OKANAGAN VALLEY - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 392

Greyhound (2366 Leckie Rd., 250/860-3835 or 800/661-8747) provides bus service
throughout the Okanagan and beyond.
Getting Around
Local buses are run by Kelowna Regional Transit System. Get schedule and route inform-
ation from the downtown terminal (Bernard Ave. at Ellis St., 250/860-8121). For a taxi, call
Kelowna Cabs (250/762-2222) or Checkmate Cabs (250/861-1111). Another taxi service
is offered by Okanagan Shuttle (250/763-1161, www.okanaganshuttle.com ) , which sched-
ules personalized drop-offs at local wineries, golf courses, ski resorts, and the airport.
Rental car agencies include Avis (250/491-9500), Budget (250/491-7368), Hertz (250/
765-3822), National (250/762-0622), and Rent-A-Wreck (250/763-6632). All these com-
panies have vehicles out at the airport, but call in advance to ensure availability, especially
in midsummer and during the ski season.
Vernon and Vicinity
The city of Vernon (pop. 39,000) lies between Okanagan, Kalamalka, and Swan Lakes, at
the north end of the Okanagan Valley 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Kelowna. Downtown
itself holds little of interest insofar as attractions go; the surrounding area boasts the main
attractions. Among the area highlights: sandy beaches; provincial parks; Silver Star Moun-
tain Resort, a year-round recreation paradise east of the city; and fishing in more than 100
lakes within an hour's drive of the city.
SIGHTS AND RECREATION
Greater Vernon Museum and Archives (3009 32nd Ave., 250/542-3142, 10am-5pm
Tues.-Sat., donation) holds photos from the early 1900s and a large collection of pioneer
and native artifacts. Displays cover natural history, recreation, period clothing, and steam-
ships. In the same vicinity is Vernon Public Art Gallery (3228 31st Ave., 250/545-3173,
10am-5pm Mon.-Fri., 11am-4pm Sat., free), featuring works by local artists as well as tour-
ing exhibitions.
Polson Park (off Hwy. 97 at 25th Ave.) has a Chinese teahouse, a small Japanese
garden, and paths along a willow-lined creek, but most people go to stare at the floral clock:
nine meters (30 feet) wide, made up of more than 3,500 plants, and the only one of its kind
in western Canada.