A Mini Guide to Kelowna, BC
Ogopogos, a cool retro motel & vintage shopping galore
Welcome to another edition of Love, Peace, and Tacos, a weekly-ish newsletter where I share what I’m feeling, loving, and eating.
Hi friends,
A few weeks ago, my Mom, sister, and I flew to Kelowna for my Grandma’s memorial celebration.
Even though the weather was unbelievably hot (even for me, a warm weather lover) it was so nice to see my extended family and spend time in a place that’s the foundation of so many core memories.
I didn’t realize how much I missed my family until I saw them. There’s something about being around people who look like you. Seeing bits and pieces of my grandma’s and late uncle’s features in my cousins was so comforting. I didn’t know how much I needed that.
It was also fun to meet their kiddos (some of whom are now full-blown teenagers!) and go for a nostalgic swim in the pool where we spent so much of our childhood.
We also had some time to hang out in downtown Kelowna and see what’s new. As kids, we went to Kelowna to visit our grandparents every summer but I haven’t been back in a decade.
I was kind of nervous to visit. I’d heard from multiple sources that downtown Kelowna had become a shell of its former self, thanks to an ongoing opioid and housing crisis. Expecting the worst, I instead found the downtown to be lively and thriving, with plenty of diverse food options and some damn good vintage stores.
Where is Kelowna?
Good question. Kelowna is a city in southern British Columbia, Canada. It’s in the Okanagan Valley, on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake, surrounded by pine forests, mountains, orchards, and vineyards. It’s about a 5-hour drive from metro Vancouver and home to over 20 local wineries that offer tastings & tours. I always describe the area to my American friends as Canada’s answer to Napa Valley but with more supernatural lake monsters.
Sidebar: if you also enjoy taking edibles and watching Mike Tyson Mysteries (I highly recommend this combination!), you may remember an episode in the second season set in Kelowna. Yes, it’s a real place and so is the Ogopogo (allegedly).
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Hotel Zed in downtown Kelowna. I’m a big fan of this small Canadian chain of retro motels. It wasn’t fancy, but the location was great - right across the street from the park + lake, and around the corner from all the shopping. This Instagrammable hotel also has cool features for guests like a ping pong lounge & roller skates you can borrow.
Joe the Intern and I appreciated the pool and the free coffee in the lobby.
If you want something more bougie, there are some gorgeous lakeside resorts in the area (If I had the coins, I’d love to stay at Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan!)
Where to Eat
My toxic trait is that if there’s a Mexican restaurant nearby, I have to try it. Chilango on Bernard Ave didn’t disappoint. These chilaquiles were as good as the ones I had in Mexico City.
I also recommend Mad Mango Cafe for its affordable pan-Asian eats & incredible mango smoothies. If you want to relive my childhood, stop by Tripke Bakery for Austrian-German treats.
Where to Shop
When I was a kid, the shops in downtown Kelowna mostly sold beach bum attire and Ogopogo-themed souvenirs. In addition to some of the original shops that I was happy to discover are still there, I found some surprisingly hip local boutiques. I also stopped in at one of my favorite independent booksellers.
Mosaic Books. No trip to Kelowna is complete without a stop at this local indie bookstore. They have a great selection of books from diverse authors and a 🔥🔥🔥 clearance section. Since I’m currently on a self-imposed book-buying ban while I work through my TBR shelf, I was “good” and only walked out with one aesthetically pleasing cookbook.
Lost Together. MY NEW FAVORITE VINTAGE STORE. This is one of the most beautifully curated vintage stores I’ve seen in YEARS. I found everything from vintage Moschino and Y2K pieces to stuff from contemporary brands like For Love & Lemons. I scored some beautiful vintage Thomas Sabo charms for my charm bracelet and this sterling silver puffy heart ring from Vancouver designer, Punch.
Shax Vintage. Another new fave! This store specializes in vintage tees and they have an excellent selection, including some rare pieces and local Kelowna finds. I picked up a hyper-local vintage tee (above) from the Packing House pub (IYKYK).
Frock & Fellow. While I didn’t buy anything at this secondhand/vintage store, I loved how beautifully laid out and organized it was. Shoutout to my Mom who found a new pair of Nike Airmax here that she scored for $40.
Ogopogo Giftland. Don’t leave town without grabbing a kitschy souvenir from this shop! Browsing their wares brought me back to my childhood. Don’t be like me, whose biggest regret is not buying one of these plush Ogopogo bag charms.
Have you been to Kelowna? What are your must-dos? I’m already thinking about my next trip to visit family.
PS. ICYMI, there’s a new episode of We’re Never Doing This Again out right now!
Love, Peace & Tacos,
