A Weekend in Oliver

Oliver is a little town located at the south end of the Okanagan Valley. It's known as the wine capital of British Columbia with over 30 wineries in it's 4.8 square kilometre radius! I try to go every year to visit my grandpa who lives up there. 

Over the August long weekend my husband and I made the drive (about 4 hours) up there and we had so much fun. We had a few items on our agenda including floating down the Penticton channel, visiting the wineries, going to the beach and eating lots of ice cream! 

Penticton has a few nice beaches to visit, but they can be quite crowded with people. We opted for a smaller, quiter beach called _____ to optimize our rest and relaxation.

For ice cream, we typically visit Tickleberries everyday, but they've changed management in recent years and sadly I don't find the taste to be the same. We now go to Medici's for gelato and it's all made in house! I couldn't believe it was my first time visiting this place because it's literally down the street from my grandpas house but I was so happy I finally did!

Floating down the Penticton channel is a hot tourist attraction. I've done it once in the past and remembered having fun, so I wanted to try it again. If you're planning to float down the channel, I recommended going on day where there is little to no wind. You will spend half the time trying not to get stuck in the branches or pipes located at the edge of the channel. Also you may want to forgo this activity if you're not tolerant of a young party crowd.

We only made it to one winery this time: See Ya Later Ranch. I would definitely recommend a visit here! The drive up to the estate is so beautiful and there wasn't one wine I tasted that I didn't like. I also loved the fact that a portion of their tasting proceeds benefitted stray dogs needing to find homes.

All-in-all the hubby and I have a blast every time we visit Oliver. It's so close to many neighbouring cities, you could never get bored. If you enjoy being outdoors, wine, beaches and ice cream, I would definitely recommend a visit here!