OKANAGAN VALLEY - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 372

RECREATION
Sandwiched between two lakes, Penticton has two distinct beaches—one at each end of
town. Okanagan Lake Beach stretches along Lakeshore Drive, bookended by the SS
Sicamous to the west and Penticton Lake Resort in the east. It boasts floating slides and
pontoons, while behind the beach are a number of cafés with lots of outdoor seating. At
the south end of town is Skaha Lake, where the beach is wider and less protected from
the wind, but with water that is slightly warmer. The two beaches are linked by the seven-
kilometer-long (4.3-mile) River Channel. On a hot summer day, the channel attracts thou-
sands of people, who float its length from a launch point near Okanagan Lake, taking 1-2
hours to reach the main pull out point at Green Mountain Road. At the launch point is
Coyote Cruises (215 Riverside Dr., 250/492-1115, www.coyotecruises.ca , 10am-5:30pm
daily in summer), which rents inner tubes ($5), supplies air ($2), and offers bus transfers
back from the south end of the channel ($5).
Apex Mountain Resort (250/292-8222 or 877/777-2739, www.apexresort.com , adult
$66, senior $54, child $42), 31 kilometers (19 miles) west of Penticton, provides 605 vertic-
al meters (1,990 feet) and 56 runs over 450 hectares (1,100 acres). The slopes are served by
a T-bar and two chairlifts, one of which—the Quickdraw Express—zips skiers and boarders
to the summit of Beaconsfield Mountain and opens up most of the expert terrain. Boarders
are catered to with a terrain park and half-pipe, or you can slide downhill on an inflatable
tube in the tube park.
Events
Penticton seems to have festivals, parades, events, or competitions going on throughout
the year. The biggest event is the Penticton Peach Festival (250/487-9709,
www.peachfest.com ) , best known as Peachfest, held on the first full weekend of August; it's
a tradition going back to 1947. Events include a parade along Lakeshore Drive, an Abori-
ginal Cultural Village, the crowning of Miss Penticton, Kiddies Day (the Sunday), a sand-
castle contest, a beachfront midway, and nightly entertainment in Gyro Park.
OKANAGAN WINES
Okanagan wines receive acclaim worldwide, although this success is only recent. In
fact, it was doubted that quality grapes could be grown north of the 49th parallel until