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Nestled in the South Okanagan desert, Spirit Ridge Resort provides guests with an opportunity to relax and reconnect with themselves and the landscape.
Jana Yackel, director of marketing and sales, described a perfect day at the resort starting by the poolside.
Think of relaxing in a cabana overlooking the Nk'Mip vineyard and Osoyoos Lake, before a wine tasting at Nk'Mip Cellar. That evening dining under the stars at the resort’s restaurant The Bear, The Fish, The Root and The Berry; enjoying modern vineyard cuisine inspired by the Indigenous connections to the land, she said.
The name of the restaurant is inspired by the chaptik story passed down through generations of Syilx peoples, based on the four food chiefs.
Skimxist Black Bear is chief of the animals, representing leadership, sacrifice and giving. Ntytikxw Chinook Salmon, from the water creatures, represents perseverance and hard work. Speetlum Bitterroot, symbolizes plants and the relationship to the land and the Seeya Saskatoon Berry symbolizes plants above the ground and represents growth, strength and community.
“These four food chiefs represent the key elements of Indigenous cuisine. Our executive chef Murray McDonald is currently working on a new lunch and dinner menu, so stay tuned for delicious things to happen,” she said.
The restaurant’s bar team is currently creating tasty fall features and October has been the month they’ve been using locally-grown apples for an apple cider margarita.
Guests can make this drink at home too using:
Shake everything over ice, and top with three oz of freshly squeezed local apple juice. Serve in a tumbler and garnish with an apple chip for a fall treat.
Visitors are also encouraged to stop by the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre and experience a traditional pit house and sweat lodge, learn about desert animals and ecology and hear the legends of Sen’klip (Coyote) through two multi-sensory theatres.
For more information on what Spirit Ridge has to offer, visit the resort’s website.
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