Similkameen Valley Travel Experiences Guide
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Manning Park | Princeton | Tulameen | Coalmont | Hedley | Keremeos | Cawston Similkameen Valley Travel Experiences Guide British Columbia | Canada | SimilkameenValley.com Play in our mountains and rivers and discover an unbridled wilderness with adventures as wide as our western skies RUGGED. Main image: Paddling Lightning Lake in Manning Park Park near Princeton Inset right: Exploring the mountain biking trails at China Ridge RUSTIC. REAL. Discover the allure of the Similkameen Valley where the opportunities for adventure are larger than you could imagine Main image: The Red Bridge outside Keremeos is an unmistakeable landmark Inset left: During the hot days of summer floating the Similkameen River is a cool place to be RUGGED. RUSTIC. REAL. CONTENTS Twitter: @SimilkameenVall Facebook: SimilkameenValleyBC What’s Instagram: @GoSimilkameen Inside 9 Our Story 14 Similkameen Brown Bridge, Princeton Must Do List! Taste the Similkameen 24 Map 32 Our Communities 34 Food + Wine to Savour 45 Events Family fun in the sun All photography by Darren Robinson © unless otherwise stated. Main image this page: Tulameen Falls near Princeton accessible only by unmarked trails. Front cover main image: The Similkameen River outside Hedley. Front cover inset: Entertainers at The Grist SimilkameenValley.com Mill, Keremeos. Award winning wine country Copyright 2018 © Similkameen Valley Planning Society. A partnership of Black Press, Similkameen Valley Planning Society (SVPS) and Thompson Okanagan Tourism (TOTA). Project Management: Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association Princeton 169 Bridge Street, Princeton, BC | 250.295.0235 Design: Roger Handling terrafda.com Keremeos 417 – 7th Avenue, Keremeos, BC | 250.499.5225 Copywriting: Darcy Nybo alwayswrite.ca Advertising sales, ad design, printing and distribution by: Keremeos Review and Seasonal Information Booth Similkameen Spotlight, divisions of Black Press. Hedley 712 Daly Avenue, Hedley, BC | 250.292.8787 SUPER, NATURAL BRITISH COLUMBIA and VISITOR CENTRE and all associated logos are registered trademarks of Destination BC. Printed in Canada [email protected] 6 | www.SimilkameenValley.com www.SimilkameenValley.com | 7 The Essence Our Story The Similkameen River is the heart of our Valley, here we offer something just a little different. This is our story... Holiday makers play touch football on the beach at Bromley Rock near Princeton 8 | www.SimilkameenValley.com THE ESSENCE OF THE VALLEY OUR STORY Fine Dining in a Relaxed Atmosphere Carved by the River Imagine the tales you’ll that morph into semi-arid tell after a visit to the grasslands. Take your time, Similkameen to experience breathe it in, feel the sun, the history, the places, and and taste the bounty of our the people. Come explore valley. the stunning scenery of The best way to explore this rugged and rustic land is to follow the river that and the welcoming spirit runs through the heart of • Steak of the people. Spread your our valley. It’s where you’ll wings in the Similkameen find us, floating by Bromley • Greek Always photogenic — and uncover local lore told Rock, fishing, picnicking the Similkameen River Welcome by the very pioneers who and relishing the beauty near Hedley • Pasta continue to shape our story. of where we live. We’ve been happy to share it with • Pizza The Heart of Our Valley generations of travellers. Discovery Centre, and from our local experts. Gaze The Similkameen’s raw, We’d love to share it with Princeton’s unique Museum. in awe as you stand under • Homemade desserts natural beauty is a reminder you. Marvel as our curators bring a 100-year-old apple tree. of how powerful water can the past to life. At the Grist Savour the flavours of multi- be. Marvel at this valley History, Legends and Mill and Gardens our stories generational organic farms, • Take Out Available carved by the Similkameen Lore are set to music at their orchards and vineyards. River over 200 million years Legends abound of the summer concert series. The Discover sustainable • Gluten Free Options ago as it made its way down Similkameen First Nation, South Similkameen Museum farming with a tour and the Cascade Mountains. All the Granite Creek Gold Rush in Keremeos has recently lunch at Harker’s Organics around you will see open in Coalmont, and the days been moved. Ask at the in Cawston, or shop at 117 Bridge St., Princeton 250.295.6644 ranchlands and meadows of the Hudson Bay Brigade. Visitor Centre for location Parsons Farm Market in of alfalfa waving in the Listen to our stories unfold and hours. Keremeos. breeze, with craggy cliffs, at the Hedley Heritage See, taste and learn about Our history is steeped in lush orchards, and vineyards Museum, the Snaza’ist the Lower Similkameen exploration and discovery. ➤ A hiker rests while overlooking the Tulameen River just outside Princeton. Social Media Twitter: @SimilkameenVall Facebook: SimilkameenValleyBC Instagram: @GoSimilkameen SimilkameenValley.com 10 | www.SimilkameenValley.com www.SimilkameenValley.com | 11 OUR STORY THE ESSENCE OF THE VALLEY THE ESSENCE OF THE VALLEY OUR STORY Electric Car Charging – 169 Bridge St., EV Plug Recharge your own (J1772), CHAdeMO DCFC, Study up on the Similkameen Nation at the Snaza’ist Discovery Centre in Hedley batteries as your car is being 2 Tesla Model S / Model Xs, charged. Take your time at CCS DCFC ports. a wine tasting or explore Vermillion Fork Restaurant the shops and businesses – 157 Vermillion Ave., Tesla of downtown. There are Model S / Model X ports. Driving the valley is a beautiful trip charging stations throughout the Similkameen Valley. KEREMEOS – LEVEL 2 connect to Hwy 5A, which Most are free, some charge AND DC FAST Getting Here takes you south to the by the hour, others are by Keremeos Municipal Hall, Similkameen. Travellers donation. 702 4 St., CHAdeMO DCFC, The Crowsnest Highway from Calgary, AB can get CCS DCFC ports, $0.35/ (BC Hwy 3) runs straight here from BC Hwy 3A MANNING PARK RESORT kWh. Use the Greenlots through the Similkameen which links the Crowsnest – DC FAST RFID card to activate. Valley. It travels from to Penticton. From the Manning Park Resort, 7500 Clos du Soleil Winery, Manning Park to Osoyoos US, enter the valley at the Hwy #3, CHAdeMO DCFC, 2568 Upper Bench Road, EV in the Thompson-Okanagan junction of Highways 97 and CCS DCFC ports Plug (J1772), Tesla Model S Region of BC’s Interior. The 3 near Osoyoos. / Model X ports. valley is 180 km (112 mi) PRINCETON – LEVEL 2 CAWSTON – LEVEL 2 end to end. Hours to Drive AND DC FAST You can access BC Princeton Plaza, 114 Seven Stones Winery, 1143 Highway 3 from Vancouver, Calgary to Princeton 9 hrs Tappton Avenue, CHAdeMO Hwy 3, Tesla Model S / BC via the Trans-Canada Kamloops to Princeton 2 hrs DCFC, CCS DCFC ports. Model X ports Highway 1 in Hope. From Open 24 hours, $0.35/kWh. Kelowna to Princeton 2 hrs Jasper, AB, drive west on Greenlots RFID or App Find your closest Walk in the footsteps of our food, rodeos and aboriginal Hwy 16 to Hwy 5. Then Vancouver to Princeton 3.5 hrs required. Station ID #33084 charging station online at pioneers, fur traders and Mountain goats can be seen dancers, fiddle players and drive south to Merritt, and Princeton Visitor Centre pluginbc.ca or tesla.com. prospectors. In Princeton, throughout the valley celebrated Canadian names hike the gentle railway and rising acts. grades of the historic Kettle Springtime is rodeo Valley Rail Trail, a part of season, when the dusty air the Great Trail. Create your is alive with the scent of own legends filled with BBQ sauce and bulls at the grit and adventure along Chopaka Rodeo, the Elk’s the wilderness trails of Rodeo, and Princeton’s Stan China Ridge, Manning Park, Thompson Memorial Rodeo. Cathedral Lake Park, and Come see our cowboys in the Hudson Bay Company action. Brigade Trail. Be serenaded at the Grist Mill and Gardens summer Slow Down – You’re in concert series featuring Come and visit any time. Wow to the Princeton Show Canadian name and rising the Similkameen plenty of wildlife live here, ’N Shine. In the fall taste Time moves a little slower acts. Watch as Princeton’s including eagles, deer, elk, your way across the lower Veterans Square Gazebo in the Similkameen. Feel moose, bear, mountain part of the valley at our free to wave as you explore comes alive in summer goats and big horn sheep. In harvest events, sample our with an art and music the valley, we love to wave winter visit Manning Park award-winning wines, and back. Ask for directions, experience every Saturday. for alpine and cross-country sink your teeth into just- Purchase some local art at we enjoy helping people skiing, snowshoe and cross- baked pies made of fruit get to their next adventure. the Sunflower Gallery or country ski the China Ridge picked that morning. the Red Post Art Gallery in We may even tell you a Trails or try ice fishing in bit about ourselves, our Princeton. Celebrate the one of our many lakes. In Connect to Our Arts ancestors, and how we Traditional Music Festival spring our valley blooms and Culture when it hits the streets of came to live in this exquisite with colour and our rodeos valley. Our unforgettable Explore a cultural arts scene Princeton in August, or thrill. Take in countless as varied as the landscapes explore the richness of our experiences may surprise summer events from wine you, but our hospitality of the Similkameen Valley, rural life at Princeton’s festivals to endurance races, bursting with music and Agricultural Fall Fair. won’t. from a First Nations Pow 12 | www.SimilkameenValley.com www.SimilkameenValley.com | 13 ATTRACTIONS SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY MUST DO LIST SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY MUST DO LIST ATTRACTIONS Immerse yourself in the Similkameen River The Similkameen River is the heart Swimming spots on the of our valley.