Whistler and Journey from Lake Louise by Coach

The highlights were the majesty of the mountains, gorges, rivers and glaciers. In particular the Spiral Tunnels, Natural Bridge,Fraser and Thomson Rivers, Craigellachie and Lillocet. When the bus was driving along (carefully) with a sheer drop on one side, the expression and colour of our guide's face was also fairly spectacular.

Whistler is a purpose built ski-resort built on the Alpine model. Its various little squares make it a pleasant place to stroll through or to have a meal on the many café’s verandas.

Quick Tips:

There are numerous good photo opportunities. Take plenty of time to do the journey and capture the magnificent views on film - keep good notes. Take a book with you to read and a stout pair of walking shoes for Whistler if visiting out of season.

Best Way To Get Around:

Bus, car or Rocky Mountaineer through the Rockies. Around Whistler we got around entirely by walking. It is hardly a large place and there are some nice walks around it.

The tour company had booked us into the The Listel Whistler Hotel. It proved to be nicely situated in the Village Square next to the Village shops and restaurants and 100 yds from the ski lifts of the Blackcomb Mountains. Booking in was painless. We were issued with our key, went up to our room and shortly after our luggage was brought up.

Our Delux twin room had been upgraded to a Luxury Suite with two bedrooms a sette and two easy chairs. It also had a private bathroom, mini fridge, colour television, digital clock radio and tea and coffee making facilities. My wife was glad to see that there was an iron and ironing board. Rather essential equipment for travellers but not always there. A safe is also useful and there was one in the room. Something else I like to see nowadays is an internet service. This hotel had data ports on their direct dial telephones for those who had a laptop computer with them. The TV was supposed to offer email but although I could receive I couldn't get it to send. The room was comfortable, quiet, clean and the service top class.

The hotel also has a range of leisure facilities but we didn't use these.

The hotel completely blew its good record, when we decided to have breakfast there. First the waitress came with something completely different from what my wife had ordered and it was not delivered with the pleasant manners we had come to expect during our stay in Canada. The price was also about double of what we had become used to paying.

The lesson was sleep there but eat elsewhere.

For further information visit Best Western Listel Hotel

We had noticed the Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub when walking around during our first day in Whistler. Being a bit partial to the taste of Irish we went there for lunch the next day.

When we looked in we found two Welsh ladies from the same tour as us already there. We joined them and they whispered gleefully: "its a two for one special offer". Well I was all for that and a pint of Guinness to wash it down. We ordered Irish stew for two a pint of Guinness for me and a soft drink for my wife.

While waiting I looked around with fascination at the old bicycle and other artefacts hanging from the walls that "normal" people would have thrown out. I have the theory that Irish pubs originally were run from someone’s living room and the bric a brac was just the normal items of the house. This theory will do until someone gives me a better one.

The large picture windows gave a great view of Blackcombe Mountain from our table. The view for those sitting on the patio soaking in the sun would have been even better. The Pub is in the Pan Pacific Lodge at the base of the mountain. I couldn't help thinking - crafty devils, the passengers from the gondola will practically fall through the door of the pub. The gondola was not running while we were there.

This pub was built in Ireland and transported across so it is as genuine as they come. You are supposed to soak up the rich Irish heritage and share in the unique celebration of all things Irish. Singing and music is part a common part of an Irish pub scene but it was too early in the day for festivities. On our visit the heritage was the food, the articles hanging from the wall, the Guinness, the quick and cheerful service and the value for money

I can thoroughly recommend this pub as a place to eat and have a pint if Guinness. For further information check out their website:

The Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub

Some of our party had opted for the romance and pampering of traveliing on the Rocky Mountaineer Express. They were up early for the bus trip to Banff to catch the train. We left at a more respectable hour.

After traveling for an hour or so, my wife exclaimed, "There's the train!" We had caught up the Rocky Mountaineer Express.

Traveling through Kicking Horse Pass, which is not only the Continental Divide but the highway's and the South Thomson River's highest point, we stopped at the viewpoint for the Spiral Tunnels.

The Tunnels are unique. They take trains around a loop in the mountain so that they descend or ascend more slowly -necessary to avoid runaway trains! The exit tunnel for going downhill is below the entrance tunnel. Unfortunately, there were so many trees in the area that it was difficult to take a clear photo of the Rocky Mountaineer Express entering and leaving the tunnel.

The people going by train were traveling in luxury with constant snacks. We, on the other hand, were higher up and had a better view. As we traveled faster, we also had time for stops. Our next stop was to see Natural Bridge on the Emerald Lake Road.

The Kicking Horse River has carved a natural bridge through solid rock, 1.6km from the Trans-Canada Highway on the Emerald Lake Road.

We stopped also at Craigellachie--Last Spike.

This was the point where the historical meeting of the west and east parts of the railway line of the Trans-Canadian Railway took place. A small museum gave the details. The name Craigellachie comes from Scotland.

For a while, we journeyed along the Shuswap Lake-apparently it has 1,000 miles of shoreline, 500 of which were on our side. In the evening, we arrived at the Ramada Inn at Kamloops, where we were booked to spend the night.

After leaving Kamloops, we eventually left the Thomson River and traveled along the legendary Fraser River.

It is a very muddy river. As someone said, "It is too thick to drink and to thin to plough." It is possible to raft down it, and it would have been tempting before the railways.

We stopped at Lillocet for refreshments and a look around. It was a supply center for the 1860 Cariboo Gold Rush, when gold was discovered on Fraser River and in Cariboo-land occupied by the Salish and Chilcotin Indians. It was mile zero for the Cariboo Wagon Road route north out of Lillocet.

Eventually we reached Whistler, where we were to stay two nights in the Best Western Listel Hotel.

We stayed for two days in Whistler in September as part of our tour from Calgary to Victoria. It is a purpose-built ski resort built on the Alpine model. Its various little squares make it a pleasant place to stroll through or to have a meal on the many cafés’ verandas.

My guidebook has listed things to do such as golf, heli-hiking, heli-rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding, tennis, swimming, windsurfing, boating, or kayaking. Now a problem arises immediately, as these are all for the young, the athletic, or the golfing fanatic. So what is there to do for everyone else? Well, going up in a gondola was out, for the simple reason that they were not running. Shopping was hardly a high priority, for prices were higher than elsewhere. In fact, there are some very nice walks. They are graded according to difficulty and tend to end up at Green Lake, Alta Lake, or Lost Lake. I am sure Whistler is great for sporty types and as a skiing resort, but there is little of a cultural nature.

Whistler is one of those places that has been built for skiing enthusiasts. Those places claim to be year-round resorts, and people traveling through the Rockies do make use of them. In reality, there isn't really that much to do in the summer months for the mature individual. Being new and small, there is little of cultural interest in the village. My best advice, therefore, is to take a book with you to read and a stout pair of walking shoes.