Okanagan Valley

We went south the Okanagan. This central region in British Columbia is known for its dry, sunny climate, dry landscapes and lakeshore communities and a recent focus to vineyards and wines. The vegetation in the Okanagan Valley ranges from cactus and sagebrush in the south, to Cedar and Hemlock trees in the north. We spent a night at Chez Nicole Bed and Breakfast at West Kelowna with a stunning view of Okanagan Lake. The next day we saw our first brown bear on our way to Osoyoos! The common name for the semi-arid area around Osoyoos Lake is Okanagan Desert. They call the lake also 'the warmest freshwater lake in Canada'. In Osoyoos you can see a dutch style windmill (it is NOT a must-see). When leaving Osoyoos in north-west direction (Highway 3 – you remember Crowsnest?) one can see a saline endorheic alkali lake called Spotted Lake. Most of the water in the lake evaporates over the summer and therefore large colored 'spots' appear on the lake. From hearsay the lake has mythical healing powers. There is no public access to the lake shore but the lake can be easily seen from the road.