Undiscovered Kelowna

Think of Canada and the major cities that enter one’s mind: Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg. Has anyone heard of Kelowna? Kelowna in British Columbia is quaint and charming. Wine, fruit, food, art, gambling and boutique shopping are all abundant in this bustling small city in the Okanagan Valley.

Kelowna is a wine city. The rich soil and nice weather make the place perfect for grape growing. There are two must-see wineries in the area. Quail’s Gate Winery, owned by the Stewart family, has been creating wine since the early 1900s. Nestled in the shores of Okanagan Lake, the 115-acre vineyard has a great restaurant called Old Vines Patio with chef Judith Knight (Kevin Costner’s former chef) preparing mouth-watering epicurean treats. The other is Mission Hill, a family-owned estate dedicated to producing great wines from classic French varietals. Their 1999 Estate Chardonnay was awarded the only North American gold medal in the 2001 Chardonnay du Monde Competition in France. Owner Anthony von Mandl has, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful wineries in the world (I have been to over 30).  He has fused the old world charm with modern amenities, even displaying some of his art pieces such as tapestries by Marc Chagall and Fernand Léger and objets d’art he has purchased around the world.

Fruits are abundant in Kelowna and there’s even an orchard museum (as well as a wine museum and a military museum) to show how fruits here are exported all over the world. Richard Bullock showed us around his orchard, which grows primarily apples and peaches. He showed us how to mark apples naturally using a sticker with a black logo that blocks the sun from coloring the core. The logo leaves a light mark on the fruits. In fact, he said, a large volume of his apples are exported to the Philippines. 

The Jammery is an excellent place to shop for jams and teas and has the most amazing breakfast I have had in ages! Jam and preserves are made in the premises and their scones and pancakes are to die for! Owner Bill Morrison gave us a tour and showed us the very modern jam making process.

The six-block Cultural District of Kelowna was once the center of the Okanagan fruit packing industry. This area has been revived into a creative hub of musicians, artists and performers. Museums, galleries, theaters and historic sites thrive with a spectacular view of the Waterfront Park. One can attend shows, shop, dine, go to the casino, relax at the beach or enjoy the many festivals and events year round.

The night life has a couple of bars but gambling is big here. Bingo is such a hit in Kelowna! The Lake City Casino has 300 slot machines and tables for Black Jack, Bacarrat, Poker, Pai Gow, Roulette and other games. We visited the impressive casino after our wonderful steak dinner at the Keg Steakhouse & Bar. Heading back to our hotel, Prestige Inn, I realized that three days in Kelowna was not enough, there is so much more to do and see in this city. I shall make it a point to go back there one day.

Philippine Airlines flies direct to Vancouver every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Check out www.philippineairlines.com.

Contact Top Vacations agencies (a consortium of seven Philippine travel agencies – Action Holidays Tour, Airborne 7 Travel, Far Eastern Travel, Filman Travel, Fortune Travel, Swire Travel, and Trader’s Travel) at 524-0001, 817-3120, 817-1082, 241-5101, 242-2001, 751-8701 or 245-7087 or e-mail them at [email protected].

Levi’s rocks Cybermall

Levi’s jeans invaded Eastwood City Cybermall when it opened its store with a line-up of the country’s hottest rock acts.

Levi’s jeans, a staple in every music artist’s or fan’s wardrobe, gave the Eastwood City the music of some of the most admired local rock bands such as Pupil, Spongecola, Menaya, Imago and Urban Dub.

Hosted by NU 107’s DJ Trish, Levi’s jeans also gave guests something more to rave about that night. Over 50 gifts of Levi’s eyewear, limited edition notebooks and caps were raffled off. 

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(E-mail me at [email protected])