Believe it or not, I had never visited the West coast of Canada before this year, let alone travelled from beautiful Kelowna to Vancouver. Not only have I aggressively been trying to achieve my 30 before 30 goals, but it’s also way cheaper to fly out of the country than in it in many instances. It’s sad but true.
However, this July I was asked to be apart of an epic journey with Ford Canada to test out their new 2018 Ford EcoSport. You’ve heard me say it before, I absolutely love road trips. What I love even more is when I’m driving a really cool car. We only had a weekend but my sister and I packed it with crazy and fun itineraries. On our way home, we thought it felt like more than two days because we did so much.
The total driving time from Kelowna to Vancouver is just under 4 hours. However, if you really want to take your time in the region and experience what you can, I would recommend setting aside at least a day and a half.
Driving the Ford EcoSport
I’m the first to admit I don’t know a lot about cars. I don’t know how big a fuel tank needs to be to be considered good or what type of engine is a good engine. However, I do know what I like to drive and what I would constitute a good car as an average driver. The Ford EcoSport is by far one of the best cars I’ve ever driven. It was made for people who are obsessed with social media and technology like me. It’s also made for people who want to get as far as possible without filling up on gas and have plenty of room for luggage or extra passengers.
We filled up the car in Kelowna and didn’t need to fill up the car again until we got to the airport in Vancouver. Keep in mind that includes a few detours along the road as well, I couldn’t believe it. You could spend below $70 in gas and get all that way!
The car also pushes the norm with its trunk space. The door opens horizontally like a normal passenger door and has hidden storage space where you can hide your valuables while on the road.
The best part? The connectivity. The two front seats have fast charging USB ports and even plugs in the back for all of the passengers as well. The Ford EcoSport also has car wifi (what?!) and an 8-inch floating touchscreen. Apply CarPlay is connected to the touchscreen which means you can access your messages or music (safely) as you drive.
We never worried about getting lost along the way and that was amazing.
The trip from Kelowna to Vancouver
When we landed on a Saturday morning we wanted to make sure to experience as much of Kelowna as we could before hitting the road the next day. We hopped in our Ford EcoSport and hit the road.
Knox Mountain
We thought the best way to start the road trip would be a little hike with a beautiful view. Knox Mountain, located about 10 minutes outside of the Kelowna core, was easy to get to. There is free parking at the base of the mountain and an easy walk along a paved path to the top. The journey only took us about 40 minutes in total, which of course includes time for photos.
Quail’s Gate Winery
From there we wanted to grab lunch. After such a long journey in we needed a bit of relaxation and fine dining. Quail’s Gate has to be one of the prettiest wineries I’ve ever been to. Set along the water with mountains in the background, you just can’t beat views like that. Plus their restaurant on-site had delicious food. If you’re going make sure to try their truffle fries!
Okanagan Lavender Farm
I used to work for a florist who loves Lavender. In fact, she used to host a Lavender festival every year. Since then I’ve been very interested in Lavender, the smell the taste of it – it’s amazing. Not only that Lavender fields are absolutely gorgeous and so fun to walk around. When I saw there was a Lavender field in the Okanagan region I knew we had to stop in and I wasn’t disappointed. The area is a must-see and very close to the wineries!
Downtown Kelowna
While it’s not a big city, it definitely is a beautiful one. We took a stroll along the waterfront in the early evening and watched all of the kids and adults enjoying the nice weather. There’s a beautiful marina right in the heart of everything, it was really nice to stop and watch for a little.
From there we headed to the rooftop of The Craft for some food and refreshments after a busy day of adventuring. We finished the night with a little bit of ice cream from Moo-Lix Ice Cream Shop. Honestly, I think we were more curious of why there was a huge line than anything.
Ladner Creek Trestle
Early the next morning we got up to start our journey. After checking out of our hotel we headed right for breakfast and then onto the Ladner Creek Trestle. I had found the spot from searching on Instagram and I knew we had to stop there. It’s a bit of a hike to get up to the top but once you get on the path it’s pretty laid out. The entire trip took us about an hour, maybe an hour and a half after getting lost a few times!
Also, thank goodness for the Ford EcoSport in car wifi because the spot is really hard to find. The only way we managed to get there was from this blog post.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Having never toured Vancouver before, the Capilano Suspension Bridge was a must stop for us on the trip. I couldn’t believe the price to get in though (about $50 a person!). We definitely made sure to get our money’s worth by walking along the many different nature paths and enjoy the views from above.
Grouse Grind
I think we massively underestimated how intense this hike was going to be. Just outside of Vancouver, the Grouse Grind is known as natures Stairmaster and for good reason, it was intense. After such a busy day and already having hiked once we were definitely too ambitious. We made it about a quarter of the way up before turning around. For anyone that’s done it before, hats off to you!
Downtown Vancouver
We finally arrived from Kelowna to Vancouver at 6 pm. Hungry and tired from the hikes we quickly changed and head out to explore Yaletown. I had heard Blue Water Cafe was a great spot to eat and we were craving sushi. We got lucky and managed to score two seats at the sushi bar, if you have the chance definitely sit there!
We walked around a bit more in the area before calling it a night and heading to the airport early the next morning.
Where to stay
Kelowna: Hotel Zed
This was a really neat hotel in Kelowna and definitely stands out. Modelled in a 70s style, this converted motel, is ideally located near the water and walking distance from the main streets. The rooms are super colourful which definitely makes for great photos! There’s a pool, free coffee and a badass van to take pictures of out front.
Average nightly price: $115
Vancouver: Opus Hotel
Located in Yaletown and a short walk away from the main Vancouver sights, the Opus Hotel is a great place to spend a night or two during your trip. We absolutely loved the bathroom with full-length windows (of course blinds for privacy when needed) and the beds were super comfortable. The entire stay felt very luxurious, we loved it!
Average nightly price: $250
After this short jaunt, I absolutely can’t wait to go back and stay even longer! We also want to thank Ford Canada for inviting us on this epic trip. It was such an exciting trip to be apart of as the 2018 Ford EcoSport made its way across Canada!
*Thank you to Ford Canada for inviting us on this trip, we were very happy to be apart of something so epic. All of these opinions are 100% my own.
