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Lake Country

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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending National Best Friends Day with my foodie friend – Dee from Gastrofork. We met in 2011 at this event called Bake for the Quake and I bought banana bread from her for a good cause. All these years later, we’ve been great friends going on trips, eating great food, and geeking out together. Ford Canada sent us on a trip together and we chose Kelowna and Lake Country to be our destination of choice. Here are a few of the places we went in about 24 hours.

We left Vancouver early in the morning and spent about 5 hours each way on the road in our Ford Focus Titanium, with the awesome Apple CarPlay feature, we were able to make sure we got to our destination on the most effective route, but also jam out to Backstreet Boys.

Salted Brick

Our first stop was Salted Brick in Downtown Kelowna for a quick stop for lunch. They are a premium charcuterie shop and restaurant. They source their products locally and you can feel the passion they have for their food. Sharing is caring so we had some oysters, a charcuterie board and their 16-hour Roasted Brisket Sandwich. I enjoyed this spot for such simple yet flavour packed food.

Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery

We wanted to try some spirits in the Okanagan as it’s a bit more unique in the area among all the wineries. We tried a flight and I left with the black currant liqueur. Very delicious and mixes well with drinks and even sparkling wine.

Kangaroo Creek Farm

Our most exciting and squee-worthy destination was Kangaroo Creek Farm just North of Kelowna. They have so many unique animals that you can interact with – Kangaroo, Wallaroo, Wallaby, sugar glider, pot-bellied pig, emu, parrots, peacock, goats, fancy chicken, capybara, and a lot more.

Our favourite part was holding the precious little baby joeys. They had a few cute ones ready to be cuddled. The albino one was so cute that I had to hold him in my hands.

Sugar Gliders were another one of my favourite animals to hold and interact with. He loves climbing around peoples arms and even finding pockets to burrow into.

Meet Squeakers, this pretty bird was talkative and we both thought he was so precious.

We were sad to leave Kangaroo Creek Farm, but if we were here any longer, I would have been tempted to take one of their animals.

Arrowleaf Cellars

Next stop was Arrowleaf Cellars. We made it a mission to go to wineries that we have never been before to continue understanding the diversity of wineries in the Okanagan. Arrowleaf is a family-owned and operated winery with a strong commitment to local since 2001.

They have a picnic area, tasting room and a fantastic patio. I grabbed a glass of white wine to enjoy with the beautiful view. Since we needed to drink responsibly, I made Dee be my designated driver.

Ex Nihilo

Around since 2010, they have been crafting wine as a family. We went into their tasting room and tried 5 of their different wines for $5, but since we bought a bottle, that fee was waived.

It’s a lovely place and there were people celebrating huge milestones at the bistro for a birthday. Their wines were really good enjoyed our short time here.

Gray Monk Estate Winery Grapevine Restaurant

Gray Monk Estate Winery is a stunning place with also a great view. We stopped for dinner at Grapevine Restaurant for more delicious meals that are crafted by Chef Siever.

I’ve always wanted to come here to enjoy their amazing wine and try their dishes. We shared a few appetizers to start and then dug into the main courses.

I indulged in Bombay Blackened Duck Duo and Dee had a tenderloin. The views and service were great and we took in all the beautiful views of the area.

Chasing Sunsets

As the sun set over the valleys of the Okanagan, we found a few view points before heading off to the resort for some rest and relaxation. The funny thing about this photo was that Dee was in the car making strange gestures at me and I didn’t understand what she was doing. She opened the door and told me there was a wild deer behind me. He’s got my back literally.

Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa

We got to Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa with plenty of time to spare. The night was still young to do lots of exploring and relaxing. Built in 2010, Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa is a great wellness resort spa destination in North America. I’ve wanted to come here for a long time as I’ve always hear such amazing things about this place.

When you walk around the resort, you will find 3.5 million Swarovski crystal elements. It’s absolutely stunning.

An awesome part about the resort is the exclusive access to the seven unique aromatherapy saunas and steam rooms, experience showers, igloo, indoor pool complete with underwater music and starry Swarovski crystal sky, hot pool, outdoor infinity pool, Kneipp water therapy, Tea & Serenity Relaxation Rooms, and the Keiser-equipped fitness studio.

We spent some time at the spa and then headed back to our room for the night.

In the morning, there was a complimentary breakfast at their restaurant, so we enjoyed out meal while looking out into the views of the lake.

Recap

Our getaway for National Best Friends Day was awesome and we were happy that Ford Canada was able to make it happen. In around 24 hours, we were able to enjoy the best of the Okanagan and I was able to show Dee one of my favourite places in BC – Kangaroo Creek Farm. What is awesome about our friendship is that we are so chill about everything, have similar tastes in food and just love to be silly. It’s definitely hard to find great friends, so make sure you keep them close.

If you want to check out a video recap of our trip, check out Dee’s video below on her Youtube channel.

gray-monk-road

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.

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Look at all these awards. So many awards.

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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.

gray-monk-shop

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

gray-monk-store

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

gray-monk-red

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.

gray-monk-white

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.

gray-monk-wine

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.

gray-monk-restaurant

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.

gray-monk-restaurant-view

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

gray-monk-view

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

gray-monk-vineyard

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/

Grapevine Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

kangaroo-creek-farm

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.

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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.

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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.

kangaroo-creek-farm-pet

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.

kangaroo-creek-farm-field

kangaroo-creek-farm-feed

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.

kangaroo-creek-farm-eats

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.

kangaroo-creek-farm-albino

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

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Pigs!

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

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Kids love them.

kangaroo-creek-farm-feed-goat

Even M loved feeding the goats leaves.

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

kangaroo-creek-farm-capybara

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.

kangaroo-creek-farm-chicken

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

kangaroo-creek-farm-other

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.

kangaroo-creek-farm-ducks

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.

kangaroo-creek-farm-c

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

kangaroo-creek-farm-emu

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

kangaroo-creek-farm-sugar-glider

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

kangaroo-creek-farm-kangaroo

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.

kangaroo-creek-farm-wallaby

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

Website:
http://kangaroocreekfarm.com/