October 2015

In Cafe

Bluebird Cafe: Coffee in Golden, BC

October 13, 2015

There were beautiful blue skies up on Kicking Horse Resort, but down below in Downtown Golden, it was all covered in fog.

As it was early in the morning, M and I needed a quick place to grab breakfast and some coffee. Our hotel recommended we make a stop at Bluebird Cafe. As it was on the way out of town, we thought it would be a good choice.

On the menu, they make all their items daily from scratch. They also have ready made meals and bagged lunches for those in a rush.

First things first, coffee was a must, so I grabbed a latte and M got an Iced Coffee. The coffee is brewed with Fratello Coffee beans from Calgary Ab.

Brekkie Burrito has scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, hash browns, roasted red peppers, green onion, salsa and sour cream. Also with a slice of orange. M added bacon into his burrito for an extra charge. M loved the mounds of salsa and sour cream on the side. You really can’t have a burrito without those two.

Brekkie Sandwich has scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar in a grilled english muffin. Simple breakfast to settle the growling stomach.

Overall, it was good for a quick stop. Most people did take out in the early morning. They had good coffee and average breakfast.

We Rate Bluebird Cafe:

Address:
802 9th St N, Golden, BC

Website:
http://www.bluebirdcafegolden.com/

In Golden

Eleven22: Casual Dining in Golden, BC

October 12, 2015

Eleven22 is in the town of Golden, BC just right outside of Banff National Park. We made a stop here for the evening before we continued our road trip adventure. I asked a few locals where the best place for dinner in town was and most of them said Eleven22. Good enough for me.

Their menu is comprised of delicious comfort food. There is street parking in the front of the restaurant.

The atmosphere is very casual and unpretentious.

Complimentary bread arrived at the table with butter. The bread was piping hot like it was freshly baked. It was super hot inside, but it was good when used with the butter because it was super cold and hard.

Steamed Mussels with Chorizo ($14 +$8) uses P.E.I. Mussels, smoky roasted tomato cream sauce, and with a side of house bread. Delicious mussels with that sauce. The chunks of chorizo was nice. I kept dunking all the bread into the sauce.

Daily Pasta ($18) had chicken, peas, wild mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, green peppercorn brandy cream sauce. M loved it so much! He ate it so quickly like he just inhaled it.

Overall, it was a great meal. Prices were reasonable and the food was great. The atmosphere was comfortable and just what we were looking for as we were on our road trip.

We Rate Eleven22:

Address:
1122 – 10th Avenue South, Golden, BC

Website:
http://www.eleven22.ca/

In Revelstoke

The Enchanted Forest: Attraction in Revelstoke, BC

October 11, 2015

The Enchanted Forest was opened in the 1960s to the public and is situated in a natural growing forest with the world of fantasy all around you. In the 1950’s Doris Needham made unusual fairy tale figurines from cement by shaping her creations by hand, without the use of molds. It was the Needham family’s dream to create an enchanting world of fantasy set in untouched nature.

You can find it right off the Trans Canada Highway before Revelstoke, BC. Just look out for the blue cones and you know you are entering the Enchanted Forest.

Head to this house to pay and enter inside. It costs $11 for an adult and $8 for children. Infants go in for free.

This magical place where visitors can see, touch and step into the homes of fairytale heroes, villains and creatures that hold so many memories for all of us. You’ll be reminded of old childhood fairytales and song.

The main trail of the grand forest provides the magical setting for over 350 jolly folk art figurines, BC’s tallest grandest treehouse that rises fifty feet into the forest canopy and a giant stump house with surprises around every corner.

You can even enter the 3 little pigs homes. For an adult its a tight squeeze, but for any kids, it’s definitely an adventure.

Some structures are big enough for adults, but it’s really more for the kids to enjoy having an adventure.

The treehouse was quite tall and fun to roam around. It’s pretty safe, so you’re not gonna fall off of it.

Do you remember the old woman who lived in a shoe?

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread;
And whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

I loved the references to a bunch of mother goose’s nursery rhymes. It is a great place, but some of the statues are quite creepy. I always just thought things from childhood should be cute. All the characters have a look to them that just kinda give me the chills. Kinda like the dark side of fairytales.

Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Christopher Robin make an appearance, but its not what they look like in this modern age.

Favourites like Snow White can be spotted. Kids seem to love this place and don’t notice the subtle creepiness of the figures.

Wouldn’t you be creeped out by this? I didn’t want to sit on this rabbit.

It definitely gets creepier near the end of the forest.

Into the rabbit hole you go to reach the exit.

I wouldn’t drive all the way from Vancouver just for this, but if you are passing by, it’s worth a stop to stretch your legs and take a few photos. It’s fun for the kids, but as adults, it’s quite creepy. We spent about 30 mins walking through the enchanted forest.

Address:
7060 Trans-Canada Highway
Box 2938,Revelstoke, British Columbia

Website:
http://www.enchantedforestbc.com/

In Cafe

Shuswap Pie Company: Lunch in Salmon Arm, BC

October 10, 2015

Shuswap Pie Company was our next stop on our BC Roadtrip and we wanted to come here since we saw it on You Gotta Eat Here on the Food Network. M was craving pie, so we thought it would be a fitting place to stop by for lunch on the way to our next destination.

Everything they bake is made from scratch on-site with natural ingredients, free from preservatives, mixes, lard and edible oil products.They doing things the old fashioned way; in small batches, using local ingredients.

It was pretty busy during lunch time for a weekday. They definitely have their lunch rush, but it was still easy to get a seat since most people did take out.

Pie is definitely a must, but they also have sandwiches and other monthly features.

Once you order, they give you an animal instead of a table number. It’s quite cute and it works.

Chicken Pot Pie is a staple and had to get it as a baseline indication of how their pies are. We got a side of coleslaw and it was a good item to pair with it.

Inside you will find chicken, carrots, celery, potatoes mushrooms and peas in a savoury blend of fresh thyme, sage and rosemary. M enjoyed it.

Sausage, Apple and Sage Pie was ordered since I was it on You Gotta Eat Here. It sounded like a good mix of ingredients.

Inside you will find English Pork Bangers, fresh apples and sage with a hint of grainy mustard and sour cream. It was ok, but not my favourite. I think the apples threw me off.

Pecan pie was fantastic. No matter where I go, it’s always a must. The crunchy pecan nuts on top with the sweet sweet filling under it. So good.

Overall, the savoury pies were ok, but that pecan pie was delicious. I still prefer some other pie places in Vancouver.

We Rate Shuswap Pie Company:

Address:
331 Alexander Street,Salmon Arm, BC

Website:
http://shuswappiecompany.ca/

In travel

Davison Orchards Country Village: Family Fun in Vernon, BC

October 8, 2015

Davison Orchards Country Village in Vernon, BC is the place to go with your family for the Summer or Fall seasons. You can check on their website what new attractions and activities they have here.

When I came here, we just missed the opportunity to pick apples from their orchard. I’ve always wanted to walk in an orchard to pick apples from the trees. It’s ok, they still had apple tastings in their shop so you can try the different types.

They had their cold pressed juice to sample as well as caramel and their different apples.

A few kinds of apples they had are:

Ambrosia
Arlet
Aurora
Golden Delicious
Granny Smith
Honeycrisp
Jonagold
MacIntosh
Mutsu
Spartan

Hands down, my favourite is the Honeycrisp for it’s crunchy and sweet taste.

There’s still lots of apples to be bought in the store. No shortage of them either.

They also had a bunch of different squash for sale. Great for the fall season.

Their shop also has pies. Some may say they have the best pies in Vernon. We weren’t hungry when we arrived at the village since we just finished brunch.

We decided to grab some of their fresh cold-pressed apple juice. Man, it was really good! I can’t drink regular apple juice anymore. If you come here, you must grab a bottle…or even a jug of their apple juice. It’s amazing.

As it’s nearing halloween, they have tons of pumpkins for sale. They even had enough to build as castle. It’s fun for the kids to play inside the pumpkin castle and pose with the pumpkin king and his knights.

They also have a pumpkin band too. One of them is Anna from Frozen.

For the Pumpkin Festival in October, they do pumpkin tours and family pumpkin picking experiences.

The Crazy Cow Kids Corral is 1 acre of play area for little kids. Adults can play too…no shame.

They also have a handful of farm animals. We saw this cute donkey and it reminded us of the movie Shrek.

They had a lot of goats around.

Auntie May’s Deep Dish Café is located in the original farm house at Davison Orchards. It’s a bustling cafe offering everything from coffee, to healthy homemade lunches, and of course their famous pies by the slice. Many item are grown or prepared at the orchard.

Overall, M and I enjoyed this stop in Vernon. We discovered amazing fresh cold-pressed apple juice and saw some cool local produce. It’s a great place for locals and tourist to visit.

Address:
3111 Davison Rd, Vernon, BC

Website:
http://www.davisonorchards.ca/

In British Columbia

McDonalds Canada: More-Ning McWraps

October 7, 2015

When you go on a road trip, sometimes all there is are fast food restaurants all around you. M and I needed a quick breakfast and saw that McDonalds has their new More-Ning McWraps, where they combine breakfasts and wraps together. Imagine a bigger version of their breakfast burritos.

The packaging is the same as their other mcwraps.

Sausage & Hash Brown More-Ning McWrap has a hashbrown, scrambled eggs, processed cheese and a sausage patty. It was like putting a Sausage n’ Egg McMuffin into a wrap…but with no muffin. Lets be real, this was delicious. Breakfast in a handheld vessel. This one packs a punch at 700 calories. It’s shocking.

Kale and Feta More-Ning McWrap has kale, scrambled eggs, tomato and lots of feta. The kale is quite flat so they probably use a different type of kale. It tastes good too but obviously not as good as the sausage and hashbrown McWrap. It comes at 400 calories, so it is the healthier choice.

If you order a meal, you have the hashbrown to end the meal with. I enjoyed every bite of it.

Have you tried their More-Ning McWraps yet?

In Hotel Review

Manteo Resort: Waterfront Hotel & Villas in Kelowna

October 6, 2015

Manteo Resort is located on the shores of Okanagan Lake in Kelowna. It is minutes from downtown and of course the many wineries in the area. M and stayed here during our road trip across BC for one night. We were looking for a place that had a great view and right on the water.

Manteo Resort offers a “no surprise fee guarantee”, so there are no extra charges for use of amenities, local phone calls, internet, national newspapers and parking. All the parking is outside of the hotel in the rear. When you check-in, they will provide you with a parking pass for your stay.

M and I arrived here 45 minutes early for the check-in at 4pm. They checked us in right away and told us they would give us a call when our room was ready. This wasn’t a problem at all since they had a mini beach that we could relax as we sat on their huge colourful chairs as we waited.

15 minutes later they told us our room was ready.

M and I stayed in the one bedroom premium suite with a lake view. It can fit up to 4 people.

All the rooms have:

Free Wi-Fi
Flat-screen TVs
Duvets, feather beds and feather pillows
Alarm clocks with iPod docking stations
In-room safes
Daily newspaper delivery
Robes
Coffeemakers
Discounted hotel breakfasts at Smack DAB

This particular room also has:

Private bedroom with a King size bed
Living room with double pullout sofa
Fully equipped kitchen and dining area
Private balcony
Business desk
iPod docking station and iPod stereo

At first glance, the decor is a bit dated and all the furniture doesn’t exactly match. I have a feeling the colour of the couch and the blue chair is supposed to mirror their logo as it has blue, red and yellow.

The living room is spacious and great if you have kids.

Their iPod docking stereo is now outdated too. You can only use it on the older generation iPhones. You can also put in a CD if you happen to have one with you.

There’s a kitchen with a stove, microwave, a refrigerator and a Keurig. It’s convenient if you want to cook. For us, it wasn’t really needed since we spent our time eating out at the restaurants in the area. I can see how this would be great if you had kids with you or staying here for more than a night.

They have coffee and tea pods for the Keurig.

They even dropped off some cookies after we got into our room. A nice touch.

The only thing that bothered me about the dining area are the abundance of chairs in the suite. A bit much for the 2 of us, but if we had other people on this trip or kids, I think it would be handy.

From the living room, you can get to the balcony. It has a great view of the Okanagan Lake.

The bedroom has a king sized bed and looks more modern that the living room area.

There’s also a flat screen tv with cable. We spend most of our time watching Food Network.

Pretty basic washroom with one sink in this area.

There is a bath and shower combo.

The products that they have are from h2o+, which is a pretty good brand.

You can section off the bathroom from the toilet room with a sliding door. It’s good for letting others use the toilet when someone is in the shower. This also has its own separate sink.

While you are here, make sure you walk along the dock during the day or night. It takes you pretty far out into the lake, so great for taking photos of the area.

At night, I was able to catch the Super ‘Blood’ Moon at the docks.

Smack Dab is the restaurant inside Manteo Resort and they are open for breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner. They serve up new style classics with bolder flavours. You can grab a drink inside or be sitting outside in the patio. They have a good selection of craft beer with 12 on tap and 20 by the bottle. A good way to celebrate BC and what we make here locally. Don’t worry they also have wine and cocktails too.

They also have a private dining room that seats up to 22 people. Great for large groups if you are here for a family get-together or birthday party.

Not quite sure what else to do here? They have indoor/outdoor pools, hot tubs, kids waterpark, saunas, movie theatre, fitness centre, tennis court, 9 hole putting green, playground, private beach and boat moorage.

Thats a lot of things you can do especially keep the kids entertained or to keep yourself relaxed.

Overall, our stay was great. It was right between downtown and Summer Hill Pyramid Winery. The service was good, beds were comfy, strong wifi signal and it has a fantastic view. The only 2 things that would have been improved would be an update on the living rooms decor, also the cable would cut out a bit in the evenings.

Address:
3762 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna BC

Website:
http://www.manteo.com/

In Lake Country

Gray Monk Winery: Vineyard + Tasting in Lake Country

October 5, 2015

Gray Monk Winery was established in 1972 by George and Trudy Heiss. Today, they have over fifty acres of lush vineyards overlooking Lake Okanagan, which produce some of the world’s finest wines. They have several award-winning VQA wine.

Look at all these awards. So many awards.

They offer Complimentary Winery Tours daily on the hour from 11am to 4pm. It lasts for 45 minutes.

Why wouldn’t you go and explore the breathtaking view. M and I got here at 11:15am and missed the tour.

We headed right to the Wine Shop for the complimentary tastings.

They have all their wines available in the shop:

Odyssey Series

Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon
Odyssey Red Meritage
Odyssey Merlot
Odyssey Pinot Noir
Odyssey Rose Brut
Odyssey White Brut
Odyssey White Meritage
Odyssey III Port

Estate Series

Cabernet Merlot
Chardonnay Unwooded
Ehrenfelser
Gewurztraminer
Kerner
Merlot
Pinot Auxerrois
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Riesling
Rotberger
Siegerrebe

Latitude 50 Series

Latitude 50 Red
Latitude 50 Rosé
Latitude 50 White

For the complimentary tasting, you can choose from 4 wines from their Latitude and Estate Series. A majority of these wines are white. I didn’t mind since I love white wines. I liked the Gewurztraminer and Riesling.

You can also try their Odyssey Tasting, but it costs 3 wines for $5.00 or $2 per sample. It’s good if you are planning to buy some wine from their Odyssey series but want to try it before you purchase.

The prices are pretty good and very affordable. I would highly recommend Gray Monk for a great tasting wine that won’t break the bank.

They also have their Grapevine Restaurant and Patio. When you’re done your tasting you can enjoy lunch or dinner at their fine dining restaurant.

They are known for the creative and fresh dishes and pairs well with all of Gray Monk’s wines.

Plus, the view from the patio is incredible. Its on a beautiful slope overlooking Lake Okanagan and their vineyard.

So beautiful! We were quite lucky with the weather when we arrived since it was all blue skies.

Overall, one of the most beautiful wineries near Kelowna. It’s worth it!

Address:
1055 Camp Rd, Lake Country, BC

Website:
http://www.graymonk.com/

In Kelowna

Kangaroo Creek Farm: Best Attraction for Kids in Lake Country, BC

October 4, 2015

Kangaroo Creek Farm in Lake Country is close to Kelowna and its’s a must for families visiting the Okanagan. It costs $5 per person or $20 for a family of 5. They only accept cash, so remember to visit the bank before you arrive.

I was drawn to visit this farm during my road trip across BC since when do you see kangaroos in BC? No need to visit Australia or go to a zoo.

You can park on the street outside of the farm, but not parking inside. There are limited parking spots, so make sure you come early or somehow avoid the rush.

There are 2 areas of the farm. One area on the right with the kangaroos and other animals, and on the left are sugar gliders, wallabys, emus, pigs, etc. You have to visit both areas when you’re here.

We came on a weekday, so it wasn’t too busy. It was mostly tourists and local school kids on a field trip. Not too crowded. Still plenty of room to play with the kangaroos and other critters.

You can go up to the volunteers with yellow baskets and ask for food to feed all the animals. There is also a joey holding area. Cradling the little kangaroos are pretty awesome since they are very tame and calm.

There are good amounts of kangaroos here and they are friendly. You must pet them on the back rather than the front or else they get a little feisty.

There is one little guy who is quite unique. An albino wallaby named Irwin.

Pigs!

The little goats are pretty cute. You can’t help but stare into their oddly shaped eyes.

Kids love them.

Even M loved feeding the goats leaves.

Baby ducks! So cute and small. I was so afraid I would step on this little guy.

Capybara is a largest type of rodent in the world. When we were there, this fella didn’t really do much. I think he was just enjoying the sun too much.

Chicken! I’m always amazed how all these animals can roam around the farm without getting into fights.

This is the other side of the farm. It’s not connected to the area of kangaroos. You will see more wallaby’s, emus, pigs and sugar gliders.

Ducks are near the little pond. They were so vocal when we were there. Not quite sure what they were squawking about. Maybe they wanted more food.

I have no idea what animal this is. Its like a rabbit but its not.

Emu! There’s a few of them around the farm. Cute but I was kinda afraid to approach them.

Sugar Gliders are pretty cute! You can feed them bananas as they cling onto your arms. Very soft too.

Overall, it was a great attraction for adults and kids. M and I spent about 45 minutes here since we went around to all the animals, fed and petted them. Also, lining up to hold the baby kangaroos.

The price was only $5 and its a lot cheaper than going to a zoo. You can get up close and personal with all the animals.

Address:
3193 Hill Rd, Lake Country, BC V4V 1T7

Website:
http://kangaroocreekfarm.com/

In Brunch

The Jammery: All Day Breakfast + Lunch in Kelowna

October 3, 2015

The Jammery is located north of Kelowna near Lake Country. They serve up all day breakfast and lunch daily until closing time. I was making my way to Kangaroo Creek Farm and had to stop here for breakfast before continuing on our road trip across BC.

They have also been on an episode on You Gotta Eat Here. The video footage is here.

The restaurant, gift shop and jam production facility is located on 7 acres of agricultural land. It’s surrounded by natural beauty.

You can sit inside or in their newer patio area with large windows so you can see the natural beauty outside.

Coffee is a must. The staff were really nice and diligent about filling these right up. We woke up pretty early to make the long drive to Golden, BC, so we made sure we loaded up on caffeine.

Bacon Cheeseburger has 4 pieces of bacon, two homemade beef sliders and poached eggs on a toasted english muffin smothered in their buttery hollandaise sauce and topped with cheddar cheese. It is served with oven roasted hashbrowns and a slice of orange.

It was pretty interesting to see this as a brunch dish, but it’s quite popular after it appeared on the Food Network. M enjoyed it.

Jammery Favourite! gives you the choice between 1/2 golden waffle or one piece French toast with 2 eggs any style, three bacon or three sausages or honey ham and oven roasted hash browns.

I went with the golden waffle, sunny side up eggs, and sausage. It give you a little bit of everything you need. The waffle was cooked very well and has a crispy texture on the outside.

In their gift shop, they sell their signature jams. Instead of making wine, The Jammery makes a lot of jam.

Overall, it was nice stop on the way to our next journey across BC.

We Rate the Jammery:

Address:
8038 Highway 97, Kelowna, BC V4V

Website:
http://www.jammery.com/

In Farm to Table

Krafty Kitchen + Bar: Casual Farm to Table in Kelowna

October 2, 2015

Krafty Kitchen + Bar is a casual farm to table eatery in Kelowna. They focus on using local Canadian ingredients in their dishes where possible. They also have Kelowna’s only Duck Fat Fryer, so you know their fries will be amazing.

The interior is beautiful and it has an industrial feel to it. They have tables that can seat large groups to small groups.

There is also bar seating if you want to engage with the staff a bit more and see them at work.

Their menu is pretty fun and puts a good spin on classic comfort dishes.

Seasonal Italian Soda is on their menu and the daily flavour that they had was raspberry vanilla. It sounded great, but when we drank it, it fell a bit flat. It could have been a tad sweeter with more bubbles.

The Worlds Most Interesting Fried Cheese comes with 2 pieces of Halloumi cheese, topped with corn, tomato jam and greens. The dish was ok, but we felt the cheese could have been more hot in temperature. It still had good flavours though.

Okanagan Salad comes with greens, stone fruit and chili vinaigrette, goat feta, and toasted seeds + nuts. It was delicious and the toasted seeds + nuts were so good.

Krafty Dinner with Pork Belly arrived at the table. We were surprised the pork belly was so thick and crispy.

I couldn’t stop eating this dish. It was sinfully delicious! It’s the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. You have to order it with the pork belly.

Market Tart has the base of puff pastry, pesto, fresh tomatoes and creme fraiche.

It was a good twist on pizza with the puff pastry to give the flakey crisp crust.

Overall, the food was good. I wish I had the stomach to try more dishes. The atmosphere was good and it was indeed casual. I enjoyed the Krafty Dinner dish the most.

We Rate Krafty Kitchen + Bar:

Address:
281 Lawrence Ave,
Kelowna,BC

Website:
http://kraftykitchen.ca/

In Kelowna

Mission Hill Winery: Vineyard + Tasting in Kelowna

October 1, 2015

Mission Hill Family Estate welcomes guests around the world to experience winery tours and wine tastings. My second stop in Kelowna was to Mission Hill to take a look at their breathtaking architecture as well as taste some wine.

We drove up a long hill and through some large gates to get into the winery. It definitely has a high-class feel when you walk around the property.

It gave me a sense of a University town when I walked in.

The winery has a vast art collection, including one-of-a-kind sculptures.

To see more of the winery, they do offer tours as most areas are only accessible through tours. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I skipped the tour and went straight to the tasting. They do have different types of tours and you should try to reserve ahead of time.

Terrace Restaurant overlooks the rows of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the vineyard. It is an award-winning restaurant and has been named the top five winery restaurant in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine. Also, 2015 Diners Choice winner from OpenTable.

If you have time and want to indulge, it’s a pretty good choice to have dinner or lunch here.

Instead of dining here, you can bring some snacks with you. You can sit at their tables and just enjoy the surrounding scenery.

To find the tasting room, head past the statue in the fountain. The statue kind looks sad but I love the reflection.

At the Tasting Bar, they offer one complimentary white and one complimentary red wine.

You can also do 4 additional tastings for $8 to try their other wines. I gave the additional tastings a try and split it with M since he only wanted 2 more and I wanted 2 more too. The ice wine stood out as it wasn’t too too sweet.

They even have the World’s Best Pinot Noir.

Overall, it was nice to stop at Mission Hill to get a sense of their wines. Next time when I’m out dining at a restaurant, I’ll remember which wines from Mission Hill are my favourite.

Address:
1730 Mission Hill Rd,
West Kelowna, BC

Website:
http://www.missionhillwinery.com/