The Kelowna Airport has several car rental agencies on-site, and directions to Crescendo are provided below. If you plan to vacation on the mountain, though, there is no need for a car. From Crescendo, you could easily walk or ski/board everywhere. It’s location on the mountain is unrivaled by any other accommodation.
Big White offers a shuttle service from the Kelowna Airport to Crescendo’s door. For rates and reservations, please contact them directly at 1-800-663-2772. Please note that Big White requires the booking to be made several days in advance, at minimum, and rarely can they accommodate spontaneity.
Discover Okanagan Tours is a privately-owned competitively priced shuttle service. Their service includes stop-and-shop, where you can purchase groceries on your way from the airport to Crescendo. I highly recommend using Discover Okanagan Tours (no, Crescendo does not receive any kickbacks from them). They can be accessed through their website, or you may call Jennifer or Richard directly at 800-797-6335.
There is a hair blower in each of the five bathrooms.
For kids, during the ski season, the mountain has daily and nightly activities. Kelowna itself is a rather nice town, and can be a lot of fun. It is an artsy community, with an Art Center, an Art Walk, and more. Kelowna is also the Napa Valley of BC, with world-class golfing and hundreds of vineyards. Wine tasting is pretty much year-round. Kelowna also has a casino (not bad, but no craps table).
During warmer weather, Lake Okanagan is a lot of fun. The lake is 135 km long, and between 4-5 km wide. There are parks along the shores, and plenty of swimming, boating, and fishing (including rainbow trout and kokanee). It is said, by some, to also be home to its own sea monster: a giant serpent-like creature named Ogopogo.
There is a local BluRay / DVD player in the Theatre that you have access to, where you can enjoy the BluRays or DVDs that you bring with you (as long as your DVD is compatible with US/CAN standards). Remember, though, Crescendo has over 1400 movie titles available to you, and those titles stream to every TV in the home.
Crescendo is on the map! Using your Google Maps app, merely type in Crescendo at Big White, and you’ll be guided to our door. Map and directions, though, follow.
When exiting the airport, turn left (south) onto Highway 97 (later becomes known as Harvey Avenue).
Go 8.1 kilometers (5 miles) and turn left onto Highway 33 (directional signs to “Big White”). There is a shortcut that shaves off about 5-10 minutes (via Rutland Rd), which the following link shows: click here.
Go approximately 28 kilometers (17 miles) and turn left at the “Big White Road” turn off.
Go approximately 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) to arrive at Big White.
Turn left on Whitehorse Lane (located just before the Gondola & Ski Bridge).
Go to the end of the road and turn right onto Rockridge Road. Crescendo is at the end of the Rockridge Road cul-de-sac.
In the map below, from Google Maps, follow the gray-marked road to Crescendo.
VERY IMPORTANT! There is no cell phone coverage once you leave Kelowna, until you approach Big White. Therefore, after you have completed your grocery shopping, but before you leave Kelowna, call our property manager, Sheila Tegart (250-808-7756), so she’ll know when to meet you at Crescendo.
Well, that depends where you are coming in from. All outlets at Crescendo are the standard North America/Central America types (e.g., US, CAN): two flat parallel prongs and a grounding pin (see image below). In North America, too, our standard outlets are 110/120v (and not 220/240v).
Crescendo has a vacuum cleaner available and accessible. We typically keep that in the Garage Hall entry closet.
We have several board games, and we can send you a list of those as your arrival date approaches. Please feel free to let us know what your favorites are, as we are always interested in adding to our collection. Aside from board games, Crescendo has a Nintendo Wii, an Xbox 360, a Poker Table, a Bumper Pool Table, and a Professional Ping Pong table.
This “How To” video shows how to EASILY remove and replace our pool/Jacuzzi covers, without ever leaving the pool and freezing your (you know what) off.
With one-half the pool indoors and one-half the pool outdoors, you can enter/exit the pool via a toasty pool room.
One disclaimer: this “How To” video was also not directed by Speilberg, but it is at least a little more polished than our “How To…Movie” video.
Not to worry. Clear directions are posted at each of our Tablets in the house. The Tablets also show all of our movie titles, and allow you to easily search through our movies by a variety of ways (e.g., by Title, by Genre, by first Letter, by Actor, and more). Still, you can find the Operation Manual for all of Crescendo’s Media (Movies, SmartTVs, Whole House Audio) by clicking here.
That is a complex question, which I touched only briefly on in the amenities section. For a more detailed explanation, I defer to the experts. The Geo-exchange Technology was provided by Geotility, and their website provides a wealth of information: see Geotility.ca.
We have an iJack in the kitchen for devices having a headphone port. Once plugged in, music from that device can be played throughout the home. We additionally have Apple TV, so for those of you who know how to mirror your device, you may do so and play music throughout the home and video in the Theatre. Importantly, we also have XM radio, and have been told by many of our guests that they’ve enjoyed the XM more than the music playlists they had brought with them.
Guest – Welcome Packet (Complete Guide)
Guest – Media Guide (Movies – SmartTVs – Whole House Audio)
Guest – Map to Crescendo
Games – Ping Pong – Folding Directions
Games – Bumper Pool – How to Play
Manual – Cuisinart Espresso Maker (kitchen)
Manual – Bunn Coffee Maker (kitchen)
Manual – Sharp Microwave (kitchen)
Manual – Thermador Range – Complete Guide (kitchen)
Manual – Thermador Range – Quick Guide (kitchen)
Manual – Miele Dishwasher – right (kitchen)
Manual – Miele Dishwasher – left (kitchen)
Manual – Marvel Ice Machine (Kitchen)
Manual – JennAire Ice Machine (Bar)
Manual – Marvel Mini Fridge (Bar)
Manual – Fisher Paykel Dishwasher Drawer (Bar)
Manual – SubZero Fridge (Rec Rm)
Manual – Toto Jetted Tub (Master Ensuite)
In BC, alcohol is sold in liquor stores, but it is not sold in any of the grocery stores. Also, while BC wine is excellent, it is also very expensive. If you are traveling from another country, I recommend that each person in your party brings with them two bottles of wine (the maximum amount allowable).
The Big White Market is a convenient (but small) grocery store and liquor store located on the mountain in the Village. You can easily walk there from Crescendo’s ski entry. We recommend, though, that you purchase the bulk of your groceries and alcohol in Kelowna.
Costco is on your way to Big White: at the corner of Highway 97 & Highway 33. If the number in your party or the length of your stay justifies, you may consider grocery shopping at Costco on your way to Crescendo.
On Highway 33, there is a Sav-On-Foods grocery store (on your right, as you are traveling to Crescendo). There is a liquor store right across the street from that grocery store, as well.
Choices Market is a Health Food market on Hwy 97 only about 4 km past the Hwy 33 turn-off; 1937 Havery Blvd.
Natures Fare Market is also a Health Food market. It is in the Orchard Plaza, about 2 km past the Hwy 33 turn-off, across the street from the Orchard Park Mall.
If you’d like the shopping and/or food preparation done for you, you may want to check-out SmartStartMeals.ca and VacationFoods.com. The former service prepares meals for you, using as many organic and hormone-free choices as possible. The latter is a grocery shopping service, and they will both deliver and place your groceries at Crescendo for you.
