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Do an Okanagan Winery Crawl near Osoyoos, BC, Canada:

Tour a mini-vineyard to learn about grape growing and harvesting
Celebrate at an Okanagan Wine Festival: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter
Raise a wine-glass at the annual Festival of the Grape
Do a ‘wine crawl’ of 20 wineries on a Sunny Okanagan day
Drink wine outdoors at a Summer concert

Wine lovers may take a wine tour, helicopter to a winery for lunch, bike from winery to winery for a wine taste, or even sip wine after golf near Osoyoos. One can also drive the Bottleneck Drive wine route, do a ‘wine crawl’ of several wineries in the South Okanagan and learn about the Okanagan Valley’s wine making history at the BC Wine Museum.

Romancing the Desert

It’s not easy to build romance in the desert, but the annual Romancing the Desert Gala held at the Osoyoos Desert Centre certainly makes an attempt. Wine, gourmet food and a moonlit desert sky set the mood for a Summer evening to never forget. If this event is not of interest, try the following romantic gestures: cuddle with Mother Nature at a Haynes Point Provincial Park campsite, frolic in Lake Osoyoos or sing to the birds at the Osoyoos Lake Oxbows. Living in the desert may be hard, but it can be more fun than when John Carmichael Haynes first settled the area to make a new home.

Festival of the Grape

The Festival of the Grape is annual event at which wineries, wine vendors and wine-lovers may gather to hail the Fall grape harvest. Celebrations become even more festive when there has been ideal grape-growing weather: a hot late Summer and Fall with cooler overnight temperatures. In this case, festival attendees can raise a toast to riper fruits and better tasting wine. Live entertainment at the Festival of the Grape get the juices of all attendees flowing while a good, old-fashioned, grape stomp allows willing participants to create some. About 30 area wineries are on hand with samples of wines to taste, some from the wine crawl route between Oliver to Osoyoos. Local cheese and food vendors also compete for the attention of palates at the festival that is held in Oliver, BC, North of Osoyoos.

Cherry Fiesta

Half the fun is eating the cherry, the other is seeing how far it’s pit can be spit at Osoyoos’ Annual Cherry Fiesta that is held in July. Each Canada Day, the town’s downtown parks come alive with events such as a pancake breakfast, children’s games, a pie eating competition, and more. The fiesta celebrates the kick-off to cherry harvest and also crowns a new Miss Osoyoos. An evening fireworks display caps-off the day and can be viewed from the Anarchist Mountain Lookout, Haynes Point Provincial Park and other locations along the Lake Osoyoos lakeshore.

Bluegrass and Country Festival

Osoyoos’ parks are used for both recreation and to host events such as the annual Bluegrass and Country Festival held in August. For four days, the banjo’s twang and harmonica’s wine fill Desert Park and might drown out the sounds of Fore! coming from golfers at the nearby Osoyoos Golf & Country Club. Visitors may either come to listen only or bring their own instruments and join in the numerous ‘jam’ sessions that take place during the festival. This event is a great one for those who love music and would rather RV than stay in a hotel as it accommodates self-contained RVs.

Meadowlark Festival

Life that can survive in the desert is celebrated at the annual Meadowlark Festival’s events in Osoyoos every May long week-end. Sage Thrashers and other area birds don’t have the luxury of perching themselves safely in a hotel room. The South Okanagan Grassland’s rare and endangered plant and animal life don’t have their meals served to them at a restaurant like its human visitors do. Members of the Osoyoos Indian Band have historically harvested roots, berries and teas from the desert in order to survive. The annual Meadowlark Festival lets nature lovers take guided tours of Osoyoos’ natural environment to learn what it’s like to be a bird, snake or human trying to survive in the desert. Visitors to Osoyoos can continue to explore life in the desert at the Osoyoos Desert Centre and Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre once the festival is over.

Okanagan Wine Festivals

Four annual Okanagan wine festivals mix wine tours, wine tasting and wine seminars with great entertainment and fabulous restaurant cuisine. wineries, restaurants and resorts tease drooling senses with tastes and aromas that come straight from the vine and stir the Soul. Buds come out in May at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival and so do wine lovers who wish to celebrate over fine wine and culinary tours. Gourmet meals fill hungry bellies on a hot August week-end of arts, music and other activities at Silver Star Mountain Resort during the Okanagan Summer Wine Festival. Sipping a glass of Okanagan wine is just a divine way to celebrate grape harvest while enjoying the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival’s food and festive atmosphere. The Winter air is fresh high atop sunny peaks while the Icewine is crisp and refreshing at the annual Okanagan Icewine Festival that is full of eating, education and snowy recreation.

John Carmichael Haynes

When the ‘Father of Osoyoos’ and Mother Nature combined in the mid 19th Century, the settlement of Osoyoos was born. Haynes had decided to make Osoyoos home after riding on horseback through the area and being struck by Lake Osoyoos’ beauty. He is credited with being the first non-Native settler of Osoyoos as well as its first colonial officer and judge. While he did not build a hotel or restaurant, he and a partner did establish cattle ranches to feed nearby mining camps. Osoyoos’ commercial fruit-growing industry was born when an engineer purchased some of Haynes’ land and planted 30 acres of plums, apricots, apples, and other fruit in 1907. Soon after, the Irrigation Canal was built to supply local orchards with water so that crops could be reliably grown. Haynes Point Provincial Park and the Haynes Point Wetlands Trail are named after Haynes in honour of his importance to Osoyoos’ establishment as a community.

Osoyoos Indian Band

The Osoyoos Indian Band has lived for thousands of years in the desert, harvesting fish, roots, berries, and wildlife for food and clothing. Today, over 400 people live on 32,000 acres of Osoyoos Indian Reserve land and have continued their resourceful ways. They established Canada’s first aboriginal-owned winery, Nk’Mip Cellars, and lease much of their 230 acres of grapes to other award-winning wineries. The band also owns Nk’Mip Resort, a golf course and the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre where the desert’s unique culture, plants and animal life may be explored. The band also regularly holds ceremonies at Spotted Lake that it owns and values for its healing properties. One must be creative in order to live life in the desert, and the Osoyoos Indian Band is a living proof of how this can be achieved.

Osoyoos Museum

Life in the desert has taken many twists and turns since between the time that First Nations first settled the area to the 1980’s when Osoyoos was incorporated as a town. Visitors to the Osoyoos Museum can follow how life in the desert has changed throughout history by viewing exhibits and photos that chronicle its path: from fur trade post to ranchland and then into a fertile fruit-growing area and major tourist destination. As well, the Osoyoos Museum participates in the annual Showcase Osoyoos trade show celebrating the present-day attractions and services offered by Osoyoos.

Osoyoos Arts Council

Osoyoos is crawling with art to admire made by local painters, potters, writers, sculptors, photographers, and musicians thanks in large part to the Osoyoos Arts Council. During its Arts & Culture Week, art admirers may wind their way through the ‘Art Trail’ that snakes through Osoyoos: pottery, photos and other forms of art are on display by local artists. The Osoyoos Arts Council also works to support the four galleries and studios, seven arts groups and numerous local artists throughout the year. By leasing space from the Osoyoos Art Gallery, the Council ensures that local artists have somewhere to create art that may be admired year-round by visitors to Osoyoos.

Haynes Point Provincial Park

It may not look like it from the Anarchist Mountain Lookout, but Haynes Point Provincial Park is about 4.8 hectares of park that has 41 gravel campsites. This narrow piece of land served as a natural bridge for John Carmichael Haynes and other early settlers to cross Lake Osoyoos. Today, campers flock to set-up camp amongst the cottonwood trees, sage and wildlife to enjoy some recreation in the desert. The density of the campsites on such a narrow swath of land creates the impression of belonging to a close-knit community. Each campsite is situated right next to the water and allows easy access for swimmers, waders and Sun worshippers.

Cottonwood Park

Campers prefer Haynes Point Provincial Park, but swimmers, sunbathers and afternoon strollers should head for the shores of Cottonwood Park on Lake Osoyoos. The park’s sandy beach, benches and picnic tables make it a great place to munch and laze away the day and watch the boaters skim across the water off in the distance. Its well-maintained walkway and gardens offer walkers an alternative to the Pioneer Walkway Trail; wheelchair friendly pathways and viewing benches make Cottonwood Park an enjoyable destination for the handicapped and elderly. Cottonwood Park is also a great place to relax with the family after enjoying a thrilling time at the nearby Rattlesnake Canyon Amusement Park.

South Okanagan Grasslands

This South Okanagan Grasslands is one of the four most endangered ecosystems in Canada, and it is a great place for hiking, biking and nature admiring. Life isn’t so pleasant for rare and endangered birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that struggle to survive in this area. The Grasshopper Sparrow, Big Horn Sheep and Pygmy Short-Horned Lizard work to make a life in this territory of grasslands and open forest. Nature isn’t the only thing to be viewed while hiking or biking through the grasslands; Mount Kobau provides a perfect vantage point from which to gaze at stars on a cloudless night. The grasslands is located West of the Osoyoos Desert Centre and provides some great views of the Okanagan Valley and Spotted Lake.

Osoyoos Desert Centre

It takes a special strength to survive in the harsh temperatures and climate of Canada’s only ‘arid’ desert environment. The Osoyoos Desert Centre, located 9-kilometres North of Osoyoos, has interactive displays describing how 100 rare plants and over 300 rare invertebrates have been able to make a home. Visitors to the centre may take a 1.5-kilometre guided boardwalk tour by arid shrublands, grasses and four interpretive kiosks. Guests who wish to participate in the centre’s early morning bird watching programs may wish to bring binoculars to better glimpse the many bird species in the area.

Anarchist Mountain Lookout

Not everyone can afford to take a plane ride, but there is a way to get an aerial view of Osoyoos. On the way to Mount Baldy, one may drive east to the Anarchist Mountain Lookout perched about 4,000 feet above sea level. From here, Osoyoos appears as a distant vision of civilization that must have been held by its Father, John Carmichael Haynes. Haynes Point Provincial Park appears as a long, mossy log floating atop Lake Osoyoos. The lake itself takes the shape of a rattlesnake winding through the valley and into the mountains. Patches of green dot the rocky landscape below, interrupted by ruggedness and the grey of a trail that slithers its way up the mountain.

Spotted Lake

It’s a major tourist attraction today, but Spotted Lake has always been a place of healing for the area’s First Nations. Aching, painful muscles are no match for the healing power of Spotted Lake’s mud and waters. When driving west of Osoyoos in the Summer, one can view the lake’s white-ringed spots that appear when water evaporates and crystallizes. Unfortunately, hikers and bikers who are sore from the day’s activities are not permitted to use this private lake to ease their sorrows. At best, Spotted Lake serves as a reminder to visitors about the physical toll that making a life in the desert has had on previous generations.

Desert Model Railroad

Before stopping at the Osoyoos Desert Centre and Spotted Lake, the Desert Model Railroad northwest of Osoyoos is worth exploring. This attraction is a miniature re-enactment of Europe that includes 20 computer-controlled trains chugging through European-style landscape and towns. More than 1200 houses and over 9000 hand-painted little people make up this miniature fantasy-world that is a great place to bring the family. An on-site gift shop sells a selection of hand-painted wooden accessories and souvenirs such as fridge magnets and t-shirts.

Market on Main

The soil may be dry, but Osoyoos’ desert terrain is ripe with fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and other products. Every Saturday morning from mid-May until after Labour Day, the Market on Main displays the desert’s full bounty of locally-grown and made fresh produce, baked goods as well as arts and crafts. The market’s location at the Town Hall Square makes it ideal for Haynes Point Provincial Park campers who must stock up on supplies. Visitors will find it hard to resist purchasing paintings, pottery and ceramics; it may prove a bigger challenge when attempting to pack at the hotel. The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre is also a worthwhile attraction at which to hunt for arts, crafts and other Osoyoos treasures.

The Ghost Town of Molson

There’s an advantage to being a border town, and one is the Molson museum that is only 5-kilometres South of Osoyoos in Washington State, USA. The bank, law office, store and other buildings of this early 20th Century mining town remain standing. Now a ghost town, only one building still stands where it was first built: a farmer claimed the original town site’s land in 1909 and forced it to relocate. Two separate fires destroyed the town’s two hotels, but one may still visit the old brick schoolhouse for some fresh homemade pastries and hot brewed coffee.

Fruit on the Go

Attending the Annual Cherry Fiesta festival isn’t the only way to celebrate Osoyoos’ early fruit harvest: fresh fruit and vegetable stands dot Highway 97. Cherries, peaches, plums, and other fruits and vegetables can be picked up en route to the Osoyoos Lake Oxbows, the beach at Cottonwood Park or the Osoyoos Skateboard Park. Locally-made fruits and vegetables also end-up in meals prepared at Osoyoos’ restaurants and the breakfasts served at area hotels, motels and resorts. Orchard tours provide visitors with an opportunity to learn what it takes for fruit and vegetables to survive life in the desert.

Wine Crawl

A ‘wine crawl’ through over 20 wineries between Osoyoos and Oliver is a nice way to spend a Southern Okanagan day; each winery has its own unique characteristics. Wine tasters can begin their trail at the northern tip of Lake Osoyoos, just North of the Osoyoos Desert Centre. Later, a demonstration vineyard will educate interested connoisseurs about winemaking, while another winery en route brews cider crafted from fresh Okanagan apples. The Osoyoos Indian Band owns and operates North America’s first Aboriginal-owned and operated winery. Visitors to another winery may stay overnight at a Mediterranean-style hotel. Wine is part of Osoyoos’ history and culture, dating back to when the Irrigation Canal was built to make commercial grape growing possible. Designated drivers who can’t participate in the wine crawl may still find Osoyoos-area wines at local restaurants or at one of the four annual wine festivals that take place in the Okanagan.

Lake Osoyoos

Boaters and water-skiers snake their way across Osoyoos Lake while others find a place in the sand to tan their skin or enjoy fun in the Sun. Three boat launches and several marinas make it easy for water lovers to access fun on the lake; the Oxbows at the lake’s north end provide an ideal perch for bird watchers. The lake’s warm habitat house Trout, Perch and other fish that wiggle beneath the lake’s surface, daring anyone to catch them. As one of Canada’s warmest freshwater lakes, Osoyoos Lake must seem like an oasis to visitors, surrounded by beautiful beaches, picnic grounds, natural areas, and a variety of parks. It’s hard to imagine that any body of water could exist in an area that receives an average annual rainfall of about 25 centimetres. Life in the desert may not always be a bowl of cherries, but participating in watermania on Lake Osoyoos helps makes it fun.

Mount Baldy

Getting sand in the face at the beach is not fun, but flying through clouds of powdery white snow on Mount Baldy can be. Mount Baldy is located 45-minutes northeast of Osoyoos and offers a Winter reprieve from the desert life: downhill skiing, snowshoe trails, cross-country trails, and tobogganing. The 5,665 foot high mountain receives an annual snowfall of over 20 feet that makes for great skiing conditions. Wonderful hiking trails and an 18-hole championship Frisbee golf course transform Mount Baldy into an outdoor playground of a different kind when the snow melts. Those seeking a natural picnic setting may prefer Mount Baldy’s isolation to Cottonwood Park and other parks that are located in the heart of Osoyoos.

Irrigation Canal Walkway

What was once Osoyoos’ only water source is today a 12-kilometre lifeline for bikers, horseback riders and walkers thirsting for the desert outdoors. The Irrigation Canal Walkway meanders along the shores of the now abandoned waterway that gave life to local wineries and orchards in the early 20th Century. It begins east of Osoyoos Golf & Country Club, winding north through wilderness scenery and desert vegetation until it reaches the Osoyoos Desert Centre. The Irrigation Canal Walkway provides an excellent ‘before’ and ‘after’ view of irrigation’s impact on Osoyoos’ development: one side remains in a natural state covered with sage and antelope brush, while orchards dot the landscape on the other.

Lakeshore Walkway

Residents of Lakeshore Drive’s many campgrounds and RV parks bike and walk the Lakeshore Walkway to and from downtown Osoyoos. The walkway winds north along the eastern shore of Lake Osoyoos and meets up with the Pioneer Walkway Trail in the downtown core. The Lakeshore Walkway is paved, unlike the Irrigation Canal Walkway that is a packed gravel trail. Bikers and walkers have a view of the tip of Haynes Point Provincial Park across the lake and may spot campers and beachgoers going about their routine.

Osoyoos Lake Oxbows

The Yellow-breasted Chat, Great Basin Spadefoot Toad and the painted turtle are three species that have made the desert their home in the Osoyoos Lake Oxbows.
As one of Osoyoos’ few remaining wetlands, the Oxbows provides an oasis of sorts for migratory and resident birds to both nest and feed. Once in Osoyoos, avid birdwatchers should migrate to this area north of Osoyoos Lake with their binoculars and, perhaps, a lunch. The Oxbows can be accessed from the north by traveling on Highway 97 past the Osoyoos Desert Centre and the Osoyoos Air Centre. One can also reach the Oxbows by traveling south on the International Hike and Bike Trail that leads by many of the area’s wineries.

International Hike and Bike Trail

At the north end of Osoyoos Lake, the International Hike and Bike Trail
slithers along the Okanagan River Channel. Mountain bikers, horseback riders and hikers may wind their way along the 18.4-kilometre, multi-purpose, one-way trail consisting of paved and gravel sections. Sections of the trail are wheelchair accessible which allows handicapped visitors to view the area’s unique countryside. The International Hike and Bike Trail twists and turns through the lush areas of 11 wineries that provide an oasis of wine tasting opportunities for those wishing to sample the desert’s sweet nectar.

Rattlesnake Canyon Amusement Park

Strong stomachs may enjoy the view of Lake Osoyoos and Haynes Point Provincial Park as they do a vertical twirl on the Rattlesnake Canyon tilt-a-whirl ride. When the peddle hits the metal, it’s best that this be to race around the amusement park’s track in a gas powered go kart and not on Main Street. It may also be a wise idea to practice putting on the park’s 18-hole mini-golf course before playing one of the area’s golf courses. There are no rattlesnakes for sale, but it is possible to get a non-permanent tattoo of one if that is desired; the gift shop also sells clothing, candy, toys, and other souvenirs that can be purchased. All visitors to Rattlesnake Canyon should heed one important piece of advice: don’t binge at the Windmill Ice Cream Parlour until after jumping out of the Bungee Tree.

Indian Grove Riding Stable

The Indian Grove Riding Stable offers visitors to Osoyoos with an opportunity to ‘rough it’ in the desert during the Summer months of July and August. Led by an experienced guide, free-spirited adventurers at heart may saddle-up for a half or full-day horseback ride on mountain trails. After striking camp, travelers may turn their attention to fishing and swimming in a mountain stream or exploring a nearby waterfall. Dinnertime brings a steak and potato meal with all the fixings: cooked over an open fire like the ranchers did back in the days of John Carmichael Haynes. Riders then head back to the Indian Grove Riding Stable under an evening sunset like ranchers returning from a long day on the range. The Indian Grove Riding Stable is located on the northeast outskirts of Osoyoos and is on the route that can be taken to reach the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre.

Pioneer Walkway Trail

The Pioneer Walkway Trail provides a beautiful place for an evening stroll after eating at one of Osoyoos’ many restaurants. The park’s location across the street from the town’s motel and hotels district also makes it a great place to take a morning walk before breakfast. From the downtown, the trail winds along Lake Osoyoos beside Main Street. The Pioneer Walkway Trail winds through a series of beautiful flowerbeds that are maintained by local volunteers and then links up with the Lakeshore Drive Walkway on the eastern shore of the lake.

Osoyoos Skateboard Park

For some, pulling a ‘Nollie’ at the Osoyoos Skateboard Park is a much preferable option to visiting the ‘scat lab’ at the Osoyoos Desert Centre. It may also be a better fit than Romancing the Desert with wine and food or touring the Molson Ghost Town across the Canada-USA border in Washington State. The Osoyoos Skateboard Park is located on the edge of downtown Osoyoos and has bigger ramps than any section of Main Street. Here, ‘jammin’ means something a lot different than what takes place at the annual Bluegrass and Country Festival. The sound of wheels and heels stopping, scraping and turning are music to the ears of skateboarding diehards looking for their fix of ‘popping tricks’.

Watermania

There may not be a festival to celebrate Lake Osoyoos, but each year watersport fanatics whoop it up on Seadoos, boats and other watercraft. Water is a big part of Osoyoos’ culture: wakeboarders are as common a sight as skateboarders. While walkers, hikers and bikers wind their way along the Irrigation Canal and Lakeshore walkways, waterskiers zig and zag like a rattlesnake through the desert. Water lovers are not required to spend their days on an Osoyoos beach or in a park along the lakeshore. Lessons and watersport equipment rental shops ensure that beginners to pros have an equal opportunity to get involved in watermania by sailing, kayaking or just floating. Visitors who don’t attend the annual Romancing the Desert festival may be found caressing Lake Osoyoos’ warm waters in a canoe.