Smokanagan

Smokanagn Part I: Enderby

Covid kept us away from Grandma and Grandpa's farm in the Okanagan for over a year. The forest fires almost derailed our plans but we were able to go back to Enderby. The smoke was intense there but we were determined to make some memories. We made the best of the situation by

1. Having Christmas in July - we never had a chance to come up to the farm for Christmas so we did Christmas on July 31st. Better late than never. Grandma had planned her traditional scavenger hunt around the farm for the kids that led to presents to be unwrapped.

Grandma had to sweep ash from the outdoor furniture and then we opened Christmas presents outside together. (Note - check out the sweet retro snowsuit that Simon received from his brother)

2. Going to the river and pretending it was a hot summer day. Despite our optimism, it didn't feel very "beachy" at the beach with the heavy smoke blocking out the sun. But Grandma's dog and a mermaid were a great distraction for the fact that despite the weather saying it was 37 degrees, it was barely 23 degrees.

3.  Ditching the beach and going to Davison's Orchards instead in Vernon. This was a great alternative to the beach and despite the smoky air, the kids had a great time feeding goats and running around the farm.

4. Finding a great trail. We didn't want to be breathing in all that smoke so we couldn't do a strenuous hike so the BX Falls trail was the perfect outdoor playground for the afternoon.

5. Going to the drive-in. It was a really late night for the kids but it was worth it to cuddle up  altogether and watch Space Jam at the Starlight theatre. 

6. Biking the Okanagan Rail Trail. We met up with good friends from Kelowna at Kekuli Bay Provincial Park and enjoyed a beautiful bike ride along the water. After lunch, we noticed some darker smoke appearing while we were biking and decided to turn around and realized after that a car had caught fire and triggered a grass fire right above where we were biking. When we got to the parking lot and on the drive back to the farm, we saw the firefighters working to put out the fire and they closed the highway right behind us. Glad we got out of there just in time!

7. Riding with Daddy and Grandpa. Daddy just bought a dirt bike and Grandpa has an ATV so despite the smoky skies, the kids enjoyed doubling up and going for a ride.

Smokanagon Part II: Summerland 

After our time in Enderby, we headed to Summerland for several days. I hadn't seen blue sky in 5 days and it was honestly a bit depressing but as we drove the two hours through Peachland, I saw a hint of blue sky and it was so exciting! There was still some lingering smoke but for our days in Summerland and Penticton but I was so glad to see and feel the sun again. If we get to go back here next summer, I would definitely include:

1. Loco Landing - high ropes course, bumper boats, mini golf, go karts! 

2. Lunch at Thornhaven winery. Enjoy the views and bring your own lunch and pair it with wine or in our case sparkling apple juice for all the kids.

3. Dessert at Summerland Sweets (although next time I need to remember that a double scoop is WAY too much ice cream for any child to eat and most of it melts before they can finish it)

4. Explore the mountain biking trails. The guys woke up early and biked a trail called "The Test of Humanity" twice.  I picked up the tourist brochure and The Rotary Lakeshore loop sounded so scenic and lovely and thought it would be a great evening activity. The brochure did not make clear that to get to those beautiful vistas required and insane amount of uphill. We were all jealous of our one friend with the e-bike because the rest of us were wheezing up the mountain. But the views were stunning and there were so many deer. And next time I will try not to fall off my bike trying to get my camera to take a picture of all the deer.

5. Float the Penticton canal. Took a bit of effort and logistical planning with the other families we were with but we managed to get 6 adults and 8 kids cruising down the canal on SUPs and inflatables. That in itself is quite the accomplishment. 

6. Sun-Oka Beach. This is the best beach ever. Yes. The best. So good we went back there 3 times and stayed an extra day so we could do more of this.