Kelowna

I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I only learned how to ride a bike in my late twenties. However, ever since then, cycling has become a much-loved pastime of mine. It goes without saying that BC’s natural beauty is simply awe-inspiring, which makes exploring it by bike ideal. Myra Canyon in Kelowna is just one such setting that is perfect for this. To optimize our cycling adventure and be as close to the highlight as possible, we chose Myra Canyon Lodge as our accommodation for the weekend.

Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted by our host Kathrin, as well her friendly dogs, Lily and Mister. Our photos of Myra Canyon Lodge do not do it justice. It was so quiet and serene, and we enjoyed stunning views from almost everywhere in our suite, including the bathroom!

We opted for dinner at Frankie We Salute You!, a local restaurant that piqued my interest due to the large variety of vegetarian options. We whet our appetite with crispy broccoli tacos, followed by the pumpkin ramen and rachos bowl. The ramen was creamy, the kabocha squash delicious and melt-in-your-mouth, while the bowl was fresh and tasty. We spent the evening in downtown Kelowna, walking through Waterfront Park and Harbourfront Park, before indulging in ice cream from MOO-LIX Ice Cream Shop. We returned to the Lodge where we relaxed in the suite and watched sunset from bed.

We awoke the next day eager to experience the main attraction of our trip – the Myra Canyon Trestles. Having secured our bicycles to our car, we headed to the Ruth Station parking lot at Myra Canyon, a 15-min drive up the bumpy forest service road the lodge was situated on. There are 18 trestles in total between Ruth Station parking lot and Myra Station parking lot which were approx. 12km apart. By my estimate, the 24km round trip should take us around 3 hours (it can be achieved in a much shorter time frame, but I knew I would need to accommodate our frequent stops for photo ops). According to the map, the first 3 trestles are fairly spaced out, but after the 4th trestle, we should reach each trestle thereafter in quick succession.

We began cycling along the trail, surrounded by trees on either side. As we emerged from the forest and approached the first trestle, we were in awe. The scenery was magnificent. The trestles were wrapped around the mountain pass and it was breathtaking how the scenery changed from thick forest to sprawling mountain vistas – even passing along a small waterfall at one point. The other cyclists and hikers were so courteous, often pausing to let my husband and I pass through the bridge before they could join from the other side. The center of the bridge that the cyclists rode along was a little too narrow for my confidence levels when there were others on the bridge as well. All in all, it was definitely my most rewarding cycling experience, and well worth the journey to Kelowna!

After freshening up, we headed to Mad Mango Cafe, an Asian fusion restaurant, for lunch. We filled ourselves with satisfying bowls of hot and sour soup and spicy lemongrass broth, before returning to the waterfront area for a walk. We soon found ourselves at AMORE MIO Italian Artisanal Gelato, a cute Italian bistro, where we had the biscotti and Amori-Sicilian flavoured gelato. We also ordered a Margherita pizza and a post-dinner treat (cappuccino custard bomboloni) to take back to the lodge.

On our way back we stopped at the local Independent Grocer. We were in for a pleasant surprise, as the grocery store had a large variety of South African goods, such as boerewors, biltong, rooibos tea, Bakers’ biscuits, even All-Gold tomato sauce! We stocked up on our favourite items and returned to the lodge, where we ate our dinner on the balcony and watched the sunset before winding down for the night.

We woke up the next day feeling well rested after our long cycle. We enjoyed our last breakfast on the balcony while admiring the view – grateful for the time spent at the peaceful lodge.

For our final stop in Kelowna, we visited Kangaroo Creek Farm, a family-run and owned non-commercial farm that breed kangaroos, wallabies and many other animals. Upon entering we learned that the reptile show had just started. One of the staff were showcasing an African tortoise, and I was surprised to learn that these tortoises had sensation in their shell. An onlooker had asked the question and to demonstrate, the staff scratched the tortoise’s back, to which the tortoise responded by squirming in delight!

I appreciated that the kangaroo (including the cute joeys), wallabies and many other animals were kept in very large enclosures and permitted to roam (or hop) around freely. Staff handed out willow leaves to guests as they entered, and we used these to feed the kangaroos.

After an hour of visiting the attractions, we purchased ice creams to cool off and browsed the stalls outside the farm which sold kangaroo postcards, jams/jellies and fruit. A local wildlife/conservation photographer, Adam Skalzub of Keep Canada Wild had a stall displaying his artwork. We were so impressed by his photographs, and the fascinating stories behind the animals he’d photographed, that we purchased several of his photos.

We were sad that our weekend trip to Kelowna had drawn to a close. Although short, it was definitely one of our more memorable and unique experiences in beautiful British Columbia and I’d be eager to return!