Originally Posted by
dkc192
For someone who isn't big into wine (I can appreciate it but have absurdly poor tolerance), is this resort and general area still worth the trek from SFO for a few nights in the summer? I do like lakes and hikes, so I was thinking this could be a nice mix of activity and relaxation. An/the alternative would be a pure relaxation, "barefoot luxury" trip at Yemaya Reefs, a Mr and Mrs Smith property on Little Corn Island in Nicaragua, or a similar beach vacation. Osoyoos would be somewhat easier to get to than Little Corn Island, but that isn't a big deal for me.
I'd say wine and lakefront activities are the two big draws here. We are into hiking having done portions of the W in Torres del Paine this February. TBH, the trails here are a little disappointing for how magnificent the scenery is. There are a couple decent options (a waterfall hike near Cawston is one example) - but during the summer, it gets very hot during the day with little tree cover, and rattlesnakes are a frequent issue in the wild. Thus the selection of trails, particularly compared to the Cascades in Washington, is much slimmer.
Osoyoos is a stereotypical lake town with kitchy stores that's crowded during the summer and dead during the winter.
Scoopsies is the name of the ice cream shop in town if that gives you an idea. Your other option sounds significantly more exotic and luxurious so I would consider whether you'd be happy with something that isn't that. The reason I like it here is because wine is one of our passions, and we enjoy laid back resorts in beautiful places that lack pretension and offer a good product at a good price point. Spirit Ridge does that really well.