More Okanagan Valley on a beautiful day.



A little more beauty to share tonight. After finishing my classes in Summerland, we had one more day to explore, and it turned out to be a day of awesome weather. Here's a view over the lake in Osoyoos, probably the southern-most city in British Columbia. It is dry there, as this area is part of the Sonoran Desert, stretching up from Mexico.

Ever since I saw a TripAdvisor report talking about Spotted Lake, I wanted to go there, and we did.  It is a bit east of Osoyoos, along Highway 3. Access to the lake is restricted since it is a sacred site to the Okanagan Syilx people, who believe the waters of the lake have healing power. It is also an amazing natural wonder. 

According to Wikipedia, the lake has a high concentration of minerals such as magnesium sulfate, calcium and sodium sulphates. Most of the water in the lake evaporates over the summer, leaving behind all the minerals (the white rims around the spots you see).

You can see the lake very well from beside the road, and a construction project is underway to build a viewing deck.

There is beautiful scenery all along Highway 3 as you keep heading east.

We headed back toward the lake, past more vineyards 

and orchards.

If asked to describe the Okanagan Valley, I would say it is the Tuscany of Canada, minus the ancient buildings.