My Birthday Surprise

It was a great birthday surprise! We drove south through Enderby, Armstrong, Vernon, Peachland, Summerland and Penticton. I still couldn't guess where we were going. Finally a few hints were offered while we shared lunch in Penticton. "Remember that sign we passed for Resting Turtle?" and "who...who...who?" The hints are always tricky as I try to make my mind work along the same pathways as his but before we continued south I had managed to come up with the name of Burrowing Owl Estate Winery.

Located between Oliver and Osoyoos, it is a beautiful place. Our room was magnificent, overlooking the pool and acres of vineyards. The restaurant offers gourmet dishes with fresh local ingredients. The wines are divine. The breakfast buffet offered everything from mini-souffles to home baked muffins, fresh fruit and granola made by the owner.

The pool had just been filled and we were not brave enough to attempt a swim but the sun did shine during our visit, slowly warming the pool temperature.

As we headed for a walk along the river, we passed the decaying remains of the Haynes Ranch, a local Preservation Project.

Two days later we left Burrowing Owl and travelled north again, visiting several wineries enroute. One of our special stops was at Road 13 Winery where they claim that "It's all about the dirt"! It was too early in the day to really savour wine tasting but we did enjoy the customer relations with their staff member.

At Okanagan Falls we noticed a sign directing travellers to "SYL". Not sure what it was, but curious, we took the small road leading uphill 5 km to the SYL Ranch. Still hesitant, we noticed a sign pointing to a wine tasting boutique in the small stone house. What a treat!! SYL stands for "See ya later" which were the three words that were left behind in the early 1900's when a new bride departed for Montreal after 4 days on the land. The wines are named for the owners dogs. Of course we had to bring back a bottle of

"Jimmy my pal" for our neighbour. A friendly employee suggested that we have lunch at The Dream Cafe in Penticton on our way through.

Located on Front Street, walking into The Dream Cafe is like entering a psychedelic dream! Giant dragon kites are suspended from the ceiling and years of memorabilia decorate the walls. The tables have colourful coverings and the menu is eclectic. Pierre seats us and his daughter takes our order. During lunch Pierre stops by to tell us the story of his establishment and the performances that take place there.

It is an amazing success story. We know that we will return in the summer to hear Hans Theesink or Coco Love Alcorn or Michael Kaeshammer. In November we might be lucky enough to get tickets for a Judy Collins performance. When we are ready to leave, his daughter tells us that there is no bill. Her father is not charging us for our lunch. We find him in the kitchen and shake hands with him, grateful not only for the meal but also for the serendipity that has brought us together. This is a special place, founded by a man with a love for music and good food!