My friend invited me on a road trip with him. He had planned a visit to Summerland for his birthday and had made the arrangements with stops at specific wineries and a stay at a resort. I was honoured that he invited me to come and relished the idea of a relaxing vacation. In truth, I too wanted to make it out to the Okanagan for my birthday in August, but the stars didn’t align then, so I was glad that they did now.
As my contribution for the trip, I offered to drive, especially seeing as I have access to such great vehicles that I love to test on the open road. And today that was the Mazda CX5 GS. I’ve already driven the GT version which is the premium level trim to this, meaning it included a few more bells and whistles.
The drive itself was good, the cabin comfortable, and the fuel economy decent. What stood out was the technology and the need to constantly set the car to my preferences. However, I realize this might just be me, being unable to figure out the controls.
The first issue was a struggle to connect my phone to Apple CarPlay. Each time I entered and exited the car the same issue arose. It was to the point that I was holding my breath, hoping that would work this time. It didn’t automatically connect when I plugged in USB.
I had to keep deleting my device and adding it a few times just to have it stick. And each time it asked if they wanted me to allow this when only using the app or not at all. There was no option to set and forget this. Then, when I made my choice, the screen read, you can’t use this feature while driving, and underneath it was the only option of closing the app. And when I clicked on it my phone would disconnect.
During a road trip the need to connect your phone to your car is not only for the GPS, but for music as well; especially as parts of our trip had no reception. The music saved on my phone, added to a more pleasant ambience, and release the need to constantly engage in my guest.
The vehicle also didn’t save any of my seat settings, so each time I hopped in I had to adjust everything, moving forward and up, plus the lumbar consideration. The side mirrors also needed adjusting as well. I’d have to tilt them so that the side of the cars and the road beside it was visible. This was even despite me creating a user profile.
When I logged into said profile, I would have to do the same adjustments and for some reason, my phone wouldn’t connect to Apple CarPlay so I eventually gave up.
I did find the cruise control, extremely helpful and easy to use. I was able to set the speed and didn’t have to exhaust my foot on the ped. Similarly with lane assistance, I only had a gentle grip on the wheel and eventually I grew to trust it even on the winding roads. It was able to keep the speed on steep slopes and catch up quicker than me doing it manually. The only downside the amount of gas is used.
Across our three day trip with four hours from Burnaby to Summerland then Summerland back to Burnaby and all the towns in between during our stay, we used about three tanks of gas which was equivalent to $250 worth at the pump.
We were staying at Summerland resort. I visited earlier in the year and truly enjoyed my stay, so it was a treat to be able to revisit the property again, during a different season. However, our visit saw sunshine, so we got the heat without the sweat. Warm enough to wear a thin jacket and be on your way.
During my first visit, I had an individual suite with king-size bed this time around we shared a unit, but each of us got our own room and wash. The master bedroom included a king size bed with patio access and a large washroom that included shower and tub. This obviously went to the birthday boy. I was happy with my queen size bed and using the general washroom across from it. The best part was that the room had blackout curtains, so I was able to sleep in. The only time I was disturbed was when I heard the rolling of luggage outside on the pavement.
We also fully utilized the unit during our stay with time spent lounging in the living room, a charcuterie breakfast on the sun soaked patio, and a home-cooked dinner of steak and vegetables using the fully furnished kitchen.
It had everything including a cheese grater, coffee machine, and anything you need to prepare and plate a meal with. We just had to buy our own ingredients, which included seasoning and cooking oil. And any of our leftovers fit into the fridge or freezer.
During our visit, we were able to sit with the owners of haywire for tasting of their most popular wines, including a sneak peek look at their new 0% alcohol sparkling. Which we actually learned cost more to produce, because not only are you preparing the wine, but you are then taking an extra step by removing the alcohol from it.
We also heard stories of how this summer’s wildfire affected the locals and the creation of the Summerland strong initiative. It was especially inspirational to hear the stories of farm animals surviving, and making their way home after being set free. And how the burning of the fields is a necessary part of farming and the soil and growth of the plants that come after it would be fruitful.
Our visit to the winery for a taste of their best selling bottles of wines transitioned into dinner at Shaughnessy’s Cove, which was conveniently located right at our resort. Our group of four would enjoy a meal together. I, a classic BLT on a hearty multigrain bread, layered with crispy bacon, lettuce, ripe tomato, alfalfa sprouts, and mayo with a side of fries; and it hit the spot.
The rest of our time was spent visiting our favourite wineries and some new ones, while enjoying the resort. We even got some time in to enjoy the outdoor hot tub in the sun.
Summerland Waterfront Resort Hotel
13011 Lakeshore Dr S, Summerland, BC VOH 1Z1
+1 (877) 494-8111
summerlandresorthotel.com
