When this trip came together in March and when I saw this sweet little romper on sale I knew instantly that I wanted to wear it to my first winery outing. Within minutes I had my outfit picked out in my mind for the event, straw bag (which I didn't have at the time), my Guess sandals (for steady feet), straw hat (which I skipped), chunky Vega H & B necklace, and a shawl or denim jacket if there was a breeze, but what I've discovered that this romper actually looks fabulous with my stark white blazer. All items linked below.
My sister wanted my girls to come out west for a visit and spend some quality time with them. Be still my heart. The girls ended flying alone out to BC, while Logan and I made a mini-vacy out of the drive out to meet them. We rarely go places without the girls, it just hasn't been our life thus far, so we took the opportunity to do a few adult-ish things. Our first event was hiking in Lake Louise up to the Tea House. A moderate hike that we were able to do in 50 minutes, but most people take 1-2 hours depending on fitness levels. It's worth the climb to be able to the see Lake Agnes, with snow still glistening in the midst of beautiful, lush greenery. The climb is busy, a tourist attraction, but yet you feel completely alone and at peace. A fun fact, the staff who work at the Tea House have to do the climb up and down each day and also have to carry the garbage down from the Tea House. All the food supplies is brought in on a helicopter or brought up by the staff.
In Kelowna we stayed with my high school friend, Carling, and her darling little family, which is a whole different post. My one big wish was to visit some of the wineries because I've never had that opportunity and I really wanted to enjoy and experience it without kids. We picked two to check out, Quails Gate and Mission Hill. Our first strop was Quails Gate and it's beautifully manicured estate, full of bright flowers and lush gardens for you to stroll through. It makes you feel homey and at easy. You go around the back to walk between the vines to a stunning view overlooking the river. We also had lunch in their restaurant, which is rated #1 in Kelowna. We each ordered steak and paired it up with their Merlot that was recommend (we also bought several bottles). After lunch we indulged in some wine sampling and walked away with several bottles of Merlot, Gewurztraimer, Pinot Grio, and Rose. I would highly recommend this winery.
Next we went over to Mission Hill. I love their wine and I was so excited to go to the winery. Upon driving up to their grounds, I was super impressive, with their tall clock tower overlooking most of the Okanagan. The paved path is lined with sculptures and modern art. The wooden doors are impressive and catch your eye immediately. The store is decked out with accessories, pictures of Will and Kate's royal visit in gold plated frames everywhere, cookbooks, wine, etc. Impressive but pretentious in my opinion. You aren't allowed to walk beyond the paved area, which really takes you less then 5 minutes to walk through and then you can do the wine tasting. We did have a tour booked which was just okay, we went into the cellar but didn't really learn about the wine making business. Overall I don't think I'd return as I felt there was little to do or see but it is very impressive. Next time I'd like to check out Cedar Creek and Summerhill wineries.
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Our days in the car, driving through the mountains were incredible. For the first few days we talked off and on but also enjoyed the silence. We listened to one audio-book and began another one. We made new memories for us to talk and reminisce about for years to come. On our way home, we had our sweet girls and experienced lots of fun family things in BC and Alberta, stayed tuned for details!
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