February 28, 2012 |by Candice Walsh | 0 Comments

The Shuswap

During my Cross-Canada trip, I was fortunate enough to spend a fair bit of time in British Columbia outside of Vancouver. Believe it or not, there IS life outside of the capital cities!

If you have access to a rental car or some extra cash to throw down on a tour, check out one of these places instead.

1.    Kelowna: Located in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, this city is surrounded by a gorgeous range of mountains, lakes, forests, orchards and vineyards, beaches and more.  If you’re a golf person, there are 17 golf courses to choose from.

If you’re into wine, there are over 20 wineries which offer tours in the area. My personal favourite is the Arrowleaf Cellars, with some delicious wine tasting opportunities.

In the city itself, stroll along the gorgeous boardwalk around the lake...especially as the sun is setting! And if you’re into nightlife, there are some BIG partying opportunities. Kelowna is a university town, after all!

2.    The Shuswap: The Shuswap is where you go when you want a little break from it all !  Towns like Salmon Arm dot the Shuswap Lake, which is also known as the Houseboating Capital of the World (seriously, even their tourism information office is a houseboat sitting beside the road).

Yep, fun on the lake is a great reason to come visit...especially when you can rent out a houseboat with all your friends, cruise around the lake, party your faces off, and have a blast. Be careful under the influence, however; that onboard waterslide can prove too tempting!

3.    Golden: Ladies, if you’re single, Golden is the spot for you. This town is basically the adventure capital of Canada, and it is seriously overrun with dudes. It’s a hugely popular spot for some epic skiing, including Nordic, heli, resort, and more. You can also give ice climbing a shot.

When I was there, I took a river rafting tour through the Kicking Horse Canyon. We hit some serious rapids, had the time of our lives, and nobody even fell out of the boat...thankfully, seeing as how the river is entirely freezing glacial water.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Vancouver Island and Kamloops are other great spots, but you’ll want to plan your time in those places accordingly. Vancouver Island itself is enough to keep you occupied for weeks.

Don't forget to 'Like' us on Facebook!

photo:  quacktaculous