Looking for help with 2 things:
1. Looking for flights from YVR/Abbotsford to SFO/Bay Area in June. Looked at normal flight places (hipmunk, kayak, Alaska, Canada Air, Google, etc.), looking for leads on RT flights less than $200. Ideas?
2. New to Vancouver and haven't explored wine country in BC & was told it would be a fun long weekend trip! Parents coming to visit in June & thought it would be a good time to explore this. Looking to set up a long weekend. Have someone recovering from knee injury so can't really hike, etc. Ideas/towns/wineries/tours to look at/ not miss?
TIA!

Allegiantair.com has really cheap flights. I've never flown with them but know people that have and their prices are unbelievable! As far as wineries I'm not sure. I'm actually wanting to do some myself so curious to see the replies you get
. Good luck!

My hairdresser did a wine tour in osoyoos with "Wine tours gone south" and said it was amazing. They took them to the local smaller boutique wineries and she raved about the tour and guide and all the wineries

Yay thanks! I'll look into them.
As for Allegiant they price gouge and I'll have to check luggage so I don't think they will work. But fingers crossed!!

Allegiant charges for carry on luggage now too. So that may not be great.

Right Alyssa...

Book a place in Naramata or Oliver to stay at and take a wine tour bus for sure!

2. I like to stay in Penticton, either the motels on lakeshore or Airbnb. If you have a large group I know a gorgeous VRBO lake house in Naramata that is to die for.
Contact Ambrosia tours. We use them every time we go. I think $40/pp and they'll drive you around for half a day to the wineries and tell you about the region. They're my favorite company, great for a small group.

I'd like the lake house vrbo info please

https://www.vrbo.com/668869
VRBO.COM
VRBO.com #668869 - Beautiful Lakefront Property in Naramata, British Columbia, Canada

@kate Wilson: I just looked up Ambrosia Tours and it appears to be $80 pp now? Is there a specific tour you were on when it was $40?

They may have changed the pricing model? I had a baby in 2014 so I haven't been since but we used to go often between 2008-2013.
Call him up and ask maybe? The guy who owns it is super friendly! Boooo, I hope not! Let me know what you hear

Will do! I'm calling tomorrow

@kate
Looks like 1/2 day is about 50-60 pp and full day is over 100 pp

They called it half day when we went and it was always $40, they guarantee you'd see 3-4 wineries. Every time we did it we managed 6-7 in the half day time. Then they would drop us off at the beach downtown with all of our wine or at someone's hotel to keep the wine flowing and food coming. It was always so much fun!

Thank you!!!

Lauren have you gone? How was it?

There's only 4 of us... Thanks for the details!

Bellinham?

Prefer not having to cross the border/drive that far. Don't have enough time & need to leave car behind for others...

http://www.skyscanner.ca/.../cheap-flights-from-vancouver...

My husband flies to SFO monthly for work, anything around the 300 mark is actually very good. Also, contrary to popular belief, the longer you wait to book, the higher the price will generally go. About 25% of his flights on AC have either been delayed or cancelled and now flies exclusively on United. Your best bet to get it down lower is to fly from Bellingham or Seattle. Hope that helps, good luck!

Thanks! Hoping someone has a discount code/special.... Lol

love wine country. fave wineries are Dirty Laundry on the Summerland side and Tinhorn Creek on Penticton side. great deli and wine and sit and enjoy. for dinner or lunch we adore the back patio at Misconduct and the amazing tapas. you can find a nice little house right in downtown penticton on VRBO . awesome brewery visit also to The Cannery with a super tasting room and nice snacks right downtown and also more great beer and pizza at Bad Tatoo ..it's not just about the wine. Drive the whole Naramata bench and enjoy and stop along the way at what looks good.

So what do you mean sides? Summerland/Penticton are they around a body of water? Is one side more preferable than the other?

Yes on either side of the lake but very close to each other. The natamata bench is the larger of the 2 with many many wineries. Also wineries south of lake okanogan towards skaha lake. The Summerland side has a small hand full of wineries. It's called the bench land your. The only one I always go to when there is Dirty Laundry. It's so great with an amazing shop to buy all sorts of wine related stuff. A must. Grab a basket and get some deli and wine and sit on the patio high on the hill overlooking the tressil rail tracks.

The tapas and patio at misconduct is my other fave and the garden/ vineyard and tasting room and restaurant and Tinhorn Creek is another must.

I'm so excited!! I love it thanks for the info!

Lauren enjoy. We went for 5 days the past 2 years and will go for just 3 this October again but those are the things I will
See again.

Thank you! I think the hardest part will figure out where to stay, looking at Narmata & Penticton. I know that my Dad prefers to stay at a hotel just for the ease. So we shall see

Quailsgate is a great wine tour

I went on a wine tour in for my god sister's Stagette. I can't drink wine, but it was amazing! I believe we were with MJO wine tours. Check them out! Our tour guide was awesome!

Have you tried skyscanner for cheap flights?

Yes...

Would anyone suggest staying in Kelowna?

You could, but it's more central to stay in Penticton for wine.

no way..totally different and not really where all the wineries are. you are only there for 3 days and just enough time to see some of the area.

you should book soon as popular area. June not as much as July and August with schools out but get a house or hotel booked soon .https://www.vrbo.com/.../thompson-okanagan/penticton...
VRBO.COM
VRBO - The Most Popular Vacation Rental Site in the US

My dad booked in Kelowna so trying to talk him out of it, lol.

Is stay in Penticton (north end) or Naramata.

Lauren bad bad choice. It's too much of a drive to see everything each day. Not good.

http://naramatabench.com/about.../restaurants-and-eateries/
NARAMATABENCH.COM
Eat - Naramata Bench Winery Association

the best tapas ever..http://www.thekitchen-mwco.com/
THEKITCHEN-MWCO.COM
The Kitchen-abuladame

Do you need to make reservations?

Lauren we did not the few times we went. It's not crazy busy like some of the bigger places.

Well made reservations and talked to the owner! Figured we might as well so we don't miss it incase it's busy!
thanks for the suggestion !

Salty's Beachhouse in Penticton is a great restaurant. Also Burger 55. For wineries in Naramata I suggest Poplar Grove, Painted Rock and Ruby Blues. If you don't mind staying on an older place, either Tiki Shores or Golden Sands are ok. If going to Oliver/Osoyoos stay at Spirit Ridge or Watermark resorts. For wineries there go to Burrowing Owl-you can also stay there, Black Hills-Nota Bene wine is amazing, Osoyoos La Rosa. And if you like cider, check out Faustino Cidery in Osoyoos.

There are some really great wineries around OK Falls, too. We always hit up Blue Mountain (great brut if they have any left), and Wild Goose.
Don't miss Silver Sage in Oliver for the entertainment at your tasting, Covert Farms, Tinhorn Creek, and Platinum Bench just for their bakery.
If Kanazawa has a tasting room yet, definitely go.

Wild goose is soooooo delicious

Blasted Church. Forgot that one

Lauren won't see much if she is having to drive back and forth to Kelowna everyday. She only has 3 days. Even getting down to Oliver and OK falls is a day in itself to check it out proper.

Ok staying in Summerland! Now looking into booking tours so we don't have to worry about a DD....

You need to book your accomidation asap for the Okanagan as the best places get book up months in advace. Don't wait on that book your place now. I go to Watermark every July with friends and it was booked up in April for the summer.Just get a map of all the wineries and go exploring and tasting as everyone has different tastes. Sometimes my friends and I will share a tasting so that we don't get to blasted early in the day. Enjoy!

Already booked! Thanks!

U missed out on the delta airline $64 with tax return flight deal. You'll never find anything for that busy route under $300 unless it's Alaska ot allegiant via Bellingham