Tuesday 17 April 2018

O is for Okanagan Valley and Osoyoos ...




The landscape of the 'O's - Okanagan and Osoyoos ... are found in a rich luscious valley over the coastal mountains in British Columbia before reaching the Rockies proper ... if going west to east ...

Okanagan Lake - Peachland, British Columbia

 This is where I'll be going in September to visit the Golden Mile for wine tasting during the harvest season ... and where foodies flock ...


Osoyoos area

Tourists too love visiting for the wonderful outdoors ... rivers, sandy beaches, hiking, biking and skiing ... or inquisitive bloggers, who will take all 'O' for opportunities to find out more ...




and parks with O for Odd names!
... an area of superb scenery, pristine lakes, tumbling waterfalls, pioneering settlements, and Canada's only true desert environment ...




 ... hot springs, silver mining, ghost towns and steamboats to add to the mix ...

 
Oliver, southern end of the valley
whose motto is
'borne of the waters, blest by the sun'


... the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre is owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band, just north of the USA border ...





... and sits at the northern most point of the Great American Desert, which extends southward to the Sonoran Desert in Mexico ... where tours are given explaining the uniqueness of the plant species found ...


... that is my   'Oh my!!'  O for Okanagan, Osoyoos planned visit later in the year ... from Aspects by a British 'girl' in Canada ...


Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

34 comments:

Lynn La Vita said...

'Oh my!!' looks like you are about embark on a beautiful and interesting journey. So many different natural offerings plus a wine tasting opportunity! I'm sure you'll be Writing Positive Letters Inspirational Stories.

Thank you for reading and commenting on my Guest Post (Alex’s site). It’s good to meet you!

Sue McPeak said...

What a great group of 'O' places for you to look forward to visiting. The Osoyoos Indian Band would be a favorite of mine. I'll look forward to your photos and report on that trip. Sounds like you will be in Canada for quite some time to come...October!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Fantastic environment - here's to your trip there being "O"utstanding! YAM xx

Denise Covey said...

You enjoy your 'O' holiday Hilary. Sounds gorgeous!

Denise

Jo said...

O dear I don't know much about these places at all. I envy you your trips and look forward to reading about them after they have taken place.

Canada has such beautiful and varied country right across it's enormous length.

Lenny Lee said...

looks like a really cool place to visit. glad you're going to visit in September and have a little wine and enjoy the beautiful vistas.

i'd like to visit and do lot of stuff...swim, hike, bike. then i want to visit the ghost towns and go mine for some silver. i'd like to talk to the Osoyoos indians and learn about their culture. then a steamboat ride. wow...that would sure be a great holiday.

Hels said...

Silver mining, ghost towns and steam boats... My type of historical region!

Elephant's Child said...

Oh my, and ooooooh.
Have fun. Which I know you will.

Anabel Marsh said...

We spent a couple of nights in the Okanagan Valley on my first visit to Canada in the early 90s. It was an unusually hot summer and I remember wilting in the 40C heat.

Keith's Ramblings said...

All that and wine too! Sounds just perfect! Thanks for taking us there Hilary!

A-Z of My Friend Rosey!

Unknown said...

Hi Hilary. A desert in Canada? good grief, I didn't know American desert stretched so far north. Wish I were joining you on the wine tasting and foodie tour in September. Another lovely post Hilary.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Beautiful area. I see why people flock to it.

Sue Bursztynski said...

Enjoy your wine tasting! For me, the great outdoors will do! ;-) It does looks like a wonderful place to hike.

Aussie children's writers: O Is For Wendy Orr

https://suebursztynski.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/a-to-z-blogging-challenge-o-is-for.html

David M. Gascoigne, said...

The term “Indian Band” has a kind of pejorative connotation doesn’t it? But that is still the name of the First Nations people of that area and the one that they use. Enjoy your time in one of the most beautiful parts of the province.

Dan said...

I've seen more of BC than any other province, but clearly, I have not seen enough of it.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Lynn - yes it certainly should be a full on interesting time ... lots of different things to join in with ... good to see you here from Alex's ... and thank you for coming over ...

@ Sue - just lucky there's a whole valley full of places with the letter 'O' ... and yes the cultural area ... I'm looking forward to - don't worry there'll be a report back ... Yes all things being equal for up to 2 years ...

@ Yamini - yes it should be really interesting to see, to do and to understand ...

@ Denise - thanks ... it does sound positively wonderful doesn't it ...

@ Jo - it's a matter of me taking up whatever I can do ... and this is one of those opportunities - Canada does have some wonderful areas ...

@ Lenny - oh bliss! I think it should really give me an idea of so many aspects of Canadian life - the environment, history, its pioneering days ... and as you say lots to exercise too ... the steamboat ride should be good too ...

@ Hels - yes I know ... lots of history in that valley ...

@ EC - yes ooh ahh - I will take whatever comes my way and enjoy the time ...

@ Anabel - I gather it can get rather hot here ... and I too will wilt in that sort of heat ...

@ Keith - oh yes ... and wine too - can't do much better can I! Yup and you're all coming with me!!

@ Kim - yes I was somewhat surprised to find the desert reached just into Canada - but there are different ways of describing desert ... and this is just its northern tip - still will be interesting to see. Then the wine tasting and foodie bits ... what fun indeed ...

@ Alex - it does look quite amazing doesn't it ...

@ Sue - yes wine during the day isn't too much of a good idea - but I shall do what I can ... probably not much in the great outdoors - though sounds stunning ...

@ David - good to see you .. and thank you for the note on the term 'Indian Band' - being a visitor ... I've been wondering - so it's good to know it's their term, and I need to understand more ... which I will find out the longer I'm here ...

Thank you for confirming it is one of the more beautiful parts of British Columbia - I am looking forward to it ...

@ Dan - lovely to see you here ... there is so much to see - and you're lucky you've seen a fair amount ...

Cheers to you all - looks like I'm in for a treat here ... enjoy the rest of the week - Hilary

Nilanjana Bose said...

Very scenic and extraOrdinary! Enjoy your trip :)

Jacqui said...

Who knew Canada had a desert! It must be the literal definition rather than the subjective one. Still, I'll be googling that.

Liz A. said...

That should be a great trip. I bet you're looking forward to it.

Sherry Ellis said...

Looks like a really pretty area.

Deborah Weber said...

Sounds like a wonderful and beautiful adventure awaits you later this year! Wrinkly Face has to be worth a visit - if only to wrinkle your own face with laughter.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Oh wow! My cousin lives in Okanagan on the Washington side.

Jenny said...

What a beautiful place to have an adventure! The pictures remind me a little bit of the Colorado Rockies.

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

I have never heard of this place but it sounds so lovely

Jz said...

Okanagan looks lovely... and really, how bad can anyplace be that's called Peachland?
:-)

Emily in Ecuador said...

That area looks beautiful, Hilary. I look forward to your impressions after your September visit.

Emily In Ecuador

diedre Knight said...

Hi Hilary!

What an intriguing post - definitely a trip I'd want to take! I had to giggle at "Wrinkly Face Park". You're going to have a fantastic time at the wine-tasting event, I'm sure ;-)

Susan Scott said...

Roll on September! Land of opportunity for sure! And for observation - thanks Hilary, great post!

Trudy said...

Wrinkly Face Provincial Park??? That's funny! I love odd names for towns and places.

Lynda Dietz said...

Those are some beautiful places! And funny names . . . I'm not sure if I'd want to have my picture taken near the "Wrinkly Face" sign.

Rhonda Albom said...

British Columbia is beautiful and your photos do it justice. I did not know that the desert so prevalent in the US southwest had its start up in Canada.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Nila - it looks like it'll be a fun trip ...

@ Jacqui - well exactly ... and I didn't realise the trip would take us almost to the USA border - I'll enjoy the visit ... so much to see and take in ...

@ Liz - I am looking forward to it - how right you are ...

@ Sherry - I gather it is very pretty ...

@ Deborah - I just couldn't resist the Wrinkly Face park ... made me laugh too - whether we go past it or not I'll await to see ...

@ Diane - oh well pity I shall be over the border ... but the valley is quite long ...

@ Jenny - nice to see you ... and I'm looking forward to seeing the area - sounds so fascinating ...

@ Jo-Anne - I hadn't realised either about the Valley or what it offered ...

@ Jz - oh yes, Wrinkly Face park with Peachlands nearby ... too good to be true, but so it is ...

@ Emily - I gather it is a beautiful area ... so I'm looking forward to it ...

@ Diedre - definitely something I'm glad I'm getting a chance to see ... and the Wrinkly Face Park made me laugh ... so had to be included ... looks like lots of fresh fruits too ...

@ Susan - I'm looking forward to a warm spring and summer first - but as you say land of Opportunity and I shall be Observing that is for sure ...

@ Trudy - yes ... I couldn't resist the Wrinkly Face Park - I too love these 'funny' names for places etc ...

@ Lynda - I'd hope people would be looking at the sign and not me! but then I guess they'd start comparing ... so perhaps I'll join you and not have my picture take nearby ... the area does look incredibly beautiful doesn't it ...

@ Rhonda - thanks ... what I can see and what I know shows me BC is beautiful ... I hope I get to see rather a lot of it - not sure about that though. I hadn't realised the desert started up here either - that was an interesting bit of geography.

Thanks everyone - Wrinkly Face Park obviously made you all laugh, while I advocated a wonderful spot for a summer vacation ... cheers Hilary

Lynn said...

Well that will be a lovely visit! I know you are looking forward to that. Wrinkly Face Park is a great name for a park. :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynn - well I hope we pass Wrinkly Face Park ... isn't a great name - loved it ... so had to note it here - cheers Hilary