Kelowna

Sand and a promenade follow the lakefront below downtown, where a green statue of Ogopogo, the lake monster, doubles as a climbing frame. By summer afternoons the water has warmed up and plenty of people swim right beside the city centre.

Where the old Kettle Valley Railway wound around the canyon walls, 18 wooden trestles and 2 tunnels are now crossed on foot or by bike. The 2003 wildfire burned 12 of the trestles, which were rebuilt, and bikes can be rented beside the car park.

A winery built like a monastery on a rise to the west of the lake, its bell tower hung with bells cast in France. Tastings and tours need booking by time slot, and on summer weekends they fill days ahead.

A mountain climbed straight from downtown's northern edge; about 30 minutes on foot reach a lookout over the lake, the bridge and the city. The rocky slopes have almost no shade, so midsummer hikers start in the early morning, ahead of the heat.

A provincial park across the water on the western shore, where a stepped trail climbs a canyon cut by the creek beside a gravel beach. The beachside campground is full all summer, and spots go the moment bookings open months ahead.

An abandoned rail bed turned into a level cycle path, running from Kelowna north to Kalamalka Lake. The Kalamalka stretch, where the water is jade coloured, draws the biggest crowds, and with almost no gradient plenty of bikes carry children.

A heritage steam train running part of the old line from Summerland to the south, through orchards and vineyards and over the high Trout Creek trestle. It runs on set days in summer, and some dates add a staged train robbery.

A ski area an hour east by car, where dry powder clings to the trees and freezes into "snow ghosts". Most lodging sits right on the slopes, so skis go on at the front door and you glide straight down.

A bridge of concrete pontoons floating on the lake, opened in 2008 to replace the old floating bridge. The lake bed is deep and soft, so it floats instead of standing on piers, with only the west end raised high enough for big boats to pass.

Each Wednesday and Saturday morning, spring to autumn and all through summer, dozens of Okanagan orchards and farms set up stalls at this market. In cherry season the best boxes go early, and by afternoon most of the stalls have cleared away.

A winery that ages its wine inside a scaled-down pyramid built to the proportions of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The vineyard is certified organic, and the terrace restaurant overlooks Okanagan Lake.

A winery on the lakeside slopes of Mount Boucherie in West Kelowna, known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Allison House, a log cabin built in 1873, still stands on the grounds.

A farm on the hills southeast of Kelowna growing dozens of lavender varieties, at its deepest colour from late June through July. Paths between the rows look toward the lake, and the shop sells lavender honey and soap.

A small farm in Lake Country to the north where visitors hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies. It draws many families with children; weekends get crowded, while weekday mornings stay calm.

A mission founded in 1859 by the French priest Charles Pandosy, the first European settlement in the Kelowna area. A log chapel and a few cabins remain, open in summer.