Searching For The Best Of Paradise In British Columbia - Under The Okanagan Sun!

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Issue #003, March 30, 2010

After a few months hiatus, and revamping some of our website pages, I thought it was time to send out another newsletter, and bring you up to date on what's happening around the valley, and on our website.

Here in the Okanagan, winter was once again been mild, busy, and beautiful.

Spring has officially sprung in the valley, and another season of outdoor recreation, barbecues, cherry blossoms, hay fever, and summer travel begins.

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

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

Every newsletter we share a great picture with you, to show you the beautiful sights of the Okanagan Valley.

This is our second photo, which was taken by our friend Janelle, a local photographer, who has shared a number of her pictures with us.

Visit our photo gallery for more pictures.

Wine tourism, along with skiing and golf, now ranks as one of the top three draws in B.C. for foreign visitors. In 1988, there were only about a dozen wineries in the Okanagan (an area that begins in the north at Salmon Arm, runs south to the U.S. border and includes the Similkameen Valley). Today there are more than 150!

Well, we've got a number of pages up about Okanagan wineries! Though we're not really wine connoisseurs, we do like to get out and tour the wineries, taste (of course!), and definitely to enjoy the scenery!

We've created a complimentary wine tasting sheet that you can print (without having to download it!) to take along on any wine tour. They're really quite fun, and also handy to have along as by the time you get to the fourth winery on a tour, you may have forgotten which wines you like at the first one!

Last summer we did visit a few wineries on the Naramata Bench, just a few minutes from the city of Penticton. Having never tried fruit wine, we stopped at Elephant Island Winery, and wow! Of the four wines we tried, the Black Current was our favorite, taking four bottles home to have with Greek Salad, and Kettle Chips! No kidding!

Second in line for our favorites is the Raspberry Dessert Wine, followed by Stellaport and then the Fuji Ice. If this peaks your curiosity, about fruit wines, it should. They're a treat in themselves!

We've also already had several contributions from visitor's about favorite wines, tours, and wineries. It's a great addition to the site, especially for those who haven't been here before. Our readers now can benefit from the winery experience of others as well!

If you've visited a winery in the area, please do share your story too! You can even upload pictures!

And if you're planning summer wine tours in the area and you would like in-depth information about all the wineries in the Okanagan region, John Schreiner's Okanagan Wine Tour Guide is the most popular book on the market.

Events Calendar

We've created a monthly events calendar to help you easily find festivals, fairs and other great events not to be missed if you come to visit!

Beginning in 2010, check out the April Events. A number of farmer's markets start up, as well as the Okanagan Fest Of Ale (always sells out!), where microbreweries let you test out everything from handcrafted ales to porters and lagers! There's great music too!

In addition, the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival runs from Apr 30-May 9, 2010.

It's Almost Fruit Season!

Don't forget cherry season starts in June!! Check out the harvest schedule, as well as where to find orchards and u-picks and our page with some important tips for picking your own fruit!

Here's a delicious cherry recipe for E-zine subscribers only!

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup melted margerine
• 1 1/4 cup cherries, pitted, chopped
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease muffin tin. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In separate bowl, mix egg, bananas and melted butter until well blended. Slowly add dry ingredients to banana mixture, stirring just to combine. Lightly fold in cherries. Place approx 1/4 cup of mixture into each of 12 muffin cups.

Topping

Combine 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp flour and 1/2 tbsp butter. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake for 22-24 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!!

Gearing Up For Camping Season

Yup, it's here! Camping season begins in April. Though the weather is cooler, many people prefer to avoid busy campgrounds during the summer months.

It's a great time to get out and explore the trails, spring blossoms, biking and hiking. You can find everything you need to know about camping in the Okanagan here!

It's going to be another very dry summer in the Okanagan, so if you are planning a camping vacation to the valley, you can find wildfire information and campfire bans before you head out. Though there's likely no campfire restrictions right now, there will be soon!

Up-to-date wildfire information is also available by calling the Wildfire Information Line 1‑888‑3FOREST (1‑888‑336‑7378). And, if you do see smoke or flames, please report it by calling toll free 1‑800‑663‑5555 or *5555 on most cellular networks.

Cell Phones & Driving In BC

We all travel with cell phones these days. British Columbia has implemented a new law regarding cell phone use while driving.

So just in case you're not aware...

Beginning January 1, 2010, typing, texting or dialing on a hand-held cell phone or any hand-held portable electronic device while driving is subject to a $167 fine.

And if you hold a BC drivers license, count on 3 points!

More Ways To Stay In Touch

Everyone's on social networks these days, and so we decided to sign up too! Twitter is fun! There's tons of great tips and travel information related to the Okanagan by a number of our current followers.

You can also become a fan of Okanagan Vacation Guide on Facebook!. We post about all kinds of stuff there, so don't miss it!

Now then....that's all for now!

Thanks for lending us 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!

See you soon under the Okanagan Sun!

Erika et al!