Agri-tourism and Thanksgiving in BC’s Okanagan
The Okanagan Valley is a superb location to celebrate Thanksgiving (except that Cathy isn’t with me). Just up the hill from my sister’s place is an orchard that really knows how to blend tourism into the business, and yesterday my daughter and grand-daughters and I spent a couple of hours at the Kelowna Land & Orchard farm. There are quite a few agri-tours here, and I wish now that I had time to do more.
The location, a bench above the northern part of the city, is beautiful, and the only reason it’s still a farm is that it’s in the ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve) so can’t be turned into a residential subdivision.
The farm grows a long list of apple varieties that mature at different times – the final harvest is in the next week or so.
The “petting zoo” provides an excellent way to keep the kids amused while waiting for the tour to start.
The cider-tasting area (by their Raven Ridge Cidery) and the gift shop help keep the adults busy.
The tour around the apple orchard takes an hour, and I was surprised at how interesting it is. Our guide, Rick, did a great job of explaining just how complex this business is – I had no idea. Letting a few of the kids drive the tractor is a cute idea – both of my grand-daughters got behind the wheel for a bit. The cost of the tour is $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for students and it’s free for kids under 6.
The day led up to a wonderful dinner with lots of family from 4 generations present. Getting family together in a bountiful land – the way Thanksgiving began – is the perfect way to celebrate this holiday 🙂 I hope that all of my Canadian friends are having as good a holiday as I am.
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