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Vernon
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The beach scene is less frenetic in
VERNON
than elsewhere in the Okanagan. Located at the junction of Hwys 6 and 97 near the northern edge of Okanagan Lake, the town attracts fewer of the bucket-and-spade brigade, though the emphasis on fruit and the great outdoors is as strong as ever, and the main highway through town is bumper-to-bumper with motels, fast-food joints and ever-more garish neon signs. On the whole it's easier to find a place to stay here than in Kelowna
- but there are also fewer reasons for wanting to do so.
Downtown Vernon centres on 32nd Avenue (Hwy 97) and leaves a far more gracious impression than the town's outskirts by virtue of its elegant tree-lined streets and five hundred listed buildings. The locals are an amenable and cosmopolitan bunch made up of Britons, Germans, Chinese and Salish natives, plus an abnormally large number of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose churches seem to have a virtual monopoly on religious observance in the town. The local museum , by the clock tower at 3009 32nd Ave, does the usual job on local history (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; closed Mon in winter; donation). At the southern entrance to town, Polson Park makes a green sanctuary from the crowds, but for beaches you should head 8km south of Vernon to Kalamalka Provincial Park , which features a stunning blue-green lake. Kin Beach on Okanagan Lake west on Okanagan Landing Road is another good spot. Both have adjoining campsites.
Other outdoor recreation (but not camping) is on hand at
Silver Star Recreation Area
, a steep 22-kilometre drive to the northeast on 48th Avenue off Hwy 97, where in summer a
ski lift
(late June to mid-Oct daily 10am-5pm; $7.50) trundles to the top of Silver Star Mountain (1915m) for wide views and meadow-walking opportunities; the most-used trail wends from the summit back to the base area. This is also a popular mountain-biking route - Monashee Adventure Tours (tel 1-888/762-9253) rents out mountain bikes from the hostel
and offers guided tours all over the Okanagan. If you want an eagle's-eye view of the area call Paraglide Canada (tel 308-0387,
www.paraglidecanada.com
; $100 per person) for a tandem ride from the top of the mountains. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Canada,
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