Kelowna is located in the Okanagan Valley directly on Okanagan Lake and thus in the southwest of British Columbia. In 2020 after our first canoe trip at the Wells Gray Provincial Park we stopped here. Hence it makes a lot of sense to repeat this after our canoe trip at the Bowron Lake Provincial Park .
Heat in B. C.
In June 2021, British Columbia is in the midst of a heat wave. Temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees Celsius heat up the province. Just a few days ago, we paddled across Indianpoint Lake in pouring rain. Today we're sitting in the blazing sun on the roof of the Craft Beer Market in Kelowna in the midst of cozy 41 degrees and a dry desert climate. But we don't want to complain, because there are others who have been hit much worse. Some places in British Columbia - most notably Lytton, which was 90 percent destroyed by fire - have been hit much worse by the heat and drought and are really suffering. So we are in quiete a comfortable space over here with the sprinkler system on the roof terrace. There is food as well: Nachos in a beer barrel ... that is, in a part of a beer barrel, the upper part.
Hydrofly Kelowna
Den Tipp mit den Nachos haben wir von Gray, einem der Instuktoren von Hydrofly Kelowna. Der arbeitet dort abends als Barkeeper. Am Tag sorgt er dafür, dass Leute in die Luft gehen. Allerdings nicht in dem Sinne, wie Rico letztens erst in Pemberton in die Luft ging, sondern in einem etwas feuchteren Sinne. Er ist Teil der Crew von Hydrofly Kelowna, die willige Kundschaft auf einem Flyboard über den Lake Okanagan jagt.
Das sieht spektakulär aus, wenn man es kann, und gehört zu den Dingen, die man einfach mal machen muss, auch wenn man es eben nicht kann, so wie ich. Rico hatte sich bereits im letzten Jahr auf die Wellen gewagt. Da ihm das so massiven Spass gemacht hat, haben wir das in diesem Jahr kurzerhand wiederholt. In Summe dreimal. Entsprechend beeindruckend hoch wurde er dann auch in die Luft katapultiert und gleichsam hoch war die Begeisterung von Tim und Gray, den Instruktoren von Hydrofly Kelowna. Auch ich habe mich dann dazu hinreissen lassen, mich von Wasserstrahlen in die Luft heben zu lassen. Also rein theoretisch. Der See war danach halbleer, da ich das meisste von dem warmen Wasser geschluckt habe. Aber ganz ehrlich: gefetzt hat es schon.
Wine Country
Now, Kelowna is not only known for its almost limitless water sports options, but also and especially for its wineries. Kelowna, or rather the Okanagan Valley, is the Canadian wine region par excellence. All the more understandable is the enormous amount of wineries that have settled in the area. Some of them are world famous, some are real insider tips. All of them can be reached via more or less dusty dirt roads.
Frind
Last year we already met Frind rather enthusiastically, of whose terrific Rieslings we carried home two cases of 12 bottles each. This year we wanted to repeat this experience. Unfortunately, however, one of the Rieslings was sold out and it is also no longer cellared. Bummer. But still, we had a good time here, even if the magic of last summer was lost. Back then it was the first year and everything still seemed new and small and familiar. This year it was strictly organized and seemed very impersonal. That was really a pity.
The Hatch
Choosing which of the numerous wineries in the region to visit for a wine tasting is really hard work and always involves the risk of being disappointed. It is all the more terrific when you are then so positively surprised, as at The Hatch. They not only offer an incredibly individual and cool design, but also deliver wines that blew us away. At wine tastings, you're usually offered 5 or 6 wines to try. Of these, in most cases, a maximum of 2 are really drinkable. At The Hatch, however, none of the wines tasted were undrinkable. Or to put it another way: all the wines were great! A choice was simply not feasible and so we wobbled home with three boxes of wine this year.
Going home?
Well equipped with wine and countless impressions from the canoe trip, we set off on the last day to drive from Kelowna to Vancouver. We gave our faithful tin companion a wash the day before, as it was a bit dirty after the dusty roads in the interior.
As we slide out of the parking space, there is a rumble. My first thought: a cat? But no, it was not a cat. It was a flat tire. Probably pulled over somewhere on one of the dusty dirt roads. By the way, it is Sunday. And even if Sunday is not as important here as it is in Germany, the tire centers and garages are obviously closed. Fortunately, however, we then find an open tire shop thanks to Google and call. They strongly recommend that we call a towing service and have them tow us to the garage. A little later then the verdict: We need a new tire, but this will be here not nefore tommorow, which is Monday.
So we stay one night longer in Kelowna than planned and on Monday noon we drive with a new tire to Vancouver after all.
E-Scooter!
Something good came out of the flat tire and I do not mean hot air! Since workshop and accommodation were a bit further away from downtown Kelowna, we needed a ride into the city center. Fortunately, Kelowna recently got a special permit for a pilot project that allows the rental of e-scooters. Hip as we two are, we dare to ride the electrified scooters and chase with up to 15 km/h over the glowing asphalt. What fun! That compensates us for the circumstances.
