Canada, British Colombia – Vernon I

But first we will explore the local nature, in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park. The nature reserve of almost a thousand hectares was established in part to protect the disappearing grassy plains. Kalamalka is named after an ancient Indian chief and is proud to be described as a lake of a thousand colors. Although in reality its palette contains mostly blue, green and turquoise. The lake is formed mainly by deposits of calcium carbonate, which changes color according to temperature. It looks like the lake is changing color with magic, even though there is no magic behind it.

When the sun's rays bounce off calcium crystals in summer, then you can observe the colors of the spectrum green and turquoise. In winter, when the temperature drops, the crystals dissolve and a rather blue color can be seen. This is definitely a phenomenon worth seeing, so we highly recommend placing Lake Kalamalka high on the list of travel priorities.

To make matters worse, Kal Beach is located on the shores of the lake. The local pier is a popular place because from here you can go out and explore the waters of the lake on a boat, go swimming, have a picnic or go fishing. The water in the lake is warm and there is not much depth.

Locals often take their own boats to the lake. In your case, however, you can rent a canoe, kayak or pedal boat. Several kilometers of hiking trails await you in the area, which you can take on foot, by bike or with a good dose of romance on horseback. The best ride is the Okanagan Rail Trail, which runs along the entire lake.

Another point of interest is Davison Orchards, especially if you have small children who think that fruits and vegetables come from the convenience store. Here they learn in a fun way that this is not the case. Children will learn what it is like to work on a farm and how food is made. Try the local Johnny Popper Train, a road train whose wagons are made of apple crates and are pulled by an old stylish tractor. Children adore this attraction and, depending on the season, the train makes different stops depending on what is being harvested.

GPS: 50°16'02.1"N 119°16'04.4"W

Text: Maxim Kucer

Photos: Wikipedia.org: Richvernon, Nurmsook, LN?, Jack Borno, Shaundd