take a peek at our afternoon wine tour in Okanagan Falls. It's never too late to share though!

#2) Visiting The City Of Penticton

Penticton Canada is absolutely bursting with summer fun! We've already enjoyed the Penticton Elvis Festival, which is a great family oriented event that kicks off summer.

And the Peach City Beach Cruise was another hit with over 700 classic and antique cars, great live entertainment and perfect weather!

The city of Penticton has some of the best beaches in the Okanagan Valley, and this year we're going on the hunt for the best beach umbrella!

We'll keep you posted on this and let you know what we find!

One of our favorite things to do in Penticton is float the channel. If you've done this before, you'll know what we mean, and if you haven't, we highly recommend it!

Our bellies are full of delicious fresh cherries and apricots and we're just waiting for the peaches to ripen in August!

Speaking of peaches, the annual Penticton Peach Festival will be our next family fun event right after the August long weekend.

There's a sand castle building contest on Skaha beach, free live entertainment all week long, a midway, kiddies day, the famous peach drink and dessert competition (our favorite!!), and the Tragically Hip will be performing at the South Okanagan Events Centre!

If you're not able to make it to Peachfest, be sure to read next month's E-zine for the scoop on the event!

#3) Okanagan Golf

Ok, we're still looking for great Okanagan golf stories!

We're so busy on the beach (and we're still humble about not being the best golfers!), that we don't spend a lot of time on the golf courses.

We have a golf pro in our family, and he sent in his favorite Okanagan golf course story! (uhm....but, we're still waiting for the pic!)

Have you played golf somewhere in the Okanagan? Or do you know someone who has?

We want to hear about your golf vacation in the Okanagan Valley!

Please send us a picture too, if you have one.

#4) Upcoming Okanagan Festivals and Events

August will bring one of the most exciting events in the South Okanagan, the Subaru Ironman Canada Triathlon.

Athletes from around the world are already here training for the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26 mile marathon run.

Over 2,000 Ironman athletes compete and hundreds of volunteers participate to make this the success that is always is!

If you're around the South Okanagan on August 30, 2009, be sure to catch Ironman.

We'll be heading to the 17th annual Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival on August 14th to 16th for entertainment by more than 50 roots, blues and world music artists.

If you're around the Okanagan Shuswap during August, this is a music festival you don't want to miss!

This years performers will include: Bedouin Soundclash, Serena Ryder, the Sam Roberts Band, Johnny Winter, the Black Pioneer Heritage Singersand, Ana Bon-Bon, and Elliott BROOD to name a few.

A Beer garden, children's activities, food and crafts all make this a fun filled event!

There is camping available, but if you plan to camp, it's best to book ahead!

Over the next few weeks we'll be adding Okanagan Wine pages. There's a lot of ground to cover there, but it's one of the most enjoyable ways to enjoy the weather, culture and to experience what the Okanagan is all about. And sharing and writing about it is the best part!

We'll also add pages (and lots of pictures!) to the top 10 Okanagan beaches!

That way, when you come to visit, you'll have an idea of which beach you want to kick your feet up on!

Thanks for sharing your time! We hope you enjoyed your read.

We're always working to improve our website and our E-zine and we welcome your suggestions, questions and ideas. Just send us a note! We'd love to hear from you!
We hope to see you soon under the Okanagan Sun!

Erika