Our hiking trails are a delight at this time of the year, when mornings are a little cooler, and gentle breezes temper the heat of midday. The bunch grasses on hillsides and along the trail shine golden in the sun and the towering Ponderosa Pines cast their generous shadows. The air smells of sage and pine. The rewards of getting out on our trails are manifold, so here are a few off-the-beaten-track gems in the Kelowna area. If you have a favourite hiking trail, please send the tip my way at info@kelownasjuicytips.com and I’ll add it to our Tourism Kelowna blog.

Angel Springs is a fun and moderate 4 km (one way) trail. Though the springs aren’t for bathing, the geological formations and mineral deposits are an interesting sight. The trailhead is located on the east side of Little White Forest Service Road at kilometre four. To reach the trailhead from Kelowna, take K.L.O. Road to McCulloch Road then to June Springs Road Follow June Springs Road to Little White Forestry Service Road.

In West Kelowna, Blue Grouse Mountain is a moderate to difficult hike that is about 6.5 km to the top. Take Hwy 97 crossing the bridge, then take your first right onto Westside Road and drive to the junction with Bear Creek Main by Traders Cove. Turn left on Bear Creek Main and follow it for about 3 km. Look for a sign that says "Grouse Mountain No. 1" on the right. Park near the sign and begin your hike to the top. The elevation is 4,194 feet and the view is excellent.

Canyon Falls Park is in the Crawford Estates area of Kelowna. It’s a linear park (dogs allowed on a lead) and offers some breathtaking views over Okanagan Lake and Kelowna. Take Gordon Drive and turn left on to Dehart Road. Follow Dehart Road and turn right on Crawford Road. Turn right on Westridge Drive then right to Canyon Ridge Court. There is a small cul-de-sac at the end where you can leave your car. Look for the small pathway that leads to the trails and to Crawford Falls.

Cedar Mountain Regional Park is 79.5 hectares and overlooks Okanagan Lake on the east side of the lake. The park was severely impacted by the Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park fire in the summer of 2003. Please stay on the paths to prevent trampling sensitive, re-growing vegetation. Charred timber has been removed along the trail. To get here, head south on Pandosy Street, which becomes Lakeshore Road. Stay straight at the fork on to Chute Lake Road. Once on the gravel road, go about 7 km and watch for a dirt road on the right. Take this road to an old sawmill site and park your vehicle. As you hike, cliffs will come into view on your left about a half kilometre after you cross the creek and past an old cabin. You can hike down to the bottom of the cliffs (which are about 300 feet high). The trail leads up to the cliff top at the north end. It’s about a 6.5 km walk. The view from the cliff top is beautiful at about 2,500 feet.

These are some wonderful hikes that you can enjoy relatively near-in to Kelowna. Be sure to bring plenty of water and to wear comfortable hikers. A ball cap is also a good idea to keep your head protected in the sun. Then bring your camera and have a ball while you give yourself a great workout!

For more information on Kelowna and for maps of the area, you can ask a Visitor Counsellor at the Kelowna Visitor Centre run by Tourism Kelowna at 544 Harvey Avenue.

One great way to spend an afternoon is to enjoy the views over Kelowna and Okanagan Lake from the Myra Canyon. This incredibly scenic portion of the Kettle Valley Railway features 18 trestle bridges and 2 tunnels, originally built at the turn of the last century, and rebuilt again (near exact replica) between 2003 and 2008 when the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire claimed 12 of the trestle bridges. To ride in the Myra is to glimpse history - how a steam train would have made its way through this steep-walled canyon along a railroad that was no more than a 2% rail grade (to accommodate the steam train technology of the day), and how workers from around the world would have toiled to construct the original railway through some pretty uncompromising terrain. Amazing.

There are a few ways to enjoy the Myra Canyon, which stretches about 10 km from end to end (so double that for the return journey). You might choose to walk a portion of it by foot, as many visitors to the area do. You might choose to rent bikes up at the Myra to take in the full canyon. Or you might choose to enjoy a fully-guided tour of the Myra Canyon with a guide who knows his Myra Canyon history.

If you want to rent bikes and cycle the Myra yourself there’s a bike rental business conveniently located right at the parking lot from Myra Forest Service Road. The rental company is called, logically, Myra Canyon Bike Rentals, and they have a very handy map on their website which shows visitors exactly how to get up to the Myra Canyon. Pricing for the rentals is very reasonable, allowing people to enjoy a wholesome family/friend activity at their leisure.

If you prefer to get the background and history of the area while on tour, you might want to take a guided tour with Monashee Adventure Tours or through Myra Canyon Bike Rentals. Monashee’s Ed Kruger has been doing tours in the Myra Canyon for years, and he is a history buff who can regale you with all kinds of stories about the building of the railroad through the Myra Canyon. It’s a great way to get the inside scoop on this treasured piece of Canadian railroad history. Ed will provide transportation to the Myra Canyon as well as bike rentals through his tours.

The Myra Canyon portion of the KVR is quite high in elevation and really gives some beautiful valley views. You’ll find that the air is a little cooler up here than in town, which can be a nice bonus during the hot summer months for those looking to escape the heat. The 18 trestle bridges are spectacular and mind-boggling when one considers that the originals would have been built almost entirely by hand. This is definitely an inspiring and eye-opening half-day trip to enjoy when visiting Kelowna.

Remember those carefree summer days, once school was out and the fruit became ripe? Picking cherries right from the tree and the satisfaction of seeing that tin bucket fill up with fresh fruit? Not heeding the warnings from Mom and gorging on sweet, fleshy cherries until your tummy told you in no uncertain terms that enough was finally enough? Hey, we all did it, and it was character-building – and not just that, but it was also a privilege and a rite of summer.

Some things never change and the enjoyment of picking (or finding freshly picked) cherries is a true pleasure of summertime. Same goes for all the lovely tree fruit that follow cherries: apricots, plums, peaches and apples. There are a great many places that you’ll be able to find the season’s freshest fruit in Kelowna, whether for sale or for the picking. Here are a few examples to get the ball rolling.

In Kelowna, the Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market is a natural. With over 150 stands, this market is the biggest farmers’ market in BC, and many farmers here have cherries for sale. The Farmers' Market is at the corner of Dilworth and Springfield roads, across from Orchard Park Mall. It runs on Saturday and Wednesday mornings from 8 am to 1 pm, and on Thursday evenings from 3 pm to 7 pm.

In Lake Country, Gatzke Orchards is great place to find delicious cherries… including those yummy yellow ones called "Rainier". Also in LC you’ll find Petals and Leaves Garden Centre and Fresh Farm Produce. I love their website because it lists what’s in season right now as well as great recipes incorporating that produce. If you’re in West Kelowna, check Paynters Fruit Market for sweet plump cherries. You’ll also love the orchard view behind the market with its own picnic area.

There are also lots of u-pick orchards around, so check the Castanet Classifieds for listings. A wonderful orchard in Kelowna with u-pick, Kempf Orchards at 1409 Teasdale Road is a great place to bring your family. Owned by Shelley and Herb Kempf, the orchard is open 7 days per week for u-pick and farm gate sales. They will have cherries until the first week of August.

For other farm-gate suggestions or tourism information on Kelowna, call the Visitor Centre at 1-800-663-4344, visit (www.tourismkelowna.com), or stop by the Visitor Centre to speak with a Visitor Counselor at 544 Harvey Avenue.

Here’s a brochure that you will definitely want to have handy to give to visiting friends and relatives when they’re in town this summer. Anyone who enjoys discovering tucked away gems and artist studios while on their winery tour will really get a lot of mileage out of this piece.

A new brochure available at the Visitor Centre and select tourism operators lists 37 unique studio, farms, and wineries in the Kelowna area, showing their locations on a map so that visitors can plan to check out more than one spot when driving to a given part of town. In partnership with the Economic Development Commission, the Tourism Kelowna-created brochure shows Kelowna, West Kelowna, and Lake Country, itemizing each of the 37 participating farms, wineries, and studios. The goal is to allow these businesses to cross-market with other agri-tourism businesses nearby and to showcase the sheer diversity of Kelowna’s artisan and farm community.

I’m a big fan of this kind of marketing. It makes sense to the user since you might drive to an area for a certain winery and want to spend some more time in that area visiting other interesting attractions. It also cuts down on the amount of time people need to spend in their cars since they can build a whole morning or afternoon around exploring a neighbourhood. Not only that, but this kind of piece brings out the explorer in people, and that’s what makes travel experiences special.

You might want to visit Tantalus Winery, for instance, and looking at the map you suddenly realize that there’s a Lavender Farm right in that area, and a honey farm, a reptilian conservation place, and a brand new winery that you’d never heard of before. Suddenly you have a whole morning of interesting spots to visit without having to drive very far. You meet fascinating people who are doing what they love and who invite you in you eat lavender infused ice cream surrounded by lavender fields you watch a beekeeper handling her hives you learn about crocodiles. You might get tips on other great spots to visit or to eat. You take a ton of great vacation pictures. You top it all off with a walk along the Mission Greenway which is on your way back downtown. See what I mean? Now that’s a fun day!

Keep your eyes out for this brochure or stop by the Visitor Centre to pick it up. You can also find it online at Tourism Kelowna.com. You’re bound to learn about one or two attractions you didn’t know about before. For other tourism information on Kelowna, call the Visitor Centre at 1-800-663-4344, visit (www.tourismkelowna.com), or stop by the Visitor Centre to speak with a Visitor Counselor at 544 Harvey Avenue.