Cycling and Sipping wine in the South Okanagan
We recently spent a couple of days in the south Okanagan enjoying the warm desert environment. Our accommodation was The Spirit Ridge Resort at the Nk’Mip winery in Osoyoos.( https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/canada/spirit-ridge/ylwub ) This resort features adobe style structures which contain condos, suites and villas. All have full kitchen facilities so you can dine in if you wish although there a many excellent restaurants in the area including some outstanding winery restaurants at Tin Horn Creek, Burrowing Owl and Hester Creek for example. We also like to stop while cycling for lunch at either of the Black Hills or Black Sage wineries which are just open for lunch. There is a wide choice of accommodation in the Osoyoos area for example on tripadvisor.ca. Osoyoos was very busy in the first week of September with resorts and restaurants virtually solidly booked. Now that schools are open and the weather is cooler accommodation options should be better however the fall harvest is always popular with tourists.
There are wonderful views from the resort of the beige desert landscape broken by vivid green vineyards stretching in all directions. The blue waters of Osoyoos Lake lie in the Valley. The resort has both an adult only pool and spa as well as a large family facility. There is a desert golf course on site and several other golf options in the area. The Osoyoos First Nation operates an excellent museum with an interpretative desert walk as part of the experience.
Our primary interest is cycling on good surfaced trails and quiet roads. We cycled a 42 km loop starting just north of Osoyoos Lake , Road 15, on the Okanagan River Trail, which is part of the Kettle Valley Trail System. We park our vehicle in a designated Trail parking lot just before the bridge across the river. We road north through Oliver on the west side of the river to the end of the trail and then cycled back on the east side of the river until Road # 9 which connected us to Black Sage Road which runs through the premium vineyards of the Okanagan. There are many wineries to visit for tasting and several lunch options. Black Sage Road returns you to the parking lot where you commenced your journey
Osoyoos is about a 6 ½ hour drive from Victoria including the BC Ferry trip from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. Highway 17 and Highway 1 to Hope and Highway 3 to Osoyoos.
Submitted by Cameron Berry