Super, Neighbours in BC: Oliver/Osoyoos - Part One: Getting There & Staying There

Back in the fall I met some of the wonderful team from Hester Creek and was invited to come up and stay at the Villas in the spring.

In the time in between I learned of the awesomeness that was the Half Corked Marathon, and knew I needed to make a weekend of it over in Oliver and Osoyoos.

Throughout my series of posts I'm going to show you some awesome places to stay, to eat, to visit, and of course all of the festivities around the Half Corked Marathon.

First up...the road to the Okanagan and Spirit Ridge Resort!

		Welcome to the latest series of Super, Neighbours blog posts where we highlight incredible travel destinations in British Columbia!

I usually dedicate a whole post to the journey to get to the Super Neighbour destinations...but the day I left for Osoyoos there was an epic downpour in Vancouver (here is a pic of a pitstop when the rain let off for a min). I got soaked just bringing my gear out to the car (my awesome Ford Fusion Hybrid) and had the windshield wipers on full blast for the first 3.5 hours of driving. I couldn't wait to get to the Okanagan because I knew, according to the weather report, that it was hot AND sunny there. It's amazing where a few hours of driving can take you.

So, before we get to my awesome accommodations, let me show you some shots of the car (that I nicknamed Betty Ford), that the great people at BC Ford let me take out for my weekend, in a few beautiful settings in Oliver and Osoyoos...

Betty handled perfectly in the rain on the way there and sunshine on the way back. I took Crowsnest on the way there and the Coquihalla on the way home, so I could see and much of BC as I could!

I arrived at my first set of accommodations for the weekend, Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort and Spa to bright warm sunshine, a room with a deck and full kitchen, and a bottle of wine from the adjoining winery Nk'Mip (Canada's first Aboriginal owned and operated winery!)

I left the wine to cool and went out to explore the grounds...aka I went to the pool for some R'n'R before the rest of the media and I headed out to dinner, and what I found was glorious.

The resort has two pools (not to mention a golf course, a spa, an excellent restaurant, and lake access!) one is the quieter adult-pool and hot tub with a stunning view of the vineyards, water, and rolling hills.

The other pool is more family-oriented with a hot tub as well, and a water slide.

Back at the room I headed for the patio with my chilled bottle of Pinot Blanc and my book to read in the sunshine after my relaxing hot tub visit.

There are MANY different options for lodging on site; I was in the one bedroom suite, but there are also 2 and 3 bedrooms, and villa options as well. Check them all out by clicking here.

Also on site are several dining options, some in the main lodge, a cafe and general store, and a patio with food service at the winery building.

The resort made you feel like you had exactly everything you could possibly need, and I could have spent even more time exploring and enjoying the beautiful property.

Thanks to Ford once again for the loan of the Fusion Hybrid (I miss her!) and to the Oliver-Osoyoos Wine Country and Bellstar Hotels & Resorts for the gorgeous room!

In my next post you'll get to see some of the pre and post-race activities for the Half Corked Marathon, including the Primavera dinner, a tour of Covert Farms, dinner and a show at Miradoro restaurant, a pancake breakfast at Rustico Winery, and dinner at Watermark restaurant.

Needless to say, I hope you're not hungry when you see it!