Wines, rainforest and desert

Mom and dad are on the plane now, on their way back to Montreal after spending a week in BC. They wanted to be here for my birthday, which was really nice. We spent two three days in and around Vancouver, then three days in the Okanagan for some wine country touring. Here are some of the highlights, and I posted pictures here.

Best winery - The award goes to Silver Sage Winery. While most wineries had one or two wines that rated above the others in terms of quality, all the wines we tasted at Silver Sage were exceptional. We also tasted their dessert wines and while I am not a fan of sweet alcohol, I enjoyed a few of them as well.

Biggest surprise - It rains in the Okanagan in the summer. My past visits were all under hot and sunny conditions, while this time, we met clouds and some rain. I can't complain about the cooler weather, lower 20s, but it would have been nice to see more sun.

Best food - This one's a close call, but I'd say that the Old Vines restaurant at Quail's Gate wins again. I've never been disappointed by the food there, their chef combines lots of local and seasonal ingredients to create fantastic dishes.

Great entertainment - Bard on the Beach is a true Vancouver experience I would recommend to anyone who is looking for something a little bit different. Skip the movies and spend an evening with Shakespeare. Most of the actors were quite young and a few of them, very talented. The text is original Shakespeare with a few modern variations / additions. Nothing that upsets the flow of the play.

Most impressive - Within 24 hours, we went from a West Coast rainforest environment (Lighthouse Park on the North shore) to a desert (Osoyoos, at the Southern tip of the Okanagan valley). All this, without leaving the country. We did see a black bear while driving East on Highway 3, but no rattlesnakes around the vineyards. Maybe that's a good thing ;)