Things to Do in Penticton

Surrounded by rolling mountains and the shimmering waters of Okanagan Lake, packs of go-karts spend their days chasing each other around Westside Superkarts’ challenging track. Under new management, Westside allows adult karts to navigate four hairpin and four banked turns at various speeds—basic single and double karts can hit 35 kph, performance karts are capable of 60 kph, and Extreme Elite karts reach velocities of up to 75 kph. Kiddie karts putter around a separate track, offering their young operators important driving tips, such as how to pass politely. After the races are finished, drivers may receive a personalized print-out or e-mail of their lap times, view them through a smart phone app, and have them posted to Facebook.

Every night at Lake City Bowl, balls pirouette down the lanes until 1 a.m., dancing to the centre's state-of-the-art sound system and cosmic lights starting at 7 p.m. daily. During the daylight hours, bumpers let pint-sized bowlers bombard the pins with accuracy, exacting revenge as if they were a schoolyard bully or a trash-talking civics teacher. Between frames, four regulation-size pool tables transpose spherical competition to the felt, and an arcade puts gamers behind the wheels and paddles of driving simulators and air-hockey tables. Chefs dish out a menu of burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers at the snack stand, and live bands every Thursday night—and live DJs every weekend—crank out fresh tunes to overshadow the mechanics' drum solos from behind the pinsetters.

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.

Adventure Forever's certified mountain guides and first-aid responders enlighten beginning outdoorspeople and seasoned aficionados alike on the intricacies of ice climbing, rock climbing, and easy to difficult day hikes. During full-day treks and lessons, guides escort troupes of thrill seekers up frozen faces and climbing courses, plying their clientele with the necessary skills and knowledge to tackle Mother Nature's vertical labyrinths. Each experienced guide carries years of wisdom, capably leading participants through regions stretching across Canada, the United States, and Middle Earth.

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.

4Cats Art Studio founder Joey Simon and her son Jet developed their fun and educational art program in 2005 while transposing the techniques they learned in a library's collection of art history books onto blank canvases. Since then, their process of teaching students about an artist's method and then allowing them to practice it on their own has expanded throughout North America. The studio draws its name from Els Quatre Gats, or The Four Cats, a café in Barcelona where Pablo Picasso often showcased his work and shared intellectual musings with cats.

Much like the legendary brush wielder, students between the ages of 2–15 expand their creative abilities at 4Cats Art Studio, first discussing famous artists and then using their techniques to create original pieces. Each 60-minute class begins with a history lesson on a famous artist such as Frida Kahlo or Paul Klee, followed by a creative project using the featured artist's techniques. After learning about Frida's life and love of animals, students create their own colourful self-portraits. Likewise, classes on Klee integrate music and colour-mixing techniques to teach students how to truly capture the emotions of a trumpet.