Things to Do in Penticton

Golfers of all stripes can groom their game at the Doc's Golf Centre’s driving range and 9 Moons Pitch & Putt course. With most holes measuring 100 yards or fewer, 9 Moons Pitch & Putt helps players hone their short games as they wedge their way to birdies and pars. For most golfers, a full nine-hole round takes less than an hour, freeing up daylight for them to continue building a robot caddy. At the 20-stall driving range, players can swing from grass hitting bays or one of 10 synthetic turf stalls. CPGA professional John Ferrier teaches lessons at Doc's Golf Centre's outdoor facility, where you can also receive club-fitting and repair services, or use the indoor golf simulator.

At Okanagan Street Striders, mobile elliptical machines break free from the gym’s stationary rows and help exercisers grab some fresh air during their cross-training workouts. A fitness-savvy staff acquaints riders with their mounts, which target muscles all over the body without unnecessary impact or unnatural motions. Riders glide along paved trails and pathways, taking in a scenic alternative to staring at television screens, helping riders avoid the cardio room’s cramped confines or tempting smells from the gym's in-house bakery. In addition to daily rentals, Okanagan Street Striders also organizes group night rides.

Behind the wheel of Top Gear Karting's high performance go-karts, drivers zoom around Penticton Speedway at up to 75 km/h. The wheels of up to 14 Intrepid karts—including senior models for drivers over age 14 and junior models for younger drivers—navigate the 0.7-kilometre track and its one banked turn during drop-in races that last 10 minutes apiece. Top Gear Karting's convenient arrive and drive program outfits drivers with all the equipment they need to take part in these individual races, face foes in league match-ups, or taste burnt rubber during driving academy lessons.

A short jaunt from Wood Lake, Seca Marine + Surf Shop ensures both boat captains and those riding the waves behind them savour the water in style. Its maintenance shop minimizes the hassles of boat ownership with teams of on-site and mobile mechanics, who revitalize vessels whatever their trouble. Its technicians can not only repair broken parts but also transport boats, install stereos and other boat accessories, or protect vessels from the elements with shrink wrap to avoid the headache of finding a boat-sized Ziploc bag. While their boats rest up in the shop, patrons can draw on a rental fleet composed of two spacious models.

Over at the centre's Watersports School, coaches harness their competition experience to impart the techniques of wake surfing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, and stand-up paddleboarding. Their in-depth lessons teach students to navigate the water safely and stylishly rather than constantly stopping sharks to ask for directions. More experienced aquatic athletes can rent equipment for independent expeditions.

As the sounds of crashing pins and cheering players echo across Vineyard Lanes, owners Gayle and Gordon Grant keep a watchful eye over their five-pin bowling haven. Since taking ownership, the duo has reconditioned the pinsetters and installed new synthetic wood for each of the facility's eight lanes. Their continuing efforts lure in both casual bowlers and leagues.

Vineyard Lanes' on-site bistro complements rounds of pin pummelling. A white, cross-hatched fence sets off the dining area, where aromas of stuffed mushroom caps and slow-roasted-beef sandwiches distract players long enough for finicky bowling pins to sneak out the back door.

Tipplers who choose the Naramata Wine Tour will traverse the vineyard-lined vistas of the Naramata Bench, visiting five to seven wineries, such as Elephant Island Orchard Wines, Laughing Stock Vineyards, and Red Rooster Winery. The Kelowna Wine Tour leads libation lovers into the sun-soaked wealth of Kelowna's wineries, with such featured stops as the Mission Hill Family Estate and Quails' Gate. Guided by an expert in the ways of wining, both tours regale visitors with tales of grapedom and include chauffeured transportation, ensuring guests will save enough energy for decadent imbibing. Naramata pick-up and drop-off is at the Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa, about a five-hour drive from Vancouver; Kelowna pick-up and drop-off is at the Best Western Inn Kelowna, about a 4.5-hour drive.