There’s so much to do at SilverStar Resort year-round. From hiking and biking to skiing and snowboarding — each season offers a number of unique experiences. Centrally located in the heart of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley in the Monashee Mountain Range, this colourful Village is a short drive from where I live and a perfect location for a weekend getaway.
Recently I made the decision to sell my skis and focus on summer sports such as golfing, kayaking, and wine touring instead (yes, I’m counting wine touring as a sport 😜), so I am happy to see that many ski resorts have expanded to include a wide variety of activities for everyone. On this visit, I was there for the Summer Wine Festival, an event that SilverStar partnered with Oliver and Osoyoos Wine Country to feature local Okanagan wines paired with delicious culinary dishes.
Where to Stay at SilverStar Resort
There are a number of wonderful accommodations throughout the Resort and where you stay depends on your preferences, availability, and of course affordability. On this visit, I stayed at Snowbird Lodge and couldn’t have picked a better property — a luxury condo, slopeside, with my very own hot tub on a private deck! With a full kitchen, washer and dryer, gas fireplace, underground parking, and a private hot tub, this suite would also be fabulous for longer stays. If that doesn’t convince you this will… the front door is steps from Bugagoos Bakery and Café where you can find the most amazing pastries, breakfasts, and coffee.
Dining at SilverStar Resort
SilverStar Resort has around 18 places to eat in the Village consisting of restaurants, pubs, lounges, and cafés. There’s something for everyone from quick food to fine dining, and you can find different options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The following are the restaurants and cafés I dined at on this visit. For all of the restaurant options at SilverStar, visit the Resort’s restaurant webpage and check them out for yourself on your next visit to the mountain.
The Bulldog Grand Café – The Bulldog’s menu offers a large variety of foods, mostly focusing on Dutch and Thai-Indonesian cuisine with a hint of West Coast fusion. All of the menu items are prepared from the freshest ingredients and all baked items are housemade in their bakery. The Bulldog’s Canadian and Indonesian chefs have created a perfect blend of tastes between East and West. It’s the ideal place to enjoy a casual meal or drink, either in the main café or the large, covered and heated Patio Lounge. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
Bugaboos Bakery and Café – Celebrating 25 years in business, Bugaboos is a well-known and well-loved SilverStar establishment. Owner Frank hand-roasts coffee beans and bakes daily for the freshest of treats. From delicious pastries, bread, and cream puffs, to the most delicious breakfast omelette croissants — everything is so yummy that just one isn’t enough! Check out their menu here: bugaboosbakerycafe.com or better yet, visit and taste the delicious treats for yourself.
Pizza Gratta – You can’t beat Pizza Gratta’s handmade sourdough pizzas made from scratch and using only organic and locally grown ingredients. Pizza Gratta is a family-run artisanal pizza shop with a location at SilverStar and one in downtown Vernon. I tried the Tropical Chicken but saw many more on the menu that I would like to try. You can order a full pizza or by the slice which is a great option for lunch between activities on the mountain.
Black Pine Social – Black Pine Social’s menu consists of upscale food served in a casual setting, with dishes made from locally sourced and sustainable products. Black Pine’s chefs are inspired by European and Japanese flavours and it shows in their dishes.
Another highlight of Black Pine Social’s menu is their seasonally crafted cocktails complemented by their carefully selected wine and beer selected to pair perfectly with the food.
Things to Do at Silver Star Resort
SilverStar is busy both in the summer and winter including festivals and special events. Summer activities consist of enduro, downhill, and cross-country biking, Gnome Rome, gondola rides, and many hiking and running trails to explore. For those who enjoy winter sports, there’s downhill skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing tours, fat biking, snow cat tours, guided mountain tours, mini snowmobile rentals for kids, snowmobile tours, hockey games, art gallery and museum, and even ski in/ski out bowling. Keep up-to-date with what’s happening, book accommodations, and buy passes on SilverStar Resort’s website.
Wine Festivals – One of the highlights for me was visiting SilverStar Resort in the summer for their Wine Festival. The Riedel “Long Table Al Fresco” Winefest Dinner, seated outside, was amazing and Executive Chef SilverStar Scott Sanderson and his team, did a fabulous job creating masterful dishes. The delicious meal, pictured below, included Panzanella Salad, fresh BC Halibut Cheeks, a Fraser Valley Duck Confit, Venison Stuffed Gnocchi with SilverStar Huckleberry Jus, and finished with Haskap-Lemon Cheesecake Parfaits.
Matt Wentzell, Sommelier and Owner of Experience Wine Tours paired the perfect wines. Each course was artfully plated and included a few family-style dishes. The outdoor wine tasting had a record number of vendors and wine enthusiasts taking part. To complement the festival, the crafts and artisans area had a wide selection of beautifully made crafts created by local artisans.
Hiking and Running Trails
A great way to see the surrounding Monashee Mountains on a clear day is to take the Des Schumann Summit Express Gondola to the summit and utilize the number of hiking trails for all levels of ability. The views are stunning and if you’re up for a bit of hide-and-seek fun, keep an eye (or two) out for the many gnomes! You can find pdf maps of the different trails in the Village and gnome locations here.
How to Get to SilverStar Resort
SilverStar is located just a 20-minute drive from the city of Vernon in British Columbia’s Okanagan region and an hour’s drive from the Kelowna Airport. The road is well-maintained during the winter season. If you prefer not to drive, there are shuttles from Vernon and from the Kelowna Airport. For comparison, other driving times from major cities are:
SilverStar is located just a 20-minute drive from the city of Vernon in British Columbia’s Okanagan region and an hour’s drive from the nearest airport in Kelowna. The road is well-maintained during the winter season. If you prefer not to drive, there are shuttles from Vernon and from the Kelowna Airport. For comparison, other driving times from major cities are Kamloops – 1 hour 40 minutes, Vancouver – 5 hours, Calgary – 6.5 hours, and Seattle – 7 hours.
Do you have questions that I haven’t covered? Please ask in the comments below.
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