We are travelling from Vancouver-Calgary with 2 teenage daughters in July for 5 days and would like comments about activities, ranches, accomodation etc.

Hi Jan, <BR> <BR>Sorry I don't have the phone numbers, but your first call should be to the Kelowna based Thompson - Okanagan Tourism Associaton (TOTA). <BR> <BR>I'm sure they can send you some info. on the wonderful Okanagan Region (beaches, lakes, wineries, bicycle tours, sunshine, inner tube float trips, teenage boys....) and the Thompson Region (guest ranches, horseback riding, houseboats, cowboys.... etc.) <BR> <BR>Good luck.... <BR> <BR>Tom <BR> <BR>

Jan...I live in the Okanagan Valley. Here are a few sites to start with: <BR>- www.thompsonokanagan.com <BR>- www.hellobc.com <BR>- www.travelall.com <BR>- www.kelowna.com <BR>- www.sunnyokanagan.com <BR>....or if you REALLY want to do some searching then try "www.dogpile.com" and then type in italics "Okanagan Valley"....it'll give you hours of leads. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask! <BR>- Sandy

If you want a taste of the old days you could visit the O'Keefe Historical Ranch <BR>http://www.okeeferanch.bc.ca/home.html <BR>or, a bit out of the way, a real working ranch, the Douglas Lake Ranch <BR>http://www.douglaslake.com/map.html <BR> <BR>

The okanogan in july can be hectic. I have spent one to two weeks in the okanogan every suumer for about 14 years. We go camping but that doesn't change the activities. If you go north through vernon and up to sicamous, dont miss stopping at dutchman's dairy for the best ice cream on the planet. If you have time for a short diversion, instead of going north from vernon, continue east through Lumby and take the ferry across to Nakusp then to New Denver then to Kaslo then south to Ainsworth hotsprings. The drive is beautiful, and the hotspring is the neatest one I have ever visited. Stay at the Ainsworth hotspring hotel (about $100 cdn) per night. Then the hotspring is included. The hotspring is actually a tunnel into the mountain, that goes back about 50 feet then turns and comes out by the entrance. The tunnels are surrounded by a concrete hot tub. There is a glacier plunge beside this and then a warm pool 10 feet away. Temp in the caves vary from 104-107 deg. the plunge is about 40 deg. and the warm pool about 98 deg. Go from ainsworth south to balfour and take the free ferry to Kootenay landing, south to creston north to cranbrook and then choose between taking the crowsnest pass and approaching Calgary from the south, or go north from cranbrook to radium hot springs over the mountain to castle mountain junction and take the trans canada into calgary. <BR> <BR>Places to eat: <BR>In Penticton or summerland eat at the Chinese laundy. In penticton, sambuca's does great Italian. If you go to the west kootenays and Kaslo do not miss eating atthe bed and breakfast front yard restaurant at the tee at the end of downtown kaslo.(I can't remember the name but if I run across it I will post the name)When you get to Calgary have lunch at Peters drive in for the most food for your buck. Fries are in a huge container, burgers are big and cheap.