GUEST BOOK VACATION RENTALS INC.

Shuswap Ski & Board is a fantastic shop to purchase all your water toy "wants" from; paddle boards, skis, wake boards, wake surfs, tubes, vests and water toy accessories. If you need some assistance with learning how to ride your new toy, SS&B also offers lessons! If you are looking for some great summer apparel, from board shorts to bathing suites, you can find it here too! Call: 877-322-0081 Located at 302 Main St, Sicamous Open The Months Of May Through Mid-September.

Enter to Win a 3 Night Stay at The Cedar Lake House! Here's How.. 1. Become a site member on our website. 2. Submit your best photo from a past vacation with us on our Photo Contest Page. Click "Add Media" on the Photo Contest Page to upload your photo. Once uploaded to the page, double click your photo to add a description (optional). 3. Contests starts March 1st through till May 1st, 2021 at 12pm. 4. Share on social media so your friends & family can HEART your photo. The more HEARTS you have, the higher your chances of winning! Enter to Win Eligibility & Conditions 1. You must be a past guest that has stayed in one of our sweet vacation homes. 2. The photo submitted must be PG and taken during your stay with us. Inappropriate photos will be removed from the contest page. 3. Submitted photos will be displayed on our website and visible to the public for voting until contest close on May 1st and may be used in future promotional content on our website. 4. Votes are tallied by the amount of HEART impressions received on the submitted photos. The photo with the most HEARTS by 12pm on May 1st wins! 5. Contest winner is required to pay a damage deposit, which is refunded after departure. No other fees are required. 6. The winning vacation is subject to availability between Sept 15th, 2021 and May 1st, 2022. Black-out dates apply between Dec 20th, 2021 to Jan 4th, 2022. Cedar Lake House The contest winner will receive a 3 night stay for 6 guests at the Cedar Lake House @ Alpine Village Resort in Swansea Point, Mara Lake. A total value of $900! * 3 bedroom * 2 bath * loft bed * hot tub * 55" Smart TV Click Here for full property details! Good Luck!

Its a beautiful day. You and your family are excited to spend a day of fun on the lake. However, getting your boat in the water may be somewhat troublesome and intimidating. Here are some helpful tips to get you on the water with less irritation for you and others also waiting to launch. #BoatLaunchEtiquette 1. Prepare Your Boat Ahead of Time Be courteous of others and prepare your boat prior to launching your boat. Park somewhere away from the launch to pack all your gear on the boat, remove all tie downs, rigging's and swim platform straps. Do the same when pulling your boat out of the water; get your boat on the trailer, pull out and park somewhere away from the launch before tying everything back down and unloading. Holding up the boat launch, creates line ups and frustrated fellow boaters. 2. Practice Backing Your Trailer Up Before Hitting the Launch Nothing is more stressful than the growing lineup of onlookers scrutinizing you as you fail to back your trailer down the launch. Practice in your driveway first or empty parking lot. Take it slow and steady. Set up obstacles to improve your ability to maneuver your vehicle and trailer. Familiarize yourself with your vehicle and equipment. Here is a video link to Instructions on How to Back A Boat Trailer on YouTube. 3. Know Your Role - Drivers of Both the Boat & Vehicle Backing the trailer down the launch is only half the battle. The boat driver must also be aware of their role in driving the boat off the trailer. Be in the drivers seat as you back down the ramp so you can start the boat as soon as you hit the water. Make sure your path is clear. Be familiar with the boat operation; blower, batteries, trim function, etc. Clear the lane way of the launch as soon as possible. Know where to pick up your passengers. Typically there is a courtesy dock to tie up to at the launch to pick up passengers, or you may need to idle away from the dock until the passengers are ready to board. 4. Be Courteous and Patient of Others It may be someones first time launching. Be kind, courteous and patient of others.

The North Okanagan's Unique Location Puts you at 3 Amazing Ski Resorts in Under an Hour! My family and I are avid skiers and our favorite mountain is Revelstoke Mountain Resort. This mountain definitely has a threshold as it has some pretty challenging terrain. However, the opening of the Stellar Chair this past year has opened up some new terrain for the beginner skier or boarder. To change things up, we also love making our way to Silver Star Mountain Resort in Vernon. This is an excellent winter family resort which is geared to entertain the entire family with a ton of activities such as; skiing, snowboarding, Tube Town, cross country skiing, Mini Snowmobiles, bowling, out door ice skating and much more! You can reach either Mountain within 45 minutes. If steep slopes are not your pace, head on over to Larch Hills Nordic Society for world class Cross Country Skiing. Revelstoke Mountain Resort Only a 45 minute drive and you will be lined up at the gondola about to embark on North America’s greatest vertical at 1,713 meters (5,620 ft). With an average snowfall of 10.5 meters (34.4 ft) this resort also offers 3,121 acres of fall line skiing, high alpine bowls, renowned gladded terrain and endless groomers. In the past this mountain was geared to a more experienced rider due to its difficult terrain. However, the addition of a new chair lift in 2019-2020 ski season, there is plenty of terrain for a beginner to intermediate rider. #RevelstokeMountainResort Silver Star Ski Resort Ltd This is fabulous hill for family’s as there is terrain for every level of rider and the additional amenities at this location. There is bowling, outdoor tube hill, skate pond, cross country skiing, outdoor skating rink and even little snowmobiles for the kids to ride! #SilverStar The Larch Hills Nordic Society Larch Hills is just a short 35 min drive from Sicamous. Here you can experience some of BC’s finest cross-country Ski hills. With over 170 km of ski trails, 57 km of which are regularly groomed, plus a further 17km of snowshoe trails, there is no shortage of variety for the outdoor enthusiast. #LarchHillsNordicSociety

Not sure what to pack for your vacation? I am here to help with some simple packing tips and printable packing lists. #PackingGuide One of the biggest mistakes when packing for vacation is OVER PACKING! If you are staying at a vacation rental home, check the property listing to see what amenities are already provided. Often, your vacation home will provide essentials like beach towels, linens, hair dryer, coffee, tea, and basic spices. Some vacation homes may also include little extras like beach chairs, umbrellas, life jackets and beach toys. If you are unsure and/or the property listing does not detail those extra amenities, simply contact the property manager or home owner and ask. Less is more! Ever gone on vacation and found that you wore only half of the clothes you brought? Most vacation homes will have washer and dryers and provide laundry detergent. Pack minimally with a few of your favorite duds and wash your clothes while on vacation. Packing less means it is much easier to pack up at the end of your trip and you are less likely to leave behind personal items. Understandably, you don't want to forget any essentials. I have found some great printable packing guides for your summer and winter vacation here in Mara Lake & the Shuswap. Click here to download and print the Ultimate Beach Vacation Packing List. Click here for SnoRider's Guide to "Whats in your Backpack?" for your next Snowmobile Trip. Have some good packing tips? Feel free to leave a comment. Thanks for reading, Danielle

To help serve you better, GBVR maintains an active business license to operate in Sicamous and is a member of the Sicamous Chamber of Commerce.

As a property manager, I list list your property on a multitude of 3rd party rental sites to maximize your properties exposure. These 3rd Party sites provide power tools, such as MarketMaker, that help homeowners and property managers set the best rate for your property against comparable properties within the market. These robust applications show the average rate of comparable booked homes, as well as the average rate of un-booked homes, as well as historical data of rates and vacancies. I continually check these analytics in order to achieve the best rate for your home, within the market. However, the game has changed considerably since Covid-19 hit. Unfortunately, we can no longer rely on historical data of rates from previous years. This is because the way people travel have changed. market trends are showing an increase in last minute bookings during what would typically be off season. This new travel trend is due to peoples ability to travel anytime as many now have the luxury of working from home. Couple that with inability or reluctance to fly to a vacation destination, we will see more travelers looking to vacation close to home. This reflects our experience with my rental inventory this past September, with a huge spike in last minute bookings in comparison to previous years. You may be thinking... "Oh, that is wonderful. We should expect more bookings and more income! Maybe?! However, last minute bookings makes it tricky to set the price in what would typically be off season. We set the rate too high, we lose out on bookings; setting it too low, we could be leaving money on the table, or attracting the wrong guests. Guests ability to pay has also greatly reduced, as family incomes have dropped and in uncertain times, families are very cautious about how they spend their money. It is my opinion that the rental rates will drop considerably during the off season, but we will see an increase in overall bookings. This will either equate to similar income as previous years with more bookings to achieve that income, or an overall increase in income for the year. Here is to hoping for a decent rebound from Covid-19!

Moose Mulligans not only has a great menu offering a large variety of appetizers, salads, entrees and pub fare, its location on Riverside Ave boasts a large outdoor patio overlooking the marina and channel that connects Mara Lake to the Shuswap. You can arrive by boat and park in their marina or park in lot behind the restaurant. We have also been known to order lunch while on the boat and cruise in for a quick pickup order to feed the family. The food quality is pretty good and the team of staff are lovely. It is a little pricey, but you are paying for the experience and ambiance. They also have a liquor store, which is very convenient should you need to stock up before making your way. All in all, this restaurant ticks all the boxes and a must visit while on your vacation!

If you are looking for a home cooked meal while on vacation in Sicamous, take the family down to Grandma & Grandpa's Kitchen & Tap. They have an extensive comfort food menu of appetizers, savory entrees, pastas and pizza, and all served up at a decent price. My family particularly likes that they serve breakfast until 2pm. And they have a really beautiful outdoor patio to dine on. You can find G&G's Kitchen & Tap at 221 Eagle Pass way, next to the PetroCan.

Hooked Decor is located in the House Boat just off of of Trans Canada Hwy in Sicamous, right before the bridge. The unique building and landscape is inspiring enough to bring visitors to this store. But, it is the unique collection of nautical and beach decor, refurbished furniture and souvenirs that will entice many a shopper! I pretty much wanted to buy everything in the store, so don't forget your wallet!

Conveniently located right next to the public boat launch at the end of Finlayson street in Sicamous, Red's Rentals has a fully stocked marina and store loaded with ice cream, snacks, drinks, ice and novelties. They offer a variety of boats and water crafts, which include pontoon boats, fishing boats, sport boats, paddle boards, kayaks and canoes.

Linda's Gifts & More is one of my new favorite shops in town. I often find myself purchasing her cottage art for my rental homes and little gifts for myself and friends. Linda's Gift's is located on Main Street in Sicamous, and offers a variety of gift-wares; pottery, jewelry, souvenirs, cottage decor, apparel and artwork. A longtime resident of Sicamous, Linda recently moved her shop from Salmon Arm to its current location at 421 Main Street. I highly recommend you check out and support her new store!