British Columbia Destinations

NK'MIP: go for the culture stay for the wine

By Malcolm McColl

The British Columbia coastal climate this season has been undeniably difficult, rearranging the landscape of iconic tourist sites, stalling traffic on land and sea, supplying winds of 90 and 100 kilometres per hour for days, and more in a catalogue of disasters.

When one door closes another opens, however, in this case to the NK'MIP resort in Osoyoos, at the southernmost tip of the Okanagan region.

This destination resort includes a hotel and spa, golf course and RV Park developed beside the NK'MIP Cellars vineyard and winery at Osoyoos Lake, as well as the Desert Cultural Centre unveiled in 2006.

Developed over the last few years, the cultural centre is an anchor for the facility, which is owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band.

Osoyoos traditional territory includes a northern extension of the Sonora Desert, which ecologists identify as one which is semi arid grasslands or shrub steppe habitat; locally the area is known as pocket desert.

The NK'MIP Desert Cultural Centre features rammed-earth wall construction, with layered sediment and concrete similar to the Great Wall of China. The structure presents visitors with an impressive yet unobtrusive sight in the midst of the desert surrounding Osoyoos.

The $9 million facility has 20,000 square feet of interior space featuring a host of interactive exhibits and experiences that reveal the culture of the Osoyoos Indian Band and Okanagan people.

“The Desert Cultural Centre has an 80-seat theatre, interactive displays of Okanagan culture, an indoor pithouse, and a collection of artefacts and other antiquities, along with a slide show presentation, and an amazing green theme that runs through the entire project,” says general manager Charlotte Sanders.

In winter the centre is open to visitors from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The desert trail system is open to self_guided tours in the winter, guided tours throughout spring, summer, and fall.

NK'MIP Cellars, the only First Nation winery in North America, has a restaurant with stunning views and a gift shop. The four-star Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort and Spa and the Sonora Dunes Golf Course (which is closed during winter) are close by. So is the NK'MIP RV Park and Campground, which during the summer offers an unusual form of accommodation – yurts, round portable dwellings native to the steppes of Mongolia.

For further information see www.nkmip.com or call 1-888-966-5647.