The day's wage of a carpenter during the Gold Rush of 1858 was $7.
Food, wine and agriculture -- to know this region is to experience British Columbia’s rich heritage in cultivating delicious fare from the land. Amid its sun-soaked valley’s and mountain peaks, this area is ripe with stories of a past in fruit-picking, railways and mining.
The Hitching Post Restaurant has been serving the Similkameen community since July 2004. Specializing in homemade food with fresh ingredients, and their staff offers quality and reliable service you can count on. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and fully licensed. At least once a month Dinner Concerts are held featuring a variety of musicians and styles of music. The Hitching Post Restaurant building was one of the first permanent structures in Hedley....
Step aboard the Casabella Princess for a cruise on Okanagan Lake for an essential must-do Okanagan experience. Step back in time as during a one-hour, narrated scenic cruise and learn about the history of the people who've lived, worked and played on the lake and the land over the last 10 decades. The Casabella Princess also offers dinner cruises, theme cruises, wine tastings, special events, or charter for your private party. Cruise...
Kelowna’s Cultural District is located in Downtown Kelowna on the shores of Okanagan Lake and Waterfront Park. The Cultural District was once the centre of the Okanagan Fruit Packing industry but is now home to artists and performers who offer a variety of classes/workshops for individuals and groups from pottery to jewellry making and everything in between. Kelowna’s Cultural District is also home to a number of unique boutiques which makes for a great...
The 16-ha (40-ac) R.J. Haney Heritage Park sits on the site of what was once a pioneer farm. While many of the period buildings now on the grounds were moved there from other parts of the region, Haney House, a fully restored 1910 farmhouse, stands in its original location. Don't miss the two-km (1.2-mi) nature walk that explores how Aboriginals and pioneers made use of the surrounding flora and fauna. An easy, 30-minute stroll, it...
The SS Sicamous, the largest remaining steel-hulled sternwheeler in Canada is located on the southern shores of Lake Okanagan in Penticton, British Columbia. The SS Sicamous Restoration Society (formed in 1988) is administered, operated & restored by a volunteer Board of Directors who have donated thousands of hours to the SS Sicamous restoration project & serve as stewards of this ship. These 4 vessels are historical artifacts & form the Okanagan Inland Marine Heritage Park...
The Hedley Heritage Museum showcases antiques and photographs from the early 1900's to the 1950's, when Hedley was famous for its gold mines. The amazing collection of historical photos shows all aspects of a gold mining community in its’ hey day. As well, you will see displays, a replica mine portal, and much more. Browse through the Wild Goat Book shop for items you will only find in Hedley. The Hedley Heritage Museum is...
The Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre (pronounced "Inkameep") celebrates thousands of years of Aboriginal habitation of the Nk'Mip Desert, one of Canada's three most endangered ecosystems. The state-of-the-art interpretive centre is an architectural marvel sensitively constructed into a hillside. Extensive indoor and outdoor exhibit galleries create a fun, interactive learning environment with hands-on displays, education stations and two multi-media theatre experiences. Discover the fascinating stories of Canada's only desert and share in the rich living...
Nestled in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, Quails’ Gate Estate Winery is one of Canada’s leading estate wineries. The 125-acre estate vineyard, located on the shores of Lake Okanagan, is owned and operated by the Stewart Family, pioneering horticulturalists in the Okanagan for 100 years. In addition to the Wineshop, Old Vines Restaurant and tours of the estate, visitors can tour Historic Allison House. Built in 1873, this small cabin was home to the...
See Ya Later Ranch is located outside of the town of Okanagan Falls, in an atmosphere of old world timelessness. The winery’s tasting room and wine shop are housed in the estate’s well-restored, heritage stone home, which dates back to the early 1900s. See Ya Later Ranch wines are in honour of Major Hugh Fraser, who was born in 1885 and died in 1970 at the age of 85. Major Fraser first visited the...
Spend a romantic evening on Okanagan Lake and enjoy a delicious dinner buffet!
An all season culinary destination, Old Vines Restaurant & Wine Bar is an exceptional vineyard side location on the slopes of the Boucherie Mountain Bench. Guests are warmly welcomed with expansive and picturesque southern views of Lake Okanagan. Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate highlights the abundant resources of the Okanagan Valley, harmoniously matched with gracious service, breathtaking views and sublime wines. A long leisurely sunset dinner, al fresco bistro lunch or small bites...
Granny Bogners, in an elegant, shake-sided heritage manor furnished with treasures from a past era, tops the list when it comes to locals' favourite special-occasion restaurant. The menu is admirably prepared: choices include chicken cordon bleu, filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, grilled salmon, veal medallions in port-and-mushroom sauce, and a number of German specialties. Despite the white linen and crystal, the dining room retains a kind of rustic nonchalance. In summer, dine out on the...
Whether you are a resident or just visiting the valley, a trip to Tickleberry's is a must. Get taken you back to those good old ice-cream-eating days of childhood again. But Tickleberry’s is more than just ice cream: visit the gift shop and choose from a wonderful selection of chocolate-covered dried fruits, real-fruit flavoured Ticklebeans, carefully selected range of local crafts, wind chimes, jewellery, hand bags, and garden accessories. And while you're here, be sure...
During the gold rush boom, Hat Creek Ranch offered rooms, food and stables to miners and settlers heading north. Today you can tour the restored roadhouse, General Store, blacksmith's shop, wash house, draft-horse stables as well as view a fully restored B.C. Express stagecoach. The ranch also exhibits one of the most extensive collections of pioneer farming machinery in western Canada, from a mechanical hair picker to farm field equipment. The area honours the...
Enjoy one of North America's most unique geographic & historic underground experiences. Marvel at stunning views of the Similkameen Valley from high above the town of Hedley. Learn about contemporary mining & the intriguing past of the Mascot Gold Mine. Tour the Snaza'ist Discover Centre, the home of Macsot Gold Mine Tours and experience the fascinating history the Similkameen First Nation and their use of stone and minerals thousands of years before contact.
Originally built in 1908 as a hotel, the building has also functioned as a private girls' school and as the private home of the builder Mr. Robinson and family. It took three years of extensive restoration and now has 12 well appointed rooms and hosts the Rock Oven Dining Room for fine dining, the Cobblestone Wine Bar, the areas only Wine Bar, and the Heirloom Spa, a full service Aveda Concept Spa.
