Walk With Me - Lets Tour Scenic Downtown Kelowna!

This is not your average homestead walk with me, nope! That is because we are in the city for a few days "towning" (our term for going into town).

(Hi from a reflective window! Got my coffee, ready to go socialize and take pics!)

 Towning is always an interesting adventure, many friends to see and things to get done. I really need to come into town and experience the fast-paced lifestyle down here for a few days every week or so, especially in the wintertime, because I need movement and variety in order to find inspiration, focus and creativity. When I sit at home at the cabin for a week straight my creativity becomes stagnant and my mind unfocused, I do not thrive on routine but in variety, movement and novelty.

Even though the city does not compare to the beauty of nature, Kelowna can still be pretty picturesque. Even as I walk down the highway the clouds part to reveal a bright blue sky and share the last warm rays of sun for the day. Everything down here is melting!

This is Bernard street, the 'mainstreet' of Kelowna. I have memories stretching back to toddlerhood walking down this road, and no matter the time of year you can find busy people, cute shops and buskers. In the summertime, the streets are packed full of party-goers, normies and misfits like myself enjoying the music and the scenery.

This guy was singing 'only the good die young' in a surprisingly warm voice, bringing cheer to the otherwise chilly and wet streets.

Some messages were left for us on these electricity boxes, it is anybodies guess what they mean! One tribe and love true are pretty good messages, but whats this about coming back? Only the creator of this piece knows. I wonder what they are trying to share with the world?

Queensway is not particularly photogenic, but it is central to the city since it is the main bus station! In the summertime we will tour the Kasagi gardens behind the giant clock and meet the people who haunt this area. 

The old Paramount theater has been turned into a Tim Hortons sadly, this was a nostalgic theater only a year or so ago. At least they kept the iconic sign, since it is part of Kelownas history to be sure. (The theater here was really really old!)

Slushy street ducks, enjoying the warm weather it seems, they are like city chickens and I love them <3

The iconic Kelowna sails, this has been here forever, and isn't the lake and mountains just so breathtakingly majestic? I love the cool tones of winter.

The streetlights are coming on, and the sun is setting. I think this is one of the most beautiful photographs I have ever taken, something about the contrast of the cool blue sky and the warm glow of the lamp. The beauty in the little things is incredible.

 

This is another cool and crispy picture of our beloved lake and the sail boats that live here. There are these wierd  black diving ducks that are usually spooking around these parts, and the lake is actually still partially frozen between the docks and the beach. This made for a very beautiful photo! The way the clouds are hugging the mountain-tops over the lake also makes for a magical feel.

The great bear, a more recent installment to downtown Kelownas obsession with sculptures and art, which by all means, is not a bad thing. Part of me really loves this bear, and part of me doesn't like it at all. On the inside there are all sorts of odd objects. Regardless, its a lovely place to sit and smoke a dubbie or hangout with friends in the summertime. Lots of fun parkour to do around here as well.

Here is the history and meaning of this sculpture. I would really like to get the Sylix explanation for the name Kelowna and more on their ideas on the history of the area. That is a future post to be sure, they have a museum on the west side and they tell some wonderful stories there. My favorite part about that museum is that they tell it like it is, no fluff. They are honest about their history and the atrocities that the settlers of the Okanagan commit against them, but thus, that is another post entirely!

 

Beside the bear is the public skating rink! Its totally free to use and has a bonfire and skate rentals, which are well priced at 5 dollars a rental for adults. I really want to go skating here before the winter is over, since I actually never have! It is also pretty recently made. In the summer they have a giant chess board here for those tourists, and its a lovely place to skateboard!

Now finally, we are at the downtown Kelowna library where I am meeting up with @offgridninja. Good timing too, since it is nearly dark and I won't be able to take anymore pictures. The library is pretty great, I often spend time here. They have public computers, lots of books, and they even have a UBCO (local university) resources library where you can research to your hearts content using UBCO resources. I definitely plan on signing up for that in the near future!

I guess that concludes our tour of downtown Kelowna for today, Steemians. Since it is now dark out and my camera doesn't like it. Me and @offgridninja are off to eat food and socialize with my good friend Shady tonight.

Until next time, keep on Steemin on! Thank you for your support and for your time!