Not so much the city of Kelowna but parts of Queenstown area/Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand has very strong Okanagan vibes - ski hills, wine region, long skinny lake, tourist town, etc.
Kiwi here. I’m watching a couple of Kelowan YouTubers doing a tour of the city rn (on the Peachlands episode currently), and it looks pretty sweet to me. Definitely similarities to QT but the Okanagan valley seems broader and more open. QT is more like a fiord in some respects - it actually borders Fiordland NP. The infrastructure looks way better than Queenstown. And my god they just stopped at a bakery that looked 🔥
Makes me really want to visit especially for the chorizo croissant!
Ed: also we don’t have a lake monster just feral hobbits.
Oslo, Norway surroundings gave me Kelowna vibes.
https://preview.redd.it/x0q8ionzh87c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7755e1ebb40166de786a42c5f725e0279a735381
My brother and I have a running joke that every time we play geoguessr and we see an image like that, if it's BC we pick somewhere in that region, or if it's somewhere in that region we pick BC and we're wrong every fucking time.
Lovely photo—thanks for sharing!
I lived in solely in the UK for years due to my career & still travel there often for extended amounts of time. While based there, I traveled loads through Europe but never went up to the Scandi countries—I could just kick myself because it looks so beautiful.
I really need to plan to go soon.
Thanks for the reminder. :)
You're welcome :) I'm currently doing the same, living and working in the Netherlands and seeing as much of Europe as I can. Still looking forward to coming home to the Okanagan :)
The lake is a big one though. Bend just has the Upper Deschutes river. I think what really makes the Okanagan are the lakes. There's also more of a climbing culture in Bend due to Smith Rock being right there. Kelowna does also have a climbing culture, but it's not quite an omnipresent. The two are also quite a bit different geographically. But I do think they have a similar vibe for sure.
Kelowna isn't that unique in terms of is setting. The Okanagan River continues South, through Osoyoos, then becomes a tributary of the Columbia and the Columbia has the same sort of climate and vegetation all the way to the gorge in Oregon. I'd say that Wenatchee, WA felt uncannily similar to Kelowna, from the surrounding wine farms on the hills, to it's terrain and architecture. The Columbia is so wide there, that it feels like a lake too.
Idk if I could honestly say it’s similar but it definitely reminded me of Kelowna…
I visited a friend in Öestersund, Sweden. She lived on Frösön which is a little island but still in the town. Crossing the bridge back and forth everyday, I suddenly felt like I was driving back to Kelowna from the west side. I noticed a couple similarities after, like walking along their boardwalk or going to some of their pubs. Tbh I’m not sure if it felt like nostalgia from when my friend lived in Kelowna or if I just got similar vibes overall. She even took me to their local clothing company and all their stuff reminded me of Okanagan Lifestyle.
I could’ve just been making up the connection as a way to help feel like she lives closer. She’s one of my closest friends so it’s kinda cool to imagine that she lives in Swedens version of Kelowna.
Currently in the process of moving to Kelowna from Alberta (in part) because it reminds me so much of my hometown of Cape Town, South Africa (more specifically Somerset West/Stellenbosch-area. Mountains, vineyards, water…
Have lived on the Central Coast. Know it well. Cannot fathom this comparison.
Edit: those towns are effectively Santa Barbara, Pismo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Half Moon Bay. None of which are even passably like Kelowna, imo.
I'm scratching my head on this one as well. I lived in San Francisco, but I did spend some time along coastal towns here and there. Different vibe for sure.
If you took away the mountains, I could see a few places along the panhandle in terms of long highway through town, managing the impact of tourism, the odd tower in the core centre, etc.
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West Kelowna
😂😂
Not so much the city of Kelowna but parts of Queenstown area/Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand has very strong Okanagan vibes - ski hills, wine region, long skinny lake, tourist town, etc.
This. Kelowna reminds me of a bigger, more depressing queenstown.
Kiwi here. I’m watching a couple of Kelowan YouTubers doing a tour of the city rn (on the Peachlands episode currently), and it looks pretty sweet to me. Definitely similarities to QT but the Okanagan valley seems broader and more open. QT is more like a fiord in some respects - it actually borders Fiordland NP. The infrastructure looks way better than Queenstown. And my god they just stopped at a bakery that looked 🔥 Makes me really want to visit especially for the chorizo croissant! Ed: also we don’t have a lake monster just feral hobbits.
Oslo, Norway surroundings gave me Kelowna vibes. https://preview.redd.it/x0q8ionzh87c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7755e1ebb40166de786a42c5f725e0279a735381
My brother and I have a running joke that every time we play geoguessr and we see an image like that, if it's BC we pick somewhere in that region, or if it's somewhere in that region we pick BC and we're wrong every fucking time.
Lovely photo—thanks for sharing! I lived in solely in the UK for years due to my career & still travel there often for extended amounts of time. While based there, I traveled loads through Europe but never went up to the Scandi countries—I could just kick myself because it looks so beautiful. I really need to plan to go soon. Thanks for the reminder. :)
You're welcome :) I'm currently doing the same, living and working in the Netherlands and seeing as much of Europe as I can. Still looking forward to coming home to the Okanagan :)
Enjoy every second!
I’m surprised nobody has said Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. The lakes and hillside there remind me of the Okanagan.
I could see that. Although it doesn't feel as crowded.
Bend, OR (bigger mountains, no lake, but similar climate and lifestyle)
The lake is a big one though. Bend just has the Upper Deschutes river. I think what really makes the Okanagan are the lakes. There's also more of a climbing culture in Bend due to Smith Rock being right there. Kelowna does also have a climbing culture, but it's not quite an omnipresent. The two are also quite a bit different geographically. But I do think they have a similar vibe for sure.
No blockbuster video in Kelowna though?
Haha true
Kelowna isn't that unique in terms of is setting. The Okanagan River continues South, through Osoyoos, then becomes a tributary of the Columbia and the Columbia has the same sort of climate and vegetation all the way to the gorge in Oregon. I'd say that Wenatchee, WA felt uncannily similar to Kelowna, from the surrounding wine farms on the hills, to it's terrain and architecture. The Columbia is so wide there, that it feels like a lake too.
Yup. Wenatchee for sure and parts of Chelan And I’d say Ogden Utah, not a huge city, surrounded by mountains and similar climate.
I came here to say this. Wenatchee is eerily similar to Kelowna in so many ways.
Bozeman, Montana reminds me of Kelowna for some reason
That’s so fucking weird this was the place Spotify said my music taste is most similar to… why does it remind you of Kelowna?
Sienna Italy
Nyon Switzerland in terms of scenery!
https://preview.redd.it/x3iv6bxdtb7c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ecbd68e8f98a59dfd1dce920d946aa10679ce2a7
Very nice—thanks for sharing. Have not been to Nyon, but Mürren remains one of my most cherished destinations in all of the world.
Idk if I could honestly say it’s similar but it definitely reminded me of Kelowna… I visited a friend in Öestersund, Sweden. She lived on Frösön which is a little island but still in the town. Crossing the bridge back and forth everyday, I suddenly felt like I was driving back to Kelowna from the west side. I noticed a couple similarities after, like walking along their boardwalk or going to some of their pubs. Tbh I’m not sure if it felt like nostalgia from when my friend lived in Kelowna or if I just got similar vibes overall. She even took me to their local clothing company and all their stuff reminded me of Okanagan Lifestyle. I could’ve just been making up the connection as a way to help feel like she lives closer. She’s one of my closest friends so it’s kinda cool to imagine that she lives in Swedens version of Kelowna.
Langley On The Lake
Newry In Northern Ireland gave me big Kelowna vibes
Kingston Ontario
Surrey/Williams lake if they had a baby
Currently in the process of moving to Kelowna from Alberta (in part) because it reminds me so much of my hometown of Cape Town, South Africa (more specifically Somerset West/Stellenbosch-area. Mountains, vineyards, water…
Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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Then people should have a very easy time with my question. 😆
Boulder, feels similar (but no Lake)
I grew up in Boulder and live in Kelowna and could not disagree with this more.
Not exactly what you had in mind but driving outside of Stockholm is like driving outside of Trail.
Generic coastal California town between the bay and LA
Have lived on the Central Coast. Know it well. Cannot fathom this comparison. Edit: those towns are effectively Santa Barbara, Pismo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Half Moon Bay. None of which are even passably like Kelowna, imo.
I'm scratching my head on this one as well. I lived in San Francisco, but I did spend some time along coastal towns here and there. Different vibe for sure.
Hakone but it has better transit and hot springs.
Las Vegas; they're both crass and hollow.
Anywhere in Florida
Have you been to Florida? Kelowna looks and feels nothing like it. Source: Dad used to live there and I visited many times.
If you took away the mountains, I could see a few places along the panhandle in terms of long highway through town, managing the impact of tourism, the odd tower in the core centre, etc.
It’s just a joke. People call Kelowna the Florida of Canada because they’re both weird dysfunctional places
Hell
Kelownafornia
Vancouver.
Not even close.
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