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"Okanagan Wine Country" Unbeknownst to many, British Columbia has a thriving and world renowned wine industry. There are five wine producing regions in BC; Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, Fraser Valley, the Similkameen Valley and the Okanagan Valley, ....which is pictured here. There are a total of 370 licensed wineries in BC and 929 vineyards. 120 wineries are located here in the Okanagan Valley. More than 60 (grape) varieties are produced, including: Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. The BC wine industry contributes 2.8 billion dollars to the British Columbia’s economy yearly and welcomes more than 1 million visitors each year. That said, the Okanagan Valley is a year round hot spot, with beautiful lakes and beaches, world class golf courses and numerous world renowned ski resorts. British Columbia has a lot to offer; wineries, stunning mountains, clear blue lakes, islands, rain-forests, beautiful stretches of old growth coastline, picturesque cities,, cute towns, and world-class skiing, too. Together these things make iBritish Columbia an extremely popular destination. Be sure to add BC to your "must see" bucket list!
In my naive, younger years, I considered desert scenes rather boring. I thought they lacked color, vibrancy and interest however I’ve since discovered the real living desert and just how much I love photographing desert scapes. To experience a desert’s awakening, you truly must be on the desert floor as the sun rises, as I was here. It’s only then that you see the colors of the plants but also their renowned halos. That said, the most most notable were the Saguaro trees and Cholas (both have dense needles), as you can see in this photograph. This photo was taken from a biking/hiking trail in Brown’s Ranch State Park (McDowell Sonoran Preserve), in north-east Scottsdale, Arizona). We arrived just after the park gate opened and cycled into the sun as it rose. It was so (unbelievably) beautiful; I was in awe and in that moment, I counted my blessings for being here. Brown’s Ranch hosts my favorite cycling trail (to date) because they’re undulating and curvy while surrounded by the desert plants, large boulders and the far off mountains. We had a blast! AND what a spectacular morning!