field notes: okanagan lake

your next long weekend trip should be to canada's wine country

i love living in british columbia. four seasons, fresh water, crisp air, juicy peaches, fat forests, sun and snow. we have islands and mountains and desert and ocean, i’m aggressively biased but i think it's the most beautiful province. if you’re in the midst of planning a summer getaway (esp my american friends! the exchange rate works in your favour xoxo) consider BC, and zoom in on a region called the okanagan. this valley boasts over 100 lakes and is home to the ​​syilx okanagan nation. it’s known for it’s orchards and vineyards and being the choice destination for NHL players to buy vacation homes (don’t let that deter you). while there’s wine tours and lakefront restaurants and boats to rent and golfs to course, that’s not what i’m here to talk about. i’m here to wax poetic on my preferred remote weekend getaway on okanagan lake.

on accommodations: nestled against the lake, picker's keep cabin is a restored 1920’s apple pickers’ cabin, passed down through multiple generations. it’s private and quiet and my new favourite spot in the region. there’s endless charm in the form of sloped floors, a wood burning fireplace, brass taps and weathered bricks throughout the interior. upon arrival the air was perfumed with incense and cold cans of barbet chilled in the fridge, begging to be sipped. the bed was dressed in cozy linen, the kitchen well equipped, sangre de fruta adorned the lake view shower and there was a generous smattering of vintage framed photos and oil paintings. the cabin had everything you could need and nothing you didn’t, intentional is the word that comes to mind.

on meal planning: simple comfort food was my meal strategy for the weekend and it was a successful one. each morning started with coffee, probably more than i would drink at home. made in a french press, i sculled my caffeine out on the dock, as i watched the sun flirt with the sky. i made citrus cinnamon granola the day before leaving, which was enjoyed with okanagan peach yogurt. there were bagels and local cream cheese topped with avocado and tomatoes, bacon and eggs were packed but remained untouched. zeke’s lunch was focaccia from sprout bakery, topped with pesto, sharp cheddar, lemony greens and sliced apple. i opted for sourdough ryvita crackers and calabrian chile and olive oil packed tuna, veggies and fruit, eaten standing at the weathered wooden island. time doesn’t exist in a place like this, most dinners eaten after 10pm, most coffee before 7am. on the first night i made pizza and a green salad, night two was brown butter mushroom pasta topped with lemon and lots of pecorino. i opened a bottle of motor callet, a floral, highly drinkable natural wine from spain. we had it chilled, watching marie antoinette in bed as an evening storm snaked it’s way across the sky.

on getting dressed: it’s best to pack for all elements when vacationing by the water, the skies can be temperamental at times. while the sun shone for an entire day, there were still two rogue bouts of rain and a few lucky rainbows. my most worn items included: this baby blue henley, red striped sezane mariniere, my vintage real trees quarter zip, red checkered oddli pants, zeke’s blue arc’teryx toque and this olive ribbed tank.

on entertainment: remote cabins often mean laggy wifi - remember that. i would recommend downloading some movies beforehand, maybe throw in an audiobook and a couple playlists while you’re at it. marie antoinette was a good choice. next time i’ll download place beyond the pines, aftersun, waves, or parthenope because i like to watch beautiful and sad things. the cabin comes equipped with games, so you could play scrabble or strip poker or go fish. the lake is refreshing for a swim or a paddle board or a late night skinny dip. personally, i posted up on the dock one morning and read the only one left by riley sager and it was the perfect way to spend a few hours. this would be a great place to start journaling.

on beauty: i wore good weather skin spf religiously, it layered well with my skincare and didn’t pill under tinted moisturizer. i regularly dosed myself in rose water, and my osea atmosphere protection cream was never out of reach - i’m on my 6th bottle and swear by it as a daily moisturizer.

on packing out: a couple valuable final notes! the cabin is remote, i would recommend packing everything you need for your stay and then ‘hunkering down’ as my father would say. having a 4x4 vehicle is highly recommended, keep in mind that schlepping is involved so wear shoes you can navigate rocky paths in.

there’s so much more i could say about the okanagan as a whole, and i will! field notes for my fav restaurants, stores, and coffee shops coming later this season.

*thank you picker’s keep for gifting me my stay <3 i wouldn’t recommend it if i wouldn’t spend my own money on it*