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Not Luxe ☼ Travel
  • ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL
  • WHY “NOT LUXE”
  • Cambodia
  • Australia
  • Travel
  • Teaching ESL
  • Move Abroad
  • Travel Insurance

Naked Cafe Kelowna

    winter in kelowna

    Things to do in Kelowna in Winter

    by Nick & Raychel January 30, 2021

    Kelowna winter’s are a perfect mix of snow and sunshine, while not being too unbearably cold. Surrounded by mountains and valleys, it’s a great place to go snowshoeing in the wilderness or spend time perusing the local restaurants and lakefront. Kelowna really does have it all! Below, you’ll find 5 things that we love to do in the Kelowna winter.

    We recently made a YouTube video on our channel spending winter in the mountains and the city. Check that out above!

     

    Telemark Nordic Club: Snowshoeing & Skiing

    This is one of our favourite places to spend time at during the winter in Kelowna. Located just on the other side of the bridge from downtown in West Kelowna. About a 35-40 minute drive from downtown up Crystal Mountain, you’ll find the Telemark Nordic Club. 

    The roads are paved up until the parking lots and are typically well maintained meaning that most vehicles can make the trek! 

    After arriving, you will find a short path leading to the lodge where you can rent snowshoes for $13 or cross-country skis for $26 (prices less for children). Grab one of the trail maps and choose between 16 different trails to explore! We recommend Panorama Ridge.

    These trails vary between “easy” and “most difficult” and can most certainly be kid friendly. If you make it early (and if you’re lucky enough) you may get to see some wildlife as well. Once you’re finished, be sure to grab a coffee and a snack form the lodge. 

    snowshoeing during winter in kelowna

    Sledding on Crystal Mountain 

    Just past the Telemark Nordic Club on Crystal Mountain, you’ll find a great little area for sledding, snowboarding or if you’re like Nick, snow-skating! 

    As well as all of those fun outdoor activities, you can find fire pits along the not-so-busy roadside to have a fire and enjoy the warmth surrounded by tons of snow. Please note: past the Nordic Club, the road turns into gravel and is not well maintained so we certainly recommend tire chains as there will be lots of snow. Be sure to bring your own wood – or at least an axe, so you can hike some trails and find some small logs to chop and bring to the fire pits with you. 

    This is a great mountain to bring your family and friends to get away from the city and really immerse yourself in a true Canadian winter!

    sledding at crystal mountain in kelowna

    Hiking at Knox Mountain Park: The heart of Kelowna

    We can’t say enough about how cool this mountain is, as its nestled right in the middle of downtown Kelowna! There are plenty of hikes in the mountains surrounding the city but this one is, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful.

    Knox mountain is a fantastic location for those who may not have a vehicle and want to experience both downtown and a snowy mountain whilst in the city. The city surrounds the south and east sides of the mountain with the gorgeous Okanagan lake lining the north and west.

    There is a drivable road going the majority of the way up but throughout the winter months this is not maintained therefore it is closed. With 7 moderate trails ranging from 2.4 kilometres to 12.5 kilometres in length this is a fantastic place to take a gentle walk along the lake, or really get those steps in with a challenging hike.

    Knox Mountain offers variety for all difficulties and ages. 

    Check out our vlog that includes Knox Mountain Park and a variety of other hikes in the Kelowna area!

     

    Warm up with a vegan hot chocolate at Naked Cafe

     This cute little vegan cafe has a tasty menu filled with bowls, burgers, poutines, desserts and even cocktails, Naked Cafe is a a definite must try during your trip to Kelowna!

    We recommend the feature poutine and the Bahn Mi. This downtown Kelowna gem will be sure to impress even your meat-eating friends. Pop by to warm up with a vegan peppermint hot chocolate and thank us later. 

    Myra Canyon Park & Myra Canyon Trestles

    A Kelowna classic! This is a great spot to bring your family or dog and take a beautiful winter hike through the snow capped trees before circling back to the parking lot. If you’re looking for a longer hike, you can take the trestles trail which is a 12 kilometre long trail featuring 18 Instagram worthy trestle bridges used for the KVR Cycling Company. Don’t worry, this section of the heritage site is no longer in use so you won’t run into any stand-by-me-style train predicaments! 

    If the hike is too long for you but you still want to see some trestle bridges, there’s always an option of driving up Little White Mountain to enjoy the view of the gorgeous escarpment with Okanagan lake peeking out in the background. Just make sure to bring your tire chains as this road is not plowed and will be curvy and slick on the drive up!


    We hope that you find Kelowna as enjoyable in the winter as you would in the summer time! For anybody wondering if it’s worth coming even though it’s winter or snowing, we can assure you that it absolutely is! 

    In the area? Check out our top things to do in Vernon, B.C. Only 45 minutes from Kelowna.

    Thinking of moving to the Okanagan? Check out our blog post Living In the Okanagan!

     

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Nick & Raychel
Nick & Raychel

In 2018, we sold everything we owned and moved to Cambodia to teach English.

Let’s make this clear: this journey didn’t start with money. This journey started with a desire to see the world and to do something different for a change.

We’re not going to fool you with photos of floating breakfasts and private jets. We know what it’s like to be on a budget. Although we like to take pretty pictures, we aren’t going to wake up at an ungodly hour to give you unachievable travel jealousy. We aren’t going to censor ourselves or lie to you.

What we are going to do is stay in cheap hostels, find ways to make money, give the advice that we would want to hear, and share our experiences with you honestly.

Are you in?

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ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL

About Us Hi! We’re Nick & Raychel, the Canadian travel couple behind the brand ‘Not Luxe’. Far before we were married (and on a mission to see the world), we were working…

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Instagram

  • Working to TRAVEL✈️🚐

If you’ve been following along with our vlogs and stories, it will come as no surprise to you when I say that our days are long right now. When we chose to start travelling, we signed up for a work-save-travel-repeat cycle and have been living in for the past 4.5 years. 

We chose this life.
But we still get tired. 

And between fixing up the van, preparing for our next adventure and working full time in that Southern Ontario heat - it’s a lot. But our minds are set on travel, on exploration, on adventure, culture, and learning. So we adapt to the seasons and understand that this point in the cycle is  just that - a season -  and we are so damn grateful to be doing it together.

📍 Traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas.
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Tags: #notluxe #worktotravel #travelcouple #vanlifecouple #traveldiaries #vanlifediaries #travelgram #livetoexplore #vanlifeculture #budgettravel #worktotravel #traveljobs #travelblogger #vanlifestyle #vanliving
  • **CLOSED** GIVEAWAY!! 🎉

We are giving away a Bluetti EB70 portable power bank. Having a power station on hand is a sweet backup for those who are already set up completely for off-grid living and/or a good start for weekend campers looking to try out van or camper van life. We are stoked to have another way to work outside, charge more appliances and get out adventuring.

The winner will win ONE Bluetti EB70 power bank & charging cables. 

Specs:
• 716Wh capacity and 800W rated wattage
• The ultra-stable LiFePO4 battery chemistry,2500+ life cycles
• 4*110V AC outlets, 2*100W PD ports, 2*5V/3A USB-A ports, 2*regulated 12V/10A DC outputs, 1*12V/10A car port,1*15W wireless charging pad.
(Note: does not come with solar panels)
-

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Like this post 
2. Must be following @nickandraychel & @bluetti_official
3. Tag a friend in the comments below (more tags = more entries)
4. Bonus entry - share this post to story for 5 extra entries! 

Open to USA & Canada residents. Giveaway closes on June 22, 2022. 
Winner will be announced on 06/25/22. 

-

Disclaimer: No purchase necessary. Giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram.

The contest period will run from 06/15 to 06/22 2022.

— 

Tags: #vanlifecouple #vanlifeing #notluxe #vanlifediaries #vanlifegiveaway #campinggiveaway #campervan #vanconversion #camperliving #tinyliving #tinyhomeonwheels #tinyhomes #vanlifenewbie #vanlifers #livinginavan #livingoffgrid #offgridliving #vanlifedreams #travelinspo
  • Slowing down 🚐 

The whole appeal of van life and many alternative living options is the freedom to take a go at your own speed.

But sometimes it feels like you just want to see it all.
And we’ve seen SO much in the past twenty months. 

Especially in the past six.

As Canadian travellers, I find that our slow season is the opposite of others. We escape the cold weather and have been abroad for many Christmases and snowfalls. During those times, we’re cliff jumping, waterfall hopping, cruising, skatepark hunting, friendship building…

Then, when lake season rolls around we’re ready to take on a more conventional work schedule, to save up to do it all again.

But we have to tell ourselves to relax, to enjoy the downtime, to take in the peaceful moments just as much as the epic ones. To soak up the sun, to drink water, to slow down.

It’s a constant learning process.

📍Traditional Hohokam, Patayan, and Yavapai land ⁣

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Tags: #vanlife #vanlifeshot #vanlifemeetup #vanlifemoments #vanlifemovement #vanlifemagazine #vanlifestyle #vanlifeculture #vanlifecouple #vanlifeconversions #campulance #campinggirls #campinglife #rvliving #camperlife
  • But how do you SHOWER? 😅

This photo is from the most ridiculous YouTube thumbnail we’ve had to date. We took so many funny photos this day, we couldn’t NOT share. Or maybe we could. Oh well.

But let’s answer the question while we’re at it.

🚿 We primarily go to Anytime Fitness which is a little pricier than Planet Fitness. In our opinion, however, the equipment is way nicer, there are usually less people, they’re all over Canada & the US, it’s open 24/7, and the showers are private.

🚿 When we’re not near an Anytime Fitness (this has only happened one time when we were in Quartzsite), we find a truck stop shower to go to.

🚿 And that’s about it. We bought a camping shower at the beginning of van living and only used it one miserable time.

Do you think a shower is necessary in a van build?

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Tags: #vanlife #vanlifeshot #vanlifeshower #vanlifecamper #campinglife #campingtrip #vanlifebuild #vanlifediaries #vanlifegirls #vanlifetravel #vanlifetravels #vanlifestyle #vanlifeexplorers #campinggirls #outsideisfree #outsideshoot #vanlifeculture #vanlifecommunity
  • We have been doing so much stealth city camping lately that we felt like we needed a break. When we first moved into our van, we set off to Vancouver Island, where we were constantly surrounded by nature - and even though we had no idea what we were doing, it was just easy to be outside.

As you guys know, we’ve lived all sorts of van life. From brick & mortar jobs, to off-grid living, to city dwelling, to full-time travelling. Lately, we’ve seen A LOT of cities and while we’re grateful to have covered so much ground, we knew we needed nature. 

So we nestled ourselves into Starved Rock State Park and reset.
Full video is on YouTube. Link in bio.

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Tags: #vanlife #vanlifecouple #vanlifediaries #vanlifers #vanliving #ambulanceconversion #vandwelling #vandweller #camperlife #campervan #camperconversion #campingbackpack #campinglife #campingtrip #illinois #starvedrockstatepark
  • “The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have” – Anna Quindlen

I can’t imagine committing to being the person I was 5 years ago for the rest of my life. I can’t imagine committing to one mindset or one way of life. 

It would be impossible to put into words how much we’ve changed through travel and meeting people. And as we start to hype ourselves up for our next big journey, we’re excited to dive head first with an open mind. 

Whether you’re building a van, starting a new job, buying a plane ticket, or even walking out of the house every morning - you have no fucking idea what’s in store.

Travel has a special way of changing you. 
And the best thing you can do is allow it. 

📍 Traditional Kumeyaay land
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