Since the climate is so pleasant in the Okanagan valley, the place is ideal for tourists and retired people who enjoy the casual lifestyle present there. You can go biking, hiking, wine tasting and just enjoy yourself in the sun, in the summer. The winter is ideal for snow skiing, skating and other winter sports. So you can be busy with recreational activities throughout the year.

One of the most famous resort villages is ‘Sun Peaks’. It has the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Coast Mountains to the west. Since the area is protected, in a valley, the weather is very good. The summers are above 36degrees C. and people can enjoy biking and other summertime activities.

The Okanagan Wine festival is celebrated every year during the second week of August at the Silver Star Mountain Resort in Vernon. The Ice Wine Festival is celebrated every year in mid- January at the Sun Peaks Resort.

Shuswap Lake is also another favorite spot. There are many cottages and houseboats there. Sun Peaks is about 20 minutes from Shuswap Lake. There are many hotel resorts and chalets where you can get rooms at affordable rates. Sun Peaks is the second largest ski resort in British Columbia. The longest run is about 5 miles. In summer you can go mountain biking. In the Sun Peaks mountain bike park, you can use the Sunburst Express Chairlift to get to the 37 biking trails for a distance of 70 kilometers. There are also activities for children. They have Kid’s adventure camps in which they can go canoeing, horseback riding, play tennis, go mountain biking and also hiking. There is a sports center where there is an outdoor pool that is heated all year round. There is also a kid’s pool and also two tennis courts.  In the Okanagan Valley you have the Kittle Valley Bike Trails and the Mission Greenway and Okanagan Lavender farm. The other famous resort in this area is Manteo. It is famous for its water activities as it has a sandy beach with water skiing, wakeboard or cruise. There are also night lit tennis courts and lakeside putting green and also a spa.

Kelowna is the main district in Okanagan. This is the main business area. The boutiques and art studios are famous for their local flavor. It is famous for the visual and performing arts, the great wine and food, casinos and nightclubs etc. You can have entertainment all year round. There are many golfing courses and golfing championships are held here. Mountain biking is also famous here. You have areas that can be used by experts and novices.  There are urban areas and also areas with pine forests and wide desert areas. The down hills are also good for biking. There are forest trails where one can go hiking. You can see many streams where you can take a quiet stroll.

The whole are of Okanagan valley is ideal for vineyards. The climate is very suitable. So you can see vineyards right from the hilltops to the lakeshores. The reason is that the soil is very rich. You can get all the different types of wines here. You can get cold and hot weather grapes simply because they are grown in the beach areas, hillsides and also on the valley floors. The main varieties such as Pinotage, German Riesling, Swiss Chasselas, Italian Sangiovese and French Mourvedre are grown close to each other. You can have a great wine tasting experience here. You can also travel on the steam train which is a century old and swim in the lake and also go hiking. Some of the famous vineyards in this area are Calona vineyards, Cedar estate Winery, Forbidden Fruit Winery, Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Winery etc. Okanagan does not have a particular season – it is all year round entertainment, sports and recreation. So, visit Okanagan any time of the year and enjoy.

If you are interested in exploring some of these more northern regions of the Rockies then Grande Prairie would be a good base to start from. The city has a population of just over 50,000 and is one of Canada’s fasted growing cities but you probably wouldn’t want to go there for a holiday during January when average daytime temperatures are around minus 15 degrees Celsius. During the summer months of July and August it is pleasantly warm with average highs of over 20 degrees.

Eighty miles further north and you reach Dawson Creek lying to the East of the Rockies and the start of the Alaska Highway. Here you will need to decide whether you stay on the eastern side of the mountains or head west and traverse through the Rockies on Highway 97 across to the huge Williston Lake. If you remain on the east and decide to tackle the Alaska Highway prepare yourself well. The journey to Fairbanks in Alaska is almost 1500 miles in total. Interesting stopping points along the way include Muncho Lake, a quintessential Canadian Lake which is a popular stopover location and offers plenty to do for holidaymakers including boating and canoeing trips on its wonderful waters.

It’s a fantastic drive for a Recreational Vehicle during the summer months but watch out for Bears and Caribou as they frequently wander across the road. Oh and traffic jams are rare, in fact you’ll often drive for miles without seeing another vehicle.

Fly Drivers travelling up Highway 97 on the west, also known as the Hart Highway, will have turned inland by this point and have started heading across the Rockies themselves along the Highway. Only accessible during the summer months the route provides the amazing mountain scenery travellers are expecting.

For more welcoming terrain, travellers can start their road trips further south, just across the Canada / US border at Osoyoos. The town sits at the bottom of Osoyoos Lake at the southern end of the Okanagan Valley, the hottest area in Canada during the summer and now an up and coming wine region. You’ll be surprised to know that average daytime temperatures during July and August are in excess of 30 degrees Celsius. No wonder then that the area is a very popular holiday destination, with beaches and picnic spots all around the lake.

The town is also a popular starting point for sightseeing loops that take in the Shuswap Lakes, Radium Hot Springs and Fairmont Hot Springs whose pools are heated to almost 50 degrees. Over the past hundred years Fairmont Hot Springs has developed and grown into a year-round outdoor resort and now boasts winter skiing combined with golf vacations, canoeing on the Columbia River and of course the spring fed hot pools. For road travellers with an RV, the resort has the highest rated RV park in the Canadian Rockies. There can’t be anywhere much better to park up and wonder at the glorious backdrop of the Rocky Mountains that sit all around you.

So you see Canada has a remarkable range of holiday choices and extremes of weather to go with them. Take a flight to Vancouver or Toronto in Canada this year and experience these wonders for yourself.

In addition to the rental equipment, the Great Canadian Snowmobile Tours Company offers a variety of private and open guided snowmobile tours to fit the skills of any snowmobiler. Most of the tours are package deals that provide all of the essentials needed for a long snowmobile trip, including safety equipment and meals along the way. Most tours involve small groups of five or six snowmobilers, so there is a greater chance of trips customized to fit the needs of each group participant. Upon returning to the destination, snowmobilers are treated to free appetizers. Other packages include a steak and salmon barbecue in a private facility. Other specialized snowmobile tours are available, including a tour for women only and trips that span out over several days. Frequent area snowmobilers will appreciate the guided tours because there is always new terrain to experience along the way and interesting nature and wildlife in the surroundings, including hot springs and caribou.

One of the premier winter resorts in the British Columbia area is the Glacier House Resort in Revelstoke. This is an ideal place where many tours begin their trip. The resort offers guests a fireplace in their private lodge-style rooms along with an indoor pool and Jacuzzis in the bathrooms. The resort also provides a variety of specialized spa services and a lodge-style tavern with a large projector screen in the meeting area that plays snowmobiling DVDs throughout the day. It also provides guests with daily trail updates and an avalanche danger rating so snowmobilers will know what the conditions are like before heading out for the day. Surrounded by the Frisby, Turtle, and Boulder Mountains, Glacier House Resort affords guests glorious views from the private balconies.

The Canadian province of British Columbia is one of the best places to plan your next snowmobile vacation because of the many services their resorts offer to their guests. With customized tours and expert guides, even inexperienced snowmobilers will feel comfortable learning how to ride at one of the many British Columbia winter resorts, namely the Glacier House Resort. Experienced users will enjoy the more challenging trails available to them. All guests will undoubtedly marvel in the spectacular mountain views from their resort along with the luxurious amenities provided.

The hotel itself is located in one of Canada’s most lovely national parks. It’s also near the resort town of Banff, which is a beautiful city by the way. For people who reside in Alberta, the Banf fSprings Hotel is known as much as a travelers place to visit as it is a site we love to drive to. It’s only a few hours drive from almost anywhere in the province and once you arrive there you are treated like royalty by the staff.

If you love skiing, you may certainly go to a lot of the local ski areas and later spend your night at the hotel. Banff is home to some of the globe’s premier ski runs and once you have used up all your energy on the hills you may enjoy a delectable mid-evening meal at the hotel.

Aesthetically it’s probably one of the most architecturally interesting buildings you will ever see. There are a lot photos {on the Web|on Internet|online of the Banff Springs Hotel taken from atop one of the area’s mountains. Images that showcase the hotel in spring are often sprinkled with the imposing greenery from the surrounding trees. In the winter you will enjoy the stark white site that is ever present in those months in the Canadian Rockies.

This is surely one of the most attractive holiday places to go for both Americans and travelers from other countries. It’s important that if you decide you want to stay at the Banff Springs Hotel that you reserve early. You can certainly make a reservation directly with the hotel, or if you want you can go through one of the various discount travel sites that offer accommodations around the world.

It’s difficult to tell whether one time of year is better for a vacation to this region of Canada. During the spring and summer seasons you can expect to enjoy warm temperatures with minimal rain. The fall is clearly a great period to stay at the hotel as you will have the advantage of looking at the trees in the area, in their autumn magnificence. For those who thrive in the cold, a visit to the Banff Springs Hotel during the winter season will reveal a white wonderland. Nothing is more spectacular than looking outside of your room at the hotel to see the snow falling. It really is a winter wonderland like no other. So next time you are thinking about visiting a great country you will know where to go.

Beautiful Shuswap Lake is a wonderful retreat and a popular vacation area. The large, H-shaped lake is quite popular among houseboaters, and it also boasts the ability to handle any other kind of water sport such as water skiing, wake boarding, tubing, fishing, and recreational boating of any kind. Shuswap real estate is in high demand among vacationers who take advantage of all this lake has to offer. Some buy the homes, and use them for their own personal vacation retreats, and some people use them strictly for investment purposes. Still others use Shuswap real estate for a combination of the two purposes. With low property taxes and huge demand for the properties, it’s hard to imagine how one could go wrong with an investment into Shuswap real estate.

Summertime is surely the most popular time of year in this area. While the normal, residential population of the area stands around 3,000, in the summer the population figure swells to around 15,000. Vacationers all need to use Shuswap real estate in some way during these times. Commercial Shuswap real estate is sure to be a good buy, as well, since businesses see so much demand during these summertime months.

Outside the draw of the summertime lake activities, Shuswap real estate is also in demand during the winter months. The area is a great place for sledding and snowmobiling, and any season of the year is great for exploring the mountains in the area. A person making a purchase of Shuswap real estate can use their property for their own personal use, and can also find great success in renting year-round to all the vacationers who frequent the area. A well-maintained home in a beautiful, natural setting is a draw in all seasons, and Shuswap real estate is in demand all year round.

Besides vacationing in, living in, or renting our their Shuswap real estate assets, many people are also finding the area an amazing retirement destination. Once again, low property taxes make Shuswap real estate easy to afford, and retirees are sure to appreciate all the opportunities to live an active yet low-key life in this gorgeous area.

When was the last time that your children slept under the stars with a campfire blazing, listening to the occasional, distant howl of an animal? Isn’t it time to make some memories?

Family outdoor vacations, far from the maddening crowd, not only help you relax but help your children get out of their patterned existence of city life. Imagine frolicking in a real waterfall, feeling the warmth of the sun, building play forts instead of assembling plastic ones, or learning how to peg tents.

You may consider traveling to a different country or to a remote location as a great way of introducing your loved ones to a new culture or your country’s heritage. Exploring the Canadian Rocky Mountains is all the above … and more.

The air is warm, the mountains are so inviting. While visiting the Canadian Rockies, chances are that you will have the opportunity to either catch a glimpse of wild animals or maybe even observe them in their natural habitat.

Some popular family outings while visiting the Rocky Mountains include a hike up Johnston Canyon to the Lower Falls, which is always fun for the whole family – even a baby in a stroller can take part. This is an easy hike along the pristine river that has surprises around every bend. The rushing green water cascades down mini-falls that kids absolutely love. You will be rewarded with a cave to discover!

Take a walk into the forest and discover the life of a real limestone canyon. The air is warm, the mountains inviting. Why not spend some time at a mountain lake? Bring some food and make it a picnic! Now, keep in mind that mountain lakes in the Rockies are glacier-fed, and that means they are brrrrr cold! There are some that are shallow enough to be solar-heated by the sun’s summer rays, I go into these more on my website. Bring some food and make it a picnic!

Any time of year is very enjoyable in the Canadian Rockies,especially when you elect to spend the morning or afternoon of a clear day on the top of Sulphur Mountain! The kids will enjoy the 8-minute adventure of taking a Banff Gondola ride to the top. Venture out onto the observation deck for the most spectacular views you will ever see. Gaze at the surrounding mountain peaks while trying to identify some of the landmarks as you overlook the town of Banff.

The Canadian Rockies have a vast array of possibilities as far as hotels, inns and hostels go. You can find wonderful accommodations for every budget. From back country lodges to luxurious hotels – all of these are excellent choices that will ensure that your stay is unforgettable.

I’ve journeyed to many places in Canada and some of my favourite places to go to in Canada are :

Emerald Lake, Yukon : Travelling along the South Klondike highway in Southern Yukon, you can not help but notice the beautiful blue-green color of Emerald Lake. The jeweled color is created by daylight reflecting off white clay on the lake bed.

Carcross, Yukon : Carcross Yukon, a slight detour from the Alaska road, south of Whitehorse, you’ll find the striking sands of what locals call the world smallest desert. The Carcross desert is actually a series of sand dunes, approximately 3 kilometers in length and is host to a number of unique and in danger plants. I found it to be a learning holiday and a cultural oasis for nature lovers.

Exploring the nautical past of Nova Scotia. With more than twenty lighthouses still scattered over the numerous islets and coves between Yarmouth and Halifax, realms of beautiful fishing towns, hamlets, sandy shores and rocky outcrops, it is a place full of history and personality. Follow the trail of lighthouses and along the path, you will find picture perfect period homes and fisherman houses that add so much personality to the area. Not far away, one must also explore Liverpool. Liverpool is my favorite city with the bellowing foghorns, nautical and maritime museum, rich and exciting privateering past.

Cape Breton : This is definitely for the nature lovers who love hiking. In Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, enjoy the footpaths along its coasts, that the visitors and the locals alike love. If you enjoy hiking, then make sure you hike up Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail. It’s an experience you will always remember.

Prince Edward Island : This is the best place to rent a bike and ride along the assorted roads that run along the country. At night, you can always listen to and revel in the concert performances at Prince Edward Island’s Indian stream. Prince Edward Island is beautiful, lovely and gorgeous.

Other exciting places to visit in Canada are the northerly country of Canada, home to several exciting holiday destinations, and comparatively cheap to go to by automobile or airplane. The country of Canada is a giant, a regularly under-estimated source of fantastic opportunities, sights and experiences for world travelers. For the average tourist in Canada, the prices for lodging and entertainment may appear a little expensive, but that also depends on what location you visit. There are lots of bed and breakfasts scattered through the major visitor destinations that you can take advantage off.

Visit Canada and experience its wonderful natural resources and magnificent beauties from the Great Lakes, the Rockies, Natural Parks, Cross Country Skiing, Down Hill Skiing, kayaking, Canoeing, fishing, etc . It’s an unforgettable experience you may treasure forever. I know that I did.

interesting Sites :
Vancouver Resorts Spas
Ontario Resorts Spas.

The Winter olympic games like the Summer olympic games are held once every 4 years. The last Winter olympic games were held Torino in Italy in 2006. This flag is now on display at the Vancouver town Hall where it will remain until the Opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter olympic games. These Winter olympic games that may be known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver and its nearby resort city of Whistler, UK Columbia between February 12th and 28th 2010.

Vancouver’s International airport which is found in Metro Vancouver has direct air links with various major cities around the globe as well as several Canadian towns.

Preparing for the Games

Both the host towns of Vancouver and Whistler have been undergoing intense preparations for the games in the shape of creation of new sporting, transport and infrastructural facilities to welcome the numerous participators, officers, members of the world media and spectators who will be traveling to Vancouver for the games.

Participating Countries

The list of participating counties includes nations having a long practice of winter sports like Austria, Norway, Denmark, USA and Great Britain and also several others nations like Kenya and Thailand who are not typically renowned for their winter sports exploits. In fact, the games will feature many firsts like the 1st time participation of the Western African nation of Ghana. The debutant Ghanaian team will feature 34 year old Ghanian skier Kwame Nkrumah – Acheampong who is sometimes known as ‘Snow Leopard’ and who will be competing in the slalom and giant slalom skiing events. In a similar way the team of the Islamic Republic of Iran will for the 1st time field a girls skier at the 2010 Winter Games.

Sporting Events

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games will feature eighty six medal events in fifteen sporting disciplines. The Paralympic Winter Games will include 5 sports Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Biathlon, Ice Sledge Hockey, and Wheelchair Curling..

many of the 2010 Winter Games venues are located in central Vancouver and include the Canada Hockey Place ( Ice hockey ), Vancouver Olympic Center, ( Curling and Wheel chair Curling ) the Pacific Coliseum ( Figure Skating ) and the UBC Thunderbird Arena ( Ice Hockey and ice sledge hockey ). Venues in Whistler include the Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistler Creekside and the Whistler Olympic Park.

except for these sporting venues, the games will also feature several non competition venues like the BC Place Stadium located in downtown Vancouver that may be the location for the Opening and Closing rites for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Opening ceremony for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

The hosting of the rites in an indoor locale will also help the organizers in conceptualizing, creating and hosting a spectacular show which is rumoured to feature state of the art lighting, projection, sound and CGI effects as well as all types of performers, dancers and athletes who will showcase the colourful history and culture of Canada.

The Games venues can be simply accessed by Vancouver’s wonderful public transport system which consists of public buses, Sky Train ( light train ), Sea Bus ( passenger ferry ) and the West Coast Express ( rail service ). The Canada Line, a new rapid rail service linking the Vancouver waterfront to Richmond and Vancouver global airport will also become functional in mid- 2009 well in time for the games. VANOC wants the Games to be environmentally sustainable and are encouraging spectators to only employ Vancouver’s wonderful public transport to gain access to the numerous events of the Games.

2010 : Vancouver Rental houses for the Olympic games

together with the diverse sports and infrastructural facilities, VANOC is also involved in creating accommodation facilities for the numerous athletes, officers and accredited media personnel for the 2010 Winter Games.

These rates further vary according the dimensions of the home being offered and the proximity of the home to the Games. One bedroom homes in Vancouver now have an asking rate that range between approximately $464 upwards per night while houses with more than 4 bedrooms have an asking rate of roughly $1,500 upwards per night. In Whistler, the asking rates for rental houses is higher as in certain areas there is a deficit of supply and here rates are as high as $484 per bedroom night.

Though this deposit is refundable it noticeably adds to the price of your accommodation at the 2010 Winter Games.

Bill Board Websites jammed and over crammed full of houses will lead to a ton of disappointment for 2010 Vancouver Whistler accommodations.

vacation home rental internet sites also offers a wide variety of vacation rentals but there are internet sites where the owners and the renters are real unlike any other channels who offer houses which are not attested or confirmed. This increases the transparency of the rental process as both the owner and the renter are assured that they’re entering a real agreement. – For first time travelers spending tons of money on accommodations this is something to seriously consider.

How does the rental process at one of the better Vacation Home sites work? Having decided on a rental, the renter then pays the rental fees into a trust account that is maintained by a law office kept by the company. The rental fees are then held in this account to be dispersed to the owner only after the renter has vacated the premises. This process ensures that you are not sending your rental cash to an unknown unverified entity that will misuse the funds and trick you out of your cash. The rental process also doesn’t need you to plunk down a big damage deposit for your rental ; instead all renters have to purchase a $39 insurance plan which covers home owners up to $3000. This rental process instituted by guarantees the interests of both the renters and the homeowners. The method is transparent, trusted and comparatively cheap as well .

The base line here is that if you are just one of hundreds of houses on a domain for 2010Rentals and the site in not being promoted with Facebook, Google, Yahoo, AdWords etc… In countries beyond BC look elsewhere!

There are only a select few places in the world where you can go from experiencing the marvels and relaxation of the ocean to the splendors and recreation of the snowy mountains. Even so, many of the places around the world that do lend itself to this unique vacationing experience have marginal skiing at best. That’s where Washington State in the U.S differs.

The Puget Sound in Washington is a place where the mountains raise up out of the sea to create a truly majestic landscape. By staying in a vacation rental looking out over the ocean in places in like beautiful Camano Island, wonderful skiing and winter recreation is less than an hour and a half away. Mt. Baker, which is known for its incredible parks and hiking in the summer, has some of the best skiing in the state. With an average base almost twice as much as other ski areas, Mt. Baker often has great snow. Its further north up near the Canadian border and is more remote than the ski areas closer to Seattle like Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens. Thus meaning there are less people and smaller lines to contend with. You can uninterruptedly glide through sparcely traversed powder all day long.

Camano Island is a highly suggestible place to stay on the water. It’s similar to the San Juan Islands, although it’s a lot more accessible with no boats or ferries necessary. You can drive on and off the island by car and it is centrally located. There are some spectacular waterfront rental homes with beautiful views looking out over the water towards the very mountains you’ll be skiing on that same day. To wake up to the purple and pink hues of the sun just beginning to rise over the mountains is an inspiring start to your day to say the least. That night after a long day of hitting the slopes, you can relax in a hot tub peering out over the twinkling lights dancing off the rippling waves of the ocean. Yes, such places exist.

Worldwide, there aren’t many places where this full spectrum of experiences can be had. Its one of those things you remember for a lifetime. Going from sea to ski is a unique experience unlike any other. When you travel through such differing landscapes, the range of scenery continually titillates your mind with the simple awe only the best of nature can provide. Your spirit soars free with excitement and stimulation.

Make this year’s winter ski vacation one to remember by getting away to a hidden gem of Western Canada. While the crowds flock to big-brand resorts, you’ll be waist-deep in North America’s best powder with no lines to get in your way of making fresh tracks.

Canada ski vacations have it all: snowy landscapes of mountains, valleys, and glacial lakes; deepest and most consistent snow; internationally known parties and resorts… and the crowds who love them.

So, for a line-free ski vacation this winter, consider one of Western Canada’s lesser known gems. They may not have Whistler’s glitz and glamour, but locals in the know find the best powder here.

Fernie

Where is it? In the Canadian Rockies, a 3.5 hour drive from Calgary International Airport and an hour and 15 minutes from Cranbrook, BC (served by Time Air and Air BC). The town of Fernie is five minutes away.
Why you should go: This world-class ski area is known among locals as the powder capital of the Rockies – the snow is excellent. In addition, the ski area has recently been redeveloped to offer more accommodation (including ski-in/ski-out) and vast new terrain. It features a vertical drop of 2811 ft/857 m, 2500 acres of skiiable terrain on 106 trails, and 348 inches of snow a year.

Sun Peaks

Where is it? In BC’s interior, 4.5 hours from Vancouver along the scenic Coquihalla Highway, and 45 minutes from Kamloops.
Why you should go: Sun Peaks is friendly and fun, with great snow, blue skies, and lots of trails. It features a vertical drop of 2891 ft/881 m, 3678 acres of skiing terrain on 117 runs, with 220 inches of snow a year.

Kicking Horse

Where is it?Above the town of Golden in the Canadian Rockies, 3.5 hours west of Calgary (a scenic drive through Banff and Yoho national Parks).
Why you should go: Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is the Rockies’ newest alpine resort and already gaining notoriety as offering “the champagne of powders,” the lightest and driest snow” , as well as the second longest ski-out in Canada. It features a vertical drop of 4133 ft/1260 m, 2600 acres of skiing terrain over 78 trails, with 275 inches of snowfall a year.

Red Mountain

Where is it? In southern BC just outside of Rossland, 2.5 hours from Spokane, Washington, or 7.5 hours from Vancouver or Calgary.
Why you should go:Known for its powder and terrain over two mountains – Red and Granite – Red Mountain Resort appeals to skiers and boarders alike, and particularly those looking for a thrill. It features a vertical drop of 2909 ft/887 m, 1686 acres of terrain on over 87 runs, and 300 inches of snowfall a year.

Panorama Mountain Village Resort

Where is it? Located on the western slopes of the Canadian Rockies, Panorama is a 3.5 hour drive from Calgary International Airport and 2 hours south-west of Banff.
Why you should go: Panorama has its relatively remote location in the Purcell Mountains to thank for the lack of crowds plaguing other resorts in the Rockies. It features a vertical drop of 4000 ft/1220 m (the highest in the Canadian Rockies), 119 trails and 187 inches of snow a year.

Whether you’re taking to the slopes for the first time, or looking for an expert thrill, these mountains have it all. Fewer crowds mean more time on the mountains, so get outside this winter with these unknown gems.