With Champagne powder, wine tasting and world class skiing, SilverStar resort makes for the perfect getaway.
stay: Nestled along the mountainside in the quaint SilverStar village, our rustic-chic room at the Chiclet coloured Snowbird Lodge made for the quintessential ski-weekend escape. Walking distance from all activities and restaurants, and one minute from the hill, it doesn’t get more quaint (or convenient) than this! Treat yourself to a room with a fireplace and a hot tub on the terrace; with a glass of local Pinot and views of the Monashee mountains, it’s après ski bliss. 170 Silver Lode Lane, Silver Star Mountain. 1-800-908-5000. www.skisilverstar.com
do: With over 112 runs—many with moguls and glades—SilverStar offers something for every skier and boarder. Yes, the terrain is world class, but the lineups are short (you can ski right onto the chairlift mid-week). But don’t resign yourself to just one activity a day: do like the locals and spend the morning on the slopes; then cross-country ski, tube, snowshoe or skate in the afternoon. Don’t leave without a spin on a fat bike! 123 Shortt St., Silver Star Mountain. 1-800-663-4431. www.skisilverstar.com/activities-events/mountain
sip: A thirty-five minute drive down the hill, the Lake Country region has made a name for itself on the wine circuit. Located in the hills overlooking Okanagan Lake, the cooler weather and higher elevation than the Penticton area make the soil the perfect home for finicky Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer. We spent the day touring (and tasting) the area’s seven wineries, including winners 50th Parallel, Gray Monk and Ex Nihilo. Ask for a tour of Gray Monk’s stunning private tasting room, where generations of family owners make their business decisions. 1055 Camp Road, Lake Country. 1-800-663-4205. www.graymonk.com
savour: A forty year institution run by a friendly Dutch owner/baker, Bugaboos was the perfect spot to fuel up pre-ski with a fresh croissant sandwich, espresso and a chocolate dipped cream puff. Midday we hung up our helmets to tuck in for jalapeno and bacon mac and cheese at village hotspot the Red Antler. Come evening, a snow cat swept us off to Paradise Camp, a cosy chalet in the middle of the mountain where we dined on local delicacies like tender bison ribs and duck confit while watching snowflakes float down from the picture windows. It doesn’t get more romantic than that! 250-558-6087. www.skisilverstar.com
shop: A forty-minute drive from SilverStar Armstrong (yes, the Armstrong cheese originated here) was the perfect place to stock up on Terroir artisanal cheeses, chocolates and other delicacies at Village Cheese and Chocoliro. On the drive back to SilverStar, we stopped in Vernon at Okanagan Distillery for a tasting of whiskey, gin, vodka and liqueurs made using local apples, cherries, huckleberries, blackcurrants and blackberries. Ask the manager, Rodney, for a sip of craft Absinthe before you stock up on liqueurs to take home. 5204 24th St., Vernon. www.okanaganspirits.com/
— Lise Boullard
