Hi everybody!
Okay, so who else thinks that this summer is just flying by!? I can’t believe it is already the middle of July! Gah – I don’t want it to end. Do you have any exciting holidays or perhaps a few extra longgg weekend getaways planned? Cole and I are all about the extra long weekend getaways in the summer time. It’s amazing how an extra Friday or Monday being added to your usual weekend can just make you feel like you really had a vacation. All in favour of the three-day weekend say I!
So a couple weeks back Cole and I had such an amazing little mini trip up to Kelowna for an extra longgg weekend getaway. It was amazing – we just love to visit the Okanagan, and Kelowna in particular. I managed to get a couple decent shots of the gorgeous scenery up there which I have shared here. But let’s face it I am no photographer so if you have never been, I really recommend you put Kelowna on your list of places to visit, because it is just so stunning.
Alright, so you know that feeling after you try something new, and it turns out so well that you have this moment of clarity when you think to yourself – “why haven’t I been doing this all along?” I’m not sure what this says about me, but I get this feeling a lot – like when I finally traded in my archaic flip phone for an iPhone 4 (I did this pretty late in the game – don’t judge); or when I started eating local fruits & veggies as opposed to imported (I know, what was I doing with me life before); or when I stopped using a pastry cutter to work the butter into my flour when making my pastries (life changed).
All of the above instances are perfect examples of “aha moments,” that pretty much made me question my sanity up until their discovery. I mean honestly, you can’t consider me sound of mind when I was still continuing to use a flip phone when the iPhone 4 was already abundantly available to the world… you just cant. Luckily I have a boyfriend who looks out for my well being when it comes to keeping up with modern technology, because clearly I am a misfit to my fellow members of the technology generation.
So why am I telling you all of this? Well, because during our quick little Kelowna getaway, I had perhaps one of the most intense “aha moments” of clarity in my entire life. Alright – am I being a touch over-dramatic with that last statement?… Perhaps. It’s just that I still have so much residual excitement left over about our little discovery that I simply can’t contain my enthusiasm. I know, I know – what else is new, right?
So what exactly was this earth shattering “aha moment,” which I am so emphatically referring to? Well it went a little something like this… “Why in god’s name have we been paying for over-priced and – (I have to say it) – underwhelming hotels, when I can just as easily spend my vacation days in luxury Bed & Breakfast accommodations like the Teehouse Bed & Breakfast in Kelowna?!!” The answer to this question is once again fairly obvious – I clearly haven’t been of a sound state of mind up until now ;p
Seriously, why has the secret of these amazing B&B’s never been shared with me?? Scratch that question – I know exactly why. It’s because all of the savvy B&B travelers of the world want to keep these amazing Bed & Breakfasts as their own little secret, so that in turn they don’t have to share these hidden gems with the rest of the wold. Am I right? Hmmmm…. I like the way you think my fellow B&B lovers…. too bad I can’t keep a secret like this to save my life – So I will be sharing all of the wonderful details of our phenomenal stay at the Teehouse B&B last week with all of you lovely readers 😀
Let me kick of this story with a few words about the wonderful owner of the Teehouse B&B – Lynda Wan. Honestly, how does a girl put into words an adequate description of this fabulous woman? I’m not the greatest with words, but I will give it a shot.
Upon our first steps into the Teehouse B&B we were greeted by Lynda’s bright smile and her adorable Labrador Sultan. Side note – yes, there was a dog on the premises – I mean honestly need I say more? Lynda then wasted no time all before she invited us into her gorgeous home. We had just enough time to plop our bags down on the floor before she proclaimed, “it’s 5:30 – and in this house at 5:30, we have a drink.” She the proceeded to pour us a glass of Okanagan white wine. Again, need I explain further about how cool this woman is? A-MA-ZING.
Once we had finished our glasses of wine, and had a fairly substantial chat because she is virtually the easiest person to talk to ever, Lynda showed us to our suite. I’m sure you can guess by this point that the suite was nothing short of spectacular. Everything from the layout of the bedroom to the decor was absolutely stunning. Not to mention, the ensuite had to have been the most luxurious bathroom I have ever stepped foot in. I wont go into too much more detail because I think you get the gist, but I will say this…. there were body jets in the shower, and the bed we slept on was a Donna Trump bed – (aka the most comfortable bed of all time) – Once again, need I say more?
So after virtually the most sound sleep of my life on the Donna Trump bed, I awoke to the sweet, sweet smell of Lynda cooking breakfast downstairs, and I was pretty much certain that I was in heaven. When we leisurely made our way downstairs for breakfsat at 9am there was Lynda, cooking away in her stunning kitchen and looking so calm and cool despite the fact that she was making breakfast for 4 strangers that morning. Once again she wasted no time offering us a pot of fresh french pressed coffee – Seriously french pressed…. fugget about it.
Lynda is the true embodiment of the “Okanagan Lifestyle.” She is so laid back, relaxed, and just plain makes everything she does look like a breeze. Case in point… her homemade Dutch Pancakes, which are featured in the photograph below. I mean honestly look at that beauty – clearly my healthy diet went straight out the window when I was in her home and you know what? I don’t care! It was beyond worth it, because this Dutch Pancake was To. Die. For.
If I could have one wish granted, it would be for everybody to taste her dutch pancake – this dutch pancake could end wars. It was so unbelievably delicious, and in true Lynda fashion, she made making them look absolutely effortless. So after the best sleep, shower, coffee, and breakfast of my life… I think it is safe for me to say that the Bed & Breakfast vacationer life is for me.
Oh and Lynda – missy, you are officially my idol. <3<3
So apart from the amazing host, accommodation and breakfasts; another fantastic thing about staying at a B&B was having the opportunity of getting to know all of the other guests during our stay. I loved getting to know the other guests who were staying at the Teehouse B&B so much. Staying in hotels, Cole and I had never really had the opportunity to engage with fellow guests, but at the Teehouse, it was a completely different story – Every body was so friendly and open. It was so interesting to hear everybody’s story, and to share in the joys of their sunny Okanagan vacations.
During our stay we were lucky enough to meet another couple from the greater Vancouver area. We had so much fun chatting with them over Lynda’s delicious breakfasts and in the evenings when we would return to chill out on her fabulous deck overlooking the golf course. My new friend – we will call her D – was a self proclaimed “amateur photographer” (although I don’t think she was amateur at all,) and we had a blast chit chatting about our food photography en devours.
Lynda was even kind enough to offer us her kitchen and invited me to bake a batch of Cherry Almond Scones for her guests on the second morning of our stay – Talk about making yourself at home! She gave me free range of her stunning kitchen and she even insisted on buying all of the ingredients for the scones – including the most delicious local cherries I have ever tasted in my life. Are you starting to see why I am so smitten with this woman? She is just on a whole other level of fabulous.
D had no troubles getting some absolutely stunning shots of us baking up the scones, and I am just so in love with them that I wanted to share some of them with you here.
See what I mean about D calling herself an “amatateur” photographer …. Please, I see no amateur. I am in LOVE with these photos! I feel so lucky to have had the chance to meet her, and that she was kind enough to offer to take the pictures and send them to me when she got home. Thank you so much D for this wonderful gift ! <3 <3
Now I’m sure after looking at these drool worthy photographs of the Cherry Almond Scones, you are probably itching for the recipe right? In case this is your first visit to the site and you aren’t sure where to find it in my recipe archives, please click here for the complete recipe :):)
Now – Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Sultan is literally licking his lips at the Cherry Almond Scones in front of him in this picture … Best. Dog. Ever. And yes, Sultan is with the beautiful and wonderful owner of the Teehouse B&B Lynda.
I love this shot.
I am being completely honest with you when I say that Cole and I were more than a little nervous about this whole B&B situation to say the least. We kicked off this Kelowna adventure as total and complete B&B virgins and we really had no idea what to expect about our stay. However, after spending just two short nights in Lynda’s fabulous home, sleeping in her unbelievably comfortable beds, being served abundant amounts of free wine, fresh french pressed coffee, and feasting on her glorious breakfasts…. We are one hundred percent converted.
Lynda, you have successfully managed to turn us into Bed and Breakfast travelers for life. In fact, I think that from now on, when we are travelling we should probably refer to ourselves as “The Savvy B&B’ers” …. what do you think? I feel like Cole may have some objections to this, but we won’t worry about that right now 😉
In all seriousness though, when planning future trips the first thing I am going to look into are the areas local Bed & Breakfast options, because it really made the experience of our trip so much richer and so much more fun. If you have never stayed in a Bed & Breakfast, I really encourage you to give it a try, and if by chance you happen to be heading up to Kelowna for a trip, I cannot say enough good things about the Teehouse B&B, and If you can, make this your next B&B adventure.
I was seriously heart broken when it came time for Cole and I to pack up and leave the Teehouse B&B. I could have stayed there with Lynda, chatting, drinking wine, eating and baking up a storm forever. Not to mention a girl could really get used to this kind of easy, laid back, relaxed Okanagan life style 😀 I mean don’t get me wrong, I love my Vancouver lifestyle too, but there is just something so casual and calming about Okanagan living that just lures you in and makes you want to settle in. My eyes have been opened to a wonder of new possibilities, like maybe one day opening my own B&B on the banks of the Okanagan Lake in Kelowna. Ahhhh yes – a girl can dream… after all, where would we be without our dreams?
Happy summer vacationing lovelies!
KP xoxo
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