Frequently Asked Questions

How do we get to Crescendo? Do we need a rental car?

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 (www.DiscoverOkanaganTours.com), or you may call Liz/Richard directly (800-797-6335).
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Could you provide driving directions from the airport to Crescendo?

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”).

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.

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.

In the map below, the green arrow points to Crescendo (i.e., at the end of Rockridge Road, which some maps show to be an extension of Whitehorse Lane).

Where should we purchase groceries and alcohol?

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 (www.BigWhiteMarket.com) is a 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 your initial 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 Coopers Grocery Store (on your right, as you are traveling to Crescendo). There is a liquor store right across the street from Coopers 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.

Do you have a vacuum cleaner (we use the vacu-paks for our clothes)?

Crescendo has a Dyson vacuum cleaner available to you.

Do we need adapters for electricity?

outlet
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). We likely have a couple adapters that you could use, but adapters are not fail safe and I recommend against using them.

Do you have a hair blower, or should we bring our own?

There is a hair blower in each of the five bathrooms.

Is there a way for us to hook-up our iPod/iPhone?

We have an iPod/iPhone doc in the kitchen (with a Nano adapter, as well). Once plugged in, the system reads what is on your iPod/iPhone (including the meta-data), and displays it on the touchpanel. Your iPod/iPhone is then controlled via the touchpanel, as well, and can then be played through the speakers in most of the rooms. Importantly, we do have XM radio, and have been told by many of our guests that they’ve enjoyed the XM more than the iPods/iPhones they had brought with them.

Do you have any board games?

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, a Poker Table, a Bumper Pool Table, and a Professional Ping Pong table.

Can we play our own DVDs in the theatre?

There is a local DVD player in the theatre that you have access to, where you can enjoy the DVDs that you bring with you (as long as your DVD is compatible with US/CAN standards, and it is not Blu-Ray). Remember, though, Crescendo has hundreds of titles available to you, and we will send you a list of those titles as your arrival date approaches.

How does your Geothermal system work?

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: www.geotility.ca.

Are there any non-snow related activities you would recommend for us to do?

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.