On my second day in Kelowna we had just left the mall and taken the bus downtown so I could check out Pulp Fiction Coffee Shop. After getting off the bus my friend mentioned that close by (like, a minute walk) there were the Kelowna Kasugai Gardens and asked if I wanted to stop there before we continued to coffee. My response? Yes please!
I may live in a big city but I am a nature girl at heart. I’m happiest surrounded by plants and love when a city has green areas. As soon as I stepped into the Kasugai Gardens I knew we stumbled upon something special.
The BC Minister of Tourism suggested that Kelowna become a sister city to Kasugai, Japan, in 1977. The next few years were spent with visits between the two cities, which often resulted in gift exchanges. In 1983 Kelowna Boulevard was created in Japan, which is a statue showing the sails of Kelowna. The next year Kelowna began construction of the gardens.
Completed in 1987, the Kelowna Kasugai Gardens opened to the public.
When you enter you can find free maps to the gardens, although the gardens are quite small. There is a large pond, with a bridge to cross over. There are many beautiful benches, and I would love to have a picnic here.
The gardens were so tranquil, which is impressive considering the location. Downtown and right behind city hall.
I loved having the feeling of complete peace by the water, but I knew how close to the shops and marina I was.
If you ever get the chance to go to the Kelowna Kasugai Gardens, bring a book, a picnic, and just let yourself relax.
Does your city have lots of green spaces?
Who is your towns sister city/town?
Vancouver has five sister cities! Odessa, Ukraine. Yokohama, Japan. Edinburgh, Scotland. Los Angeles, America. Guangzhou, China.
This article has now been merged with my 5 Places You Need To Eat At In Kelowna post on GPSmycity. If you are interested in downloading the article to your phone, or any other articles, here is the link!
