30th Birthday in Kelowna
I don't ask Jason for a lot, but for my 30th birthday I had asked if we could go away to celebrate. It's a big milestone and I wanted to make it a birthday to remember and be excited to ring it in instead of dreading getting older. Well, it worked. I loved turning 30 and getting to spend the week with my husband was the best! I would have loved to go somewhere tropical, but with Zika and me being pregnant our options were very limited. We decided on Kelowna because neither of us had been and we had heard only good things about it. It ended up being the perfect choice and we had such a good time! It was also a bonus that our friends live there so we had amazing local tour guides to show us all the spots we had to see.
It was the first time we left Everly, which I was dreading, but I left her with my sister and she was so happy playing with her cousins that she didn't even notice we were gone. It made leaving her so much easier! It was also so nice to have time with just Jason - made us feel like newly weds again! By the end of our trip though I was definitely ready to see our little peanut.
We went from Monday - Friday and had perfect weather. The first half of the trip was for exploring Kelowna and visiting with our friends, and the second was for relaxing. The first day we went up Knox Mountain and then explored downtown. We had joked about bumping into Carey Price because he lives in Kelowna and is Jason's favorite goalie. Well of course we were walking down the street and Jason spots him having lunch with his family. Without hesitation he walked straight up to him and introduced himself. His trip was made right then and there. I got to meet his wife Angela as well who I follow on Instagram and she was so sweet! Their daughter is a bit older than Everly and so adorable. That evening we grabbed dinner and watched game five of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The next day we worked out because Jason had to stick to his training schedule, and it was nice to go with him because usually we aren't able to work out together. Then we hiked Pincushion Point, which Amanda made sound easier than it was or maybe we're just not used to mountains. Either way I was out of breath the entire time and working out our legs right before made it even harder. The drive there and the views definitely made it worth it though! Then we went for a well deserved greasy lunch, and got some of the best fries I have ever had. After that we biked around downtown Kelowna, which was top on my to-do list. The weather was perfect, so we stopped by the lake and laid on the grass for a bit. Then we headed to Mission Hill Winery which my dad said was a must-see, even though we don't drink. I am so glad we listened to him. The grounds were so beautiful and we got some spectacular pictures! After that we headed to Earls for dinner, which has such a nice view of the marina and lake. It was a full day and one of my favorites!
Wednesday we worked out, went for a walk through a park in Kelowna, went to August Luxury Motorcars (Jason likes dreaming about Lamborghinis), for lunch at The Jammery which was featured on You Gotta Eat Here! and then Amanda dropped us off at our resort, Sparkling Hill.
Okay so to be perfectly honest usually a place like Sparkling Hill is WAY out of our reach. We aren't big spenders or very extravagant, so even thinking about staying here seemed unreasonable. Luckily though because we went pre-tourist season, we found an amazing deal and were able to make it work for 2 nights! It was what I was looking forward to most about the trip. A time to unwind, relax and sleep in! The sleeping in part didn't really work because we were still on Winnipeg time, but we did get lots of sleep and time to relax. Some highlights were laying by the infinity pool overlooking Okanagan Lake, enjoying the saunas and steam rooms, getting a facial, having dinner overlooking the lake and relaxing in one of their many lounges. The cool thing about the resort is that the entire thing is filled with Swarovski Crystals - 3.5 million to be exact. It was definitely a hotel stay that we will never forget. The staff were all so welcoming and friendly, and the service was impeccable. If you are ever in the Kelowna area you should definitely check it out!
Overall our trip was unforgettable. It was such a good balance of adventure and relaxation. Jason and I get bored with too much down time, so having the balance was perfect for us. Kelowna has the most gorgeous lake, is surrounded by beautiful mountains, has the cutest little downtown, countless wineries and so many activities to get you outdoors. We will definitely be going back with our kiddos in the future!
Best,
Stacey