There's never been a better time to travel at home. And from snowshoeing to sauna escapes, this Okanagan city has it all.
If you've always considered Kelowna to be a summer escape, filled with long, lazy days and ice-cold sangrias — well, you're not wrong.
But if you think this Okanagan city is only a warm-weather destination ... now, that would be a mistake. Because this same landscape in winter, when snow-dusted mountains beckon and Okanagan Lake sparkles like a fine ice wine, is every bit as enticing.
If you have suddenly cancelled your trip to the U.S. and are looking for a replacement, Kelowna fits the bill.
Glide on skis under snow-encrusted trees, bask in the warmth of a floating sauna, and end your day at a retro supper club and cinema — it's possible to do all of this for a fraction of the cost during high season, and in your own currency.
There has never been a better time to travel in Canada.
 |
| Families and friends revel in the joy of a carefree skate at the Stuart Park outdoor ice rink. |
If you've visited in summer you may be familiar with Stuart Park, that jewel of a setting positioned right on the city's lakefront. But did you know that in winter, the plaza transforms into a free outdoor skating rink complete with firepit?
Outdoor ice rinks are a quintessential Canadian winter experience, so discovering this rink was a bit like stumbling upon a hidden gem. Even better, this rink had skates available to rent.
I hadn't skated in years but that didn't stop me. Literally minutes after checking into my hotel, the Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort, I was wobbling cautiously around the rink.
To be honest, the ice was far more slippery than I remember it ever being. But it turns out that skating is a bit like riding a bike and it didn't take long before I was revelling in the joy of my carefree afternoon skate.
 |
| I snowshoed for the first time! With practically no learning curve, this is a sport that everyone can take up. |
The next morning I swapped my skates for snowshoes, ready to tick another item off my winter list.
I've long been intimidated by snow sports, so I was floored by how easy it was to begin snowshoeing. “Wait, that’s it?” I asked, astounded, as I fastened three straps over my boots and was told I was good to go.
And with my first crunch, crunch, crunch on the trails of the Telemark Nordic Club, I stepped into a postcard paradise — snow-laden trees framed my path, sunlight glinted through the branches and bright blue skies stretched overhead.
I have to admit that my guide, the ever-patient Darby Svendsen of Tourism Kelowna, led me and a fellow writer on an extremely gentle two-kilometre hike. But with practically no learning curve, this is a sport that everyone can take up.
Telemark is just a short drive from downtown Kelowna, but the 600-metre elevation gain ensures a reliable blanket of snow all season long.
 |
| Kalin Ocaña, a lifelong birding enthusiast with some 50 bird calls in his repertoire, calls to a screech owl. |
Of all the activities on my Kelowna itinerary, owling was the one that intrigued me the most.
A sighting wasn’t guaranteed, but my group was hopeful. And, led by Kalin Ocaña, a lifelong birding enthusiast with some 50 bird calls in his repertoire, we knew we would see other birds.
After a 45-minute walk through Mission Creek Regional Park, we’d spotted a red fox sparrow perched on an icy ledge by a rushing creek, as well as a varied thrush almost completely hidden in the dense brush.
“If you listen closely to the sounds of nature, you can understand what’s going on,” Ocaña explained as he mimicked the call of a black-capped chickadee.
But still no owls. As dusk settled over the ponderosas, Ocaña sent a series of trills into the crisp air. Once. Twice. Again.
Then, we heard it: The deep hoot of a great horned owl. Moments later, another call — its mate.
No sightings, but these calls in the wild were the perfect coda to my evening.
 |
| Löyly Floating Sauna promises heat, steam (the löyly) and, for the daring, a plunge into a pool of frigid lake water. |
After all this exertion, I understandably felt I deserved a little pampering. Enter Löyly Floating Sauna, a sauna and plunge pool that in its first full season has been a hit with locals and visitors alike.
This Finnish-style sauna moored on Okanagan Lake promised heat, steam (the löyly) and, if I dared, a plunge into a pool of frigid lake water. But with the water temperature around 3 C, this was not a decision to be made lightly.
Löyly staffer Reilly Harper told me there are two main ways to approach taking the plunge, which is said to activate the shock proteins that release adrenaline and decrease inflammation.
"We always dare people to just rip the Band-Aid off and get right in the plunge first," Harper said. "But I think the easiest way is to go in the sauna for 10, 15 minutes, build up your 'heat shield' and then come out and do the plunge."
In theory, both methods sounded reasonable. But, I was also cognizant that Harper is much younger than I am, and thus has circulation on his side.
So after deep consideration, I decided I was perfectly happy in the sauna. Maybe next time, though.
 |
| Docent Coralee Miller at the Sncewips Heritage Museum, which is dedicated to telling the Syilx story. |
Long before Kelowna became a tourism hotspot, the Syilx people were the original stewards of these lands.
The Sncewips Heritage Museum is dedicated to preserving and telling the Syilx story, although docent Coralee Miller cautioned that artifacts only tell part of the story.
"Our connection with the land is so deep and so great," Miller said. "These displays are a means to an end; they're puzzle pieces that fill in the blanks of who we are."
One of the standout exhibits is a black cottonwood canoe, once a vital way to travel across Okanagan Lake. As Miller explains, the canoe "was the equivalent of a family minivan," carrying people and goods as far south as the U.S. border.
Then there’s the Ogopogo. A 1920s folk song popularized the legend of this blue lake monster, and it has since become synonymous with Kelowna.
And that's fine, Miller said. But she noted that the Ogopogo should never be confused with the Syilx's N'xaxaitkw, a sacred and benevolent water spirit that is a guardian of the lake and its ecosystems.
 |
| Bernie’s Supper Club & Cinema is a unique venue where dinner and a movie are served in a marquee setting. |
With my soul nourished, it was time to indulge another craving. My next stop was to Bernie’s Supper Club & Cinema, a one-of-a-kind venue where my favourite pairing — dinner and a movie — is served up in a marquee setting.
Once a lively dive bar, this cozy restaurant and theatre offers an inviting escape from winter. What's not to like about artisan cocktails, delectable dishes like my lobster tagliatelle, and the cheekily named Big Warm Buns?
Visitors can dine in the main-floor restaurant and then head upstairs to the 42-seat cinema, or order supper from the Bernie's menu in the theatre itself. Did I mention the seats are plush velvet couches? Fancy!
Alas, time wasn’t on my side, so I had to skip the screening. But in February cinephiles can choose from a lineup of classics like Notting Hill and The Notebook, among many others.
 |
| Chef Yassine Lakhsassi with a fragrant Moroccan Chicken Tagine at Lakehouse Kitchens Cooking School. |
Before I headed home I had time for one more adventure, and this one promised to fire up all of my senses even as it wrapped me in a steamy embrace.
I'm talking, of course, about a tagine cooking demonstration at Lakehouse Kitchens Cooking School, in which a Moroccan feast unfolded before my eyes.
Guiding us through this sensory journey was chef Yassine Lakhsassi, who described his culinary techniques and favourite tagine brands as he created a fragrant Moroccan Chicken Tagine for his students.
No need to prep or even dirty our hands in any way; our only job was to eat and, luckily, I'm very good at this.
The flavours were nuanced, the textures sumptuous. There are few finer ways to spend a winter night.
IF YOU GO
STAY: Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort overlooks Okanagan Lake and rooms are spacious and contemporary. The hotel is in an extremely walkable location.
STUART PARK Outdoor Skating Rink: Skating is free; ice skate rentals cost $7, cash-only.
TELEMARK NORDIC CLUB: Open 7 days/week in winter, season length is dependent on snowfall.
OWLING ADVENTURES: Guide Kalin Ocaña offers private tours and can be reached on Instagram, @birdz.okanagan
LOYLY FLOATING SAUNA: Community or private sessions available. Reservations recommended.
SNCEWIPS HERITAGE MUSEUM: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission is by donation; tours are $15 per person.
BERNIE'S SUPPER CLUB & CINEMA: Bernie's opens at 4 p.m. daily. Reservations are not required. Movie tickets can be purchased online.
LAKEHOUSE KITCHENS COOKING SCHOOL: Choose between Hands-On or Chef's Theatre classes.
This article originally ran in the Victoria Times-Colonist
0 comments