Ask my family what our favorite season is, and it won’t be autumn, winter or spring…it’s ‘Camping Season ’! We literally count down to summer each year, and try to cram as many camping weekends in as we can. But our top camping destination is Osoyoos, BC. For the last 5 years we have been making our annual trek to this south Okanagan Valley town – our little summer paradise that friends of ours discovered more than 12 years ago. The laid back friendly atmosphere of this town will surely make you a fan as well.
Osoyoos is located on Canada's only desert - the northern most tip of the Sonora Desert. Situated in the heart of the South Okanagan, and only five minutes from the Canada - U.S border; this town boasts of being the home of Canada's warmest fresh water lake, having the lowest annual rainfall, and the highest average temperatures, and is appropriately called BC's Desert Wine Country!
Each year we stay at Island View RV Resort. Built up on the side of a hill, surrounded by orchards and a neighboring campground with waterslide; this resort offers sites that include power, sewer, cable, and wireless internet. It also provides a private beach/boat launch, air conditioned washrooms with coin showers, beach side ice-cream/snack bar, store, laundromat, playground, and night security.
There are also paved bike/walk paths along the lake that lead you straight to one of Osoyoos’s main attractions; Rattle Snake Canyon Amusement Park. An attraction we are always guaranteed to visit at least twice during our stays, several times if you include ice cream stops. This family friendly amusement park with a western mining theme, offers a variety of entertainment including an 18 hole mini-golf course, a Go-Kart track, an arcade, bumper boats, a bungee tree, temporary tattoo shop, gift shop, swing of century and tilt a whirl style rides…and the best ice cream shop I’ve ever been too! They carry 48 flavors and portions ar
e huge!
Osoyoos has more than 20 wineries within 21 km that offer tours and wine tasting, or possibly a fine bottle of wine to serve with your dinner. For the avid golfer there are a couple golf courses to choose from as well. Water sports are a big attraction here too, many places offer watercraft rentals. Whether it be a large boat for several people to lazily cruise the lake with, a ski boat to tow skiers and ride-on inflatable’s, or smaller crafts like jet skis or sea do’s.
No matter if we are playing in the lake, lazing on the sunny beach, mini-golfing at Rattlesnake Canyon, or touring attractions…we always enjoy each day as it comes. The only disappointment we experience is how quickly the days pass, and soon we find our trip has come to an end….then the countdown to next year begins once again!
Best Regards,
Your fellow avid Arrkann campers,
Joanne, Phil, Kierra & Kaden