B.C.

Sun Seeking in Osoyoos

Hot summers, mild winters and lots of sunshine make Osoyoos a great place for sun seekers any time of the year

By Catherine Dunwoody /

Credit: Flickr /Spatial Mongrel

The desert-like climate in Osoyoos means warmer temperatures and more sunshine

A fall weekend in Osoyoos provides a quick hit of sunshine as the winter grey settles in

Since we didn’t get a lot of sunlight in Vancouver this year, a quick weekend road trip to Canada’s hottest destination, Osoyoos, BC, was definitely in order before winter sets in.

With the price of gas lately, I’ve been considering a hybrid for my next vehicle, and the opportunity to test drive a candy apple red Ford Fusion Hybrid was too fun to pass up. We loved its sleek design and it only cost $20 in fuel for the entire trip. Take that old Jetta!

Taking the Scenic Route to Osoyoos

Stopping at the Hope Slide for photos

The best part of an Okanagan road trip is making lots of stops along the way. First stop: the Hope Slide for a photo opp. Just us and a whole lotta bikers.

A quick java stop and one incredible scone at Cowboy Coffee off Highway 3 in Princeton was followed by picking up some seasonal produce in Keremeos at The Bear’s fruit stand, like these Turk’s Turban squash.

A deek out to Okanagan Falls is always worth it on this trip, because the ice-cream and fudge at Tickleberry’s is crazy good. Where else can you load up on a scoop of Tiger-Tiger and some Pumpkin Cheesecake fudge to take away?

Sun Seeking at the Watermark Beach Resort

Beach time or lounge chair? Tough decisions at The Watermark Beach Resort

Once in Osoyoos, we checked into the Watermark Beach Resort, smack dab on Osoyoos Lake. A day spent divided between beach time on a towel and poolside on a lounger felt like the perfect sunny day yin and yang.

It felt too warm to visit the hot tubs but the waterslide was a blast. Visiting after Labour Day weekend meant the resort was quieter since the kids had gone back to school. Later that night the Wine Bar & Patio served up sticky-good grilled ribs and salad under a starry sky.  

Breakfast the next morning meant a three-minute stroll from the resort to JoJo’s Café on Osoyoos’ main street. Delish breakfast sandwiches and good, strong coffee made for perfection.

Osoyoos: Home of the Best Home Hardware

Dinner at Tinhorn Creek’s Miradoro Restaurant

Believe it or not, Osoyoos boasts Canada’s best Home Hardware store – no joke. I’d never seen anything like it – multi-levels, a huge space with all kinds of departments with great stock, many items hard to find. Who knew we’d ‘shop’ here? See it and you’ll understand why we couldn’t help ourselves.
 
Dinner that night at Miradoro Restaurant, the new partnership between Tinhorn Creek and Manuel Ferreira, owner of Le Gavroche in Vancouver, proved to be as good as I’d hoped, with some of the best Napoli pizza around. No wonder people drive there for it – it’s that good.

And the spectacular view? The entire valley wraps under and around you. Go for the sunset, the light alone makes for one lovely evening.

Freelance writer, editor, stylist Catherine Dunwoody puts the ‘style’ in lifestyle stories. Based in Vancouver, Catherine is a regular contributor to TV Week, BC Home, Western Living, Nuvo and numerous other publications and television programs.