July 20, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Penticton, Sightseeing Tours
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As with the 2003 fires in Kelowna, many people believe that the "Okanagan" is on fire. Fortunately this is a very large valley. While there is a fair amount of smoke in the air there are definitely no fires close to Penticton. The weather is warm, the skies are blue (mostly) and its a great time to be on the beach.
Of course, Highway 97 to Penticton is closed as of July 20 at 2:30pm, but there is talk that it may open by Tuesday. There are alternate routes, however. Just yesterday I took Hwy 5A from Merritt to Princeton and then Hwy 3 and 3A from Princeton to Penticton. Absolutely beautiful drive! Stunning scenery. I had no idea how many deciduous trees were in the area around Aspen Grove (although the name should have given me a hint).
Besides Hwy 5A, travelers can take Hwy 33 to Route 201 (well travelled forest service road) directly to Penticton. Another option is to take a southern route to Osoyoos and then follow Hwy 97 north to Penticton.
Bottom line: we're still here, we're not on fire, and the weather is fantastic.
October 27, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Penticton, Sightseeing Tours
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A very quick business trip to the South Okanagan this week left me thinking about what an incredible part of the province the Okanagan is and how I must bring my family back to enjoy more of it. I took the night flight into
Penticton on a tiny Central Mountain Air Beech 1900D (operating on behalf of Air Canada) in which every seat is both a window and an aisle. The airport looked dark and quiet but the Budget Rent a Car guy was waiting patiently for me and handed me the keys to my shiny Toyota Corolla. Having driven a standard for the last few years, I initially had some trouble remembering not to put my foot through the floorboards in effort to locate the clutch! My accommodation for the evening was the
Penticton Lakeside Resort. A friendly desk clerk offered me an upgrade to a lakeside view which I happily accepted and gratefully enjoyed the next morning as I watched the sun come up on beautiful Okanagan Lake. I made a mental note to add this property to the list of ones I want to come back to with my family. A casino for my husband, jet-skis for our teenager and a gym and long beach walks for me! The next morning I struck out for
Osoyoos, a very pleasant half hour drive s