Summer is just around the corner, and for Vancouverites looking for a quick weekend escape, there’s no shortage of delicious destinations a short drive away. So let your stomach (and liver) be your guide as we explore some nearby undiscovered (or at least under-appreciated) gems.
South Okanagan
Although it often gets overlooked in favour of Kelowna and Penticton to the north, the South Okanagan has never been hotter, and for good reason. Located between Oliver and Osoyoos in the South Okanagan valley lies a geographical anomaly responsible for some of the best wines in the province. The Golden Mile Bench is an alluvial terrace that stands close to a 100 metres above the valley floor offering a southeasterly aspect and warm temperatures perfect for growing grapes. Earlier this week, the BC government made the Golden Mile Bench is the first official sub-appellation for BC wine, allowing winemakers to better market the region’s distinctive terroir.
There’s more than 20 wineries along this stretch of Highway 97, so visiting all of them on your own would likely result in a DUI.
Fear not, because Rich Cooper of Heat Stroke Cycle in Osoyoos has come up with easily the best way to experience everything the Golden Mile Bench has to offer: electric bikes.
The roads in and out of the wineries can be steep, so the electric bikes provide some added oomph to ensure you won’t waste a single drop of sweat as you ride through the idyllic countryside. And Cooper is the perfect guide. Knowledgable, affable, and unpretentious; as a long-time local he’s able to give you the inside scoop on the local wine scene. His tours include pick-up and drop-off in his ridiculously awesome convertible Cadillac, and stops at seven local wineries.
Among the wineries you’ll hit are Road 13, Black Hills, Gehringer, Hester Creek, and many others, so pace yourself. Even bikes can be dangerous when you’re tipsy.
One fun stop is the Old West-themed Rustico Winery, where you’ll be greeted by owner Bruce Fuller in his trademark cowboy get-up. Don’t let the ridiculousness fool you though, Rustico owns some of the oldest vines in the valley and their Bonanza Zinfandel is one of the best in the province.
Even if wine isn’t your thing, a visit to Tinhorn Creek’s Miradoro Restaurant is worth the trip to the South Okanagan alone. At the helm is former Vancouver chef and BC Restaurant Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Van Geest, one of the pioneers of the locavore movement. Van Geest has taken the sustainable culinary philosophy he developed at Aurora Bistro and Diva at the Met, and has applied that to the produce-rich Okanagan region. The restaurant grows many of its own herbs and greens on site, and deals almost exclusively with local producers and farmers.
If you don’t want to drive 450km for a taste of the South Okanagan, you’re in luck! Edible Canada is bringing those flavours to Vancouver on April 15 as part of their Guest Chef Market Dinner with chefs Adair Scott of Watermark Beach Resort and Derek Uhlemann of Covert Farms, who will be creating a four-course meal paired with Covert Farms wines.
Where to stay
You can’t get any closer to the water then the Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos. In addition to stunning views and beachfront access, the resort features a spa, yoga studio and some fairly exceptional food at the Watermark Wine and Tapas Bar.
Bellingham
Yes, Bellingham!
You could be forgiven for thinking our neighbor to the south has little more to offer than outlet malls and cheap flights, but you would be so very wrong.
Do yourself a favour and actually venture more than a few blocks from the I-5 and you will discover a charming, historic college town that is quickly becoming a craft beer mecca. Close to a dozen craft breweries and brewpubs now serve this quaint community of just 80,000, which is why Bellingham was recently named one of the Top 10 Beer Towns in America by Livability.com.
Bellinghamsters (yes, that’s what they’re actually called) clearly have a taste for the good life, and thankfully they are more than happy to share.
If you want a taste of everything the Bellingham beer scene has to offer, the Bellingham Beer Week takes place Sept. 11-20. If you cant wait that long, Kulshan Brewing Company, Wander Brewing, Aslan Brewing, Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen, and Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro are all within a 20-minute walk of each other in Bellingham’s historic downtown. If you prefer traditional cask-conditioned ales, check out the rustic North Fork Brewery, half an hour out of town on the Mt. Baker Highway. In addition to dozens of English-style ales, bitters, and stouts, North Fork also makes a pretty mean pizza, and should the mood strike you, there’s a wedding chapel with an ordained minister on site.
If you are looking for something to do that’s not beer-related, check out the Bellingham Farmers’ Market at Depot Market Square. The market features more than 40 farmers, crafters, and food vendors, and is open from April through Christmas, 10am to 3pm every Saturday (just make sure you scarf those organic fruits and veggies before you cross the border). The nourishment will do you good.
For a fun way to burn off those empty beer calories, grab a bike from Fairhaven Bike Rental and check out the South Bay Trail, which will take you two scenic miles (3.2 km, ahem) along Bellingham Bay into Downtown Bellingham.
Where to stay
The Fairhaven Village Inn in the historic Fairhaven District is absolutely adorable. Close to Western Washington University, it faces the Village Green Park, which hosts its own summer farmer’s market on Wednesdays.
Parksville
Given it’s roughly half the size of Ireland, you could be forgiven for not being aware of Vancouver Island’s many nooks and crannies. One oft-overlooked region is the Mid-Island, as vacationers usually pass right through it on their way to the beaches of Tofino, or bypass it completely in favour of Victoria.
This is a terrible mistake, as the Mid-Island has all the sand (though none of the surf) and significantly more sun than the Island’s west coast. It’s a lot closer, too.
While Nanaimo is essentially a 30-km long strip mall, things get significantly more interesting as you drive north towards Parksville.
Here the shallow waters of the Georgia Strait create endless stretches of sandy beach that at low tide can extend for miles. Not surprisingly, beachfront hotels and spas line the coast, with Rathtrevor Provincial Park and the adjacent resort community serving as the epicenter for summer fun in the sun.
While Parksville has served as a resort community for Victoria weekenders for more than half a century, by the early 2000s, many of the hotels were starting to show their age. But starting with Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort’s 2003 expansion, the community has been undergoing a renaissance over the past decade, with dozens of new resorts and hotels being built and renovated.
The natural beauty isn’t just limited to the coast, however. Cathedral Grove is a popular pit stop for those on their way to Tofino, but considering it’s just 20 minutes outside of Parksville, it’s worth a visit all on its own. The park is an easily accessible example of coastal old growth forest, with Douglas firs and western redcedars, some more than 800 years old and nine metres in circumference. And don’t forget to stop off at Little Qualicum Falls, also along the Alberni Highway. The falls are anything but little, and the provincial park is a great hiking and camping spot.
Naturally, there’s no shortage of delicious food to be had in this region of the Island. The world-famous Fanny Bay oysters are cultivated just north of Parksville, and the warm temperate winters make for a long growing season for local produce.
Morningstar Farm is a fun place to spend the afternoon, with its petting zoo and ample samples of its award-winning cheese from the Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, located on site. And while the kids are playing, the grown-ups are free to sample the many fruit wines made at the Mooberry Winery, also located on the farm. Don’t be put off by the silly name: these aren’t sickly sweet dessert wines. Mooberry makes dry fruit wines that due to their tartness and acidity are better suited as table wines.
While the goats on the roof at the Coombs Country Market may seem like a cheesey tourist gimmick (and they are), the market is worth a visit for two reasons: 1) It has one of the largest selections of gourmet imported foodstuffs available under one roof anywhere; and 2) the adjacent Cuckoo Trattoria might be the best Italian restaurant on Vancouver Island. There’s a very good reason it’s alwaysfull, despite it being in the absolute middle of nowhere.
Another culinary oddity in the middle of nowhere is the quaint Island SodaWorks, located in the “town” Errington, not far from Coombs. Owner Mandolyn Jonasson is a riot, and within a few seconds of walking through the door to her little shop, you’ll feel like family. The sodas she makes are all naturally-fermented and probiotic, similar to kombucha, but with less sugar (they make great cocktail mixers). The herbs she uses to flavor the sodas are all grown on site or foraged locally. Be sure to stop by on the weekends for her amazing hand-made organic tacos.
Where to stay
The recently-renovated Beach Club Resort owns the prime spot on the Parksville waterfront, offering guests beachfront access and amazing views of the Georgia Strait. The Pacific Prime Restaurant is also the best in town.
