Stories

If I shut my eyes during a wine tasting, I am absolutely useless at telling if it’s a white or a red. Honestly, I’m that bad. If I remember that white wine is usually chilled, that does help. Since I am off to a few events this summer that are awash in wine, it might be a good idea to learn a few tips to not look so lost. Here’s what I’ve learned.

After tipping back a pint at the just-opened Piston Broke Brewery (and, yes, there might be a little play on words in their name), I realized that the city of Brooks in the County of Newell was starting to grow on me. And, while new craft breweries typically win me over when I open the door and the friendly barkeep says “hello,” Brooks has much more going for it than tasty beer. The world-renowned badlands just to the north of town, for example, are an attraction worth traveling days to see.

At approximately 7:25 AM, the sun crested the eastern horizon and brilliant beams of white light shot through the leaning lodge poles on the massive teepee (the largest teepee in the world, they say!). It was a classic prairie sunrise and, given the temperature hovered around zero, I welcomed the warmth. But, to be completely honest, I wasn't actually cold. When you cycle along the amazing biking trails in Medicine Hat you tend to work up a pretty good sweat!

Winter is definitely sinking in. Boots instead of flip-flops, jackets instead of T-shirts and toques instead of ballcaps. Depending on where you live, the season settles in differently. For instance, the prairies may be -20 C and sunny like the Bahamas. Meanwhile, the Okanagan is warm but overcast. How come?

Bundled up with scarves, mitts, big jackets and toques you brave a walk through the winter landscape. Suddenly through the wool wrapped around your ears you hear a bird. Was it a caw, or a croaking sound? A squawk or a tweet? Is it tiny and fluffy? Blue? Grey? Or big, black and bold? Here’s a quick way to tell exactly what you are looking at or listening to.

Rockwell, a local photographer, has been guiding night-sky lovers for more than 20 years, helping them to capture on camera the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. It’s often a once a lifetime experience for many people who come here from all world to see the dancing bands of colours that can take on many shapes in colour.

The west coast of B.C. and Vancouver Island offer up amazing scenery and hiking trails that can take you into the heart of the forest or bring you to the top, where the views are breath taking.

A Two-night package gives guests the opportunity to go back in time and learn how people not only survived, but thrived along B.C.’s rugged west coast.

The West Coast of Vancouver Island – from Ucluelet to Tofino – is home to more than a dozen world-class surf breaks along its 40-odd kilometre stretch of epicness. You can ride these waves of joy any time of year, even in winter, maybe carving out a “surf and ski” day at nearby Mount Washington. 

Kelowna, B.C. – Nearly a century ago, a new rail line connected Kelowna’s goods to the rest of the country. Today it connects communities along the Okanagan Valley on a scenic non-motorized trail. 

Oliver, B.C. – The presence of some 400 farms clustered around Oliver, B.C. have earned this South Okanagan community the title of “Wine Capital of Canada.” 

But, in addition to grapes, Oliver is also cultivating community through a unique local Christian non-profit. It’s not only Oliver’s wines that are being shipped around the world, but soup as well. 

Summerland, B.C. – It seems that everyone you meet in Summerland, in B.C.'s South Okanagan, is a historian.  

Vernon, B.C. – The story of the Okanagan Valley can be told through a natural corridor that runs along the valley; moving from the Syilx (Okanagan) band to gold-rush-era miners and turn-of-the-century rail lines. Today, the former Canadian Northern rail corridor once again connects communities from Coldstream to Kelowna, this time as the Okanagan Rail Trail. It’s a unique addition to the ever-expanding bike trail system of the Okanagan. 

Cranbrook, B.C. – I was glued to the plane’s window as it started its descent into the Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook. The vistas, equally beautiful and mysterious, gave a hint of what the valley has to offer. Soon we’d be on the ground and experiencing it all for the first time. A short flight from Vancouver via Pacific Coastal Airlines was about to unleash a new world of possibilities.  

Cranbrook, B.C. – Rising to the early morning glow from outside the teepee walls, we breathed the crisp mountain air and arose from our comfortable sleeping quarters to greet the day. After spending a night nestled in a teepee at Speaking Earth in St. Eugene, part of the greater Cranbrook area, we felt refreshed and more connected to our Canadian heritage than ever.  

Sometimes the best destinations to explore can be found in unlikely places. While both the wilds of the backcountry and the thrill of big cities each carry their charm, sometimes you crave visiting a place that feels familiar and new at the same time.

It’s hard to pick just five great attractions in a city made for exploring. For too long, Lethbridge has been seen as a “drive through” city, but in recent years, it has confidently put itself on the map as a destination in its own right.

Experiencing history has never felt so hands-on and as adventurous as it does in Cranbrook, B.C. After a short, smooth and scenic flight with Pacific Coastal Air, we landed in a new kind of paradise, and eager to explore the history of the southern Rockies region, we wasted no time.

Lethbridge's Paradise Canyon Golf Resort played host for the 2018 PGA MacKenzie Tour, but it's not the only links game in town. 

Lethbridge is home to the world’s tallest and longest trestle bridge, and perhaps known for its strong Alberta winds, but it’s also home to great businesses, restaurants and attractions that make up its downtown core. It’s time to park the car, put on your walking shoes, and explore Lethbridge.