Just the name, Cariboo Prospector, fills one's mind with romance, with the clicking of the train over the tracks. While staying in Vancouver, choices to get to Whistler, about 2 hours away, were either to drive, take a tour on a bus, or ride…Read More

Just the name, Cariboo Prospector, fills one's mind with romance, with the clicking of the train over the tracks. While staying in Vancouver, choices to get to Whistler, about 2 hours away, were either to drive, take a tour on a bus, or ride the train. We were warned away from driving the winding narrow road, especially if the driver wanted to enjoy to trip as well.

We opted for the BC Rail train, the Cariboo Prospector which makes a daily run, leaving Vancouver at 7:00 a.m. and winding its way along the coast of British Columbia before it heads inland to Whistler. There are no reserved seats, so arriving early, about 45 minutes before is advisable to secure your place in line. Tickets, however, should be purchased ahead of time since they sell out with only one train a day making this run. You can buy tickets online at www.bcrail.com.

Once on the train you sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. This is definately a tourist run. A well informed and personable employee makes regular announcements about what is coming up outside the windows and its historical or current event significance. They are very friendly folks.

A light breakfast is served of yogurt, bagel, and juice included in the price of the ticket. You can't help being lulled to sleep in the rocking chair motion of the train.

Once you arrive in Whistler, a bus is waiting to take the group into the village, about 3 minutes away. You are dropped off and told when and where to meet your bus driver for the return trip on the bus to catch the 7:05 p.m. train back to Vancouver. You have approximately 7 hours in Whislter to explore and dine.

The return trip again is narrated and a light snack is served enroute. We all came away feeling happy, relaxed, and glad to have experienced the beauty along the tracks and for the ease of the trip. Cost is $79 CDN, approximately $48 US. I'd definately do it again, but next time I might try their Moonlight Express complete with dinner and dancing aboard the train.

A Tale of Two Mountains Once upon a time (that'd be the early '70s), Whistler and Blackcomb were two competing ski resorts. Thank heavens for the free markets! In their haste to out-do each other, the two resorts kept adding bigger, better, and higher lifts and…Read More

A Tale of Two Mountains
Once upon a time (that'd be the early '70s), Whistler and Blackcomb were two competing ski resorts. Thank heavens for the free markets! In their haste to out-do each other, the two resorts kept adding bigger, better, and higher lifts and lodges until finally Blackcomb peaked at 5,280 ft and Whistler hit its ceiling at 5,020 ft. That's the first- and second-longest vertical drops in North America, respectively! In 1997 the two owner companies merged, making it possible to ski both of these glorious snowy peaks with one lift ticket.

Meanwhile down in the village, city planners had been busy masterminding a cunning plan to build Whistler Village, a pre-planned community at the base of the mountain, which would eventually provide a staggering 40,000 hotel rooms – each within comfortable walking distance of restaurants, shops, and of course the lifts. As the reputation of the resort has spread from British Columbia to the rest of the world, Blackcomb Village and Creekside Village were created to accommodate the growing throngs of visitors, as were the inevitable rashes of condos that speckle the surrounding foothills. The land of fresh powder, icewine, and the almighty loonie attracts a vastly international young staff, hailing mostly from the other side of the world where there is no snow during Canada's winter. We met countless twenty-somethings from Australia, New Zealand, Cape Town, and on and on.

The village is a fun place. Most restaurants spill out onto the street, and parka-wearing skiers park their gear against a wall and eat outside, hats and scarves still on. One afternoon a live band had set up shop under a tent on a terrace overlooking the lift line and was enthusiastically belting out mediocre covers of pop songs. (I don't know who those obnoxious people shouting "Play Freebird!!!" over and over were, honest!) We happened to be visiting during the Winter Olympics – I kept thinking we were in Salt Lake City because of the signs, posters, parties, and constant TV coverage. It was a bit disorienting getting off a gondola in Canada to the sound of people chanting "Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi oi oi!" on the day Australia won their first gold medal.

Wondering where to rent your skis?
Well don't go to Affinity. They may have the best marketing staff in town but the professionalism ends there. We could barely get in the door for all the people lined up brandishing their 10% off coupons. Once inside, we waited some more, then filled out some forms, then waited some more. Finally a harried-looking young woman whose nametag read "Dave" asked us what size feet we had. She was wandering off to the ski boot rack when I reminded her that she hadn't even asked whether we wanted skis or snowboards. That got her attention. She paused long enough for me to ask whether they carried step-in bindings for snowboards – which they did not – giving us the perfect excuse to turn tail and run.

I'm so glad we did, because it was then that we discovered Freeriderz. I'll take the friendly family-run shop over the big impersonal conglomerate any day of the week. Freeriderz is run by a lovely couple in their '60s, both avid skiiers. They, too, have a 10% off coupon, which we found out about only when they offered it to us in the store. Talk about honest! Their rental rates for a ski/boot/pole combination are about $3 a day cheaper than Affinity and that includes the tax. Even better, they told us that if we wanted to try a different size or style of skis or boards, that we could come back and exchange our rental gear at any time, at no additional cost. Now that's what I call customer service! It took some digging to find them on the web (surprising, as they have a little internet access side business going in the shop) but they do indeed have a website at http://www.freeriderz.iwarp.com. I accidentally found an awesome movie of a boarder doing an aerial across a road and over a SUV at http://www.freeriderz.com if you're into that sort of thing.

Freeriderz
4433 Sundial Place
St. Andrews House Building

Condo Livin'
I mentioned that there are condos outside the village ... that's where we stayed. A condo generally requires a car. Most are strategically built near the free shuttle bus stops, but they are often at the bottom of a steep hill, which is more exercise than most people over 30 want at the end of a long day of skiing. Our condo, booked through Resort Quest International, was built in 1999 and had been very lightly used, to the point where the foam padding under the rugs still squished underfoot. It had a fireplace, three bedrooms (one master and two with two twin beds each), and mountain views. There was a garage, but no remote control provided. We could ski in/out by hiking down a short trail. It was clean, cozy, and decorated in a sort of "antique sports" theme, with wood-and-leather skis and boots figuring prominently in the décor.

Maid service was provided once every three days – ours left something to be desired. They got the place clean, but left the front door unlocked and neglected to replace our depleted soap and shampoo supplies. It was hard to mind though when I discovered a switch in the bathroom that turned on the HEATED FLOOR. Fantastic! There was a hot tub outside, but we couldn't get motivated to brush the snow off the cover to fire it up. On the last day, we inadvertently discovered the top secret hiding place where the owners keep their keys to the closet where their personal belongings are stored. We left a note suggesting that they find a better spot to keep them!

A quick scan of ResortQuest's website turned up some very reasonable prices, like 290-580 CAD per night for a three bedroom condo that sleeps eight, with a fireplace and hot tub. There were studios for as little as 105 CAD per night in the village, also with hot tub and fireplace. Parking in the village was fairly painless, but not free – there was a $6 charge every time we left the car in a lot.

The obvious advantage to staying in a hotel, of course, is your proximity to the village. You can drink yourself silly on Maudite and Fin du Monde, then stumble home without violating any DUI laws. You can have lunch in your room and get right back on the slopes if you're so inclined. The decision is up to you!

The Okanagan is O.K.! I couldn't resist that corny title. Please forgive me, it was the wine speaking! Okanagan is an up-and-coming wine region, a long meandering valley in British Columbia that flanks the Okanagan Lake. The presence of the lake helps smooth out chilly…Read More

The Okanagan is O.K.!
I couldn't resist that corny title. Please forgive me, it was the wine speaking! Okanagan is an up-and-coming wine region, a long meandering valley in British Columbia that flanks the Okanagan Lake. The presence of the lake helps smooth out chilly winter temperatures somewhat, making it quite possible and even fruitful to grow grapes there.

Who or what, you ask, is Cabernet Franc?
No, Cabernet Franc is not a tipsy ski bum I met at an apres-ski party. It's the grape mainstay of the Okanagan valley, and is bottled by itself or combined with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in a blend. The Cab Franc grape ripens earlier than the Cab Sauvignon, so industrious Canadian vintners can yank them out of the ground before it freezes. Because winter starts so early, Canadian red wines don't do as well as whites, which require less time on the vine. You might wonder why I decided to sample the reds exclusively ... I'll tell you why, because it gets cold in Canada at night, darn it!

Speaking of Cold Weather
Then there's icewine, a Canadian specialty that's all about the cold. The winter frosts that most vintners have nightmares about are not a problem for icewine producers, who hope that their grapes will undergo several cycles of freezing and thawing over the course of the winter while still clinging to their vines. All this activity dehydrates the grapes and concentrates their flavor, resulting an intensely sweet and tropical taste to the wine. Canada's best-known producer of icewine is Iniskillin – is it any surprise that it rhymes with chillin'?

What to Drink
If you want to taste a Cabernet Franc, try Tinhorn vineyard's 1999 vintage, which is aged for a mere nine months in an oak barrel, and offers a fruity, vanilla-scented body with a hint of pepper and spice.

On this trip, I sampled several inexpensive Canadian reds from Okanagan, mostly Cabernet Francs. Although Wine Spectator magazine isn't going to be calling any time soon asking for an interview, everything I tried was quite good. Wine snobs would say that the Cabernet Franc and Okanagan combination produces a weak tasting wine that would be nothing without the oak barrel it is aged in - but for under $20 CAD per bottle I'm not sure I care!

One local wine bargain worth trying is Mission Hill's award-winning 1999 Cabernet Merlot, a robust blend with strong currant and plum flavors spiked with red pepper. Toronto wine critic Cy Jamison calls it "a classic food wine with considerable tannic grip". Not bad for less than $10 CAD a bottle, although you can expect to pay 2-3 times that in restaurants. Did I mention what that award was for? Best V-A-L-U-E!

Where to get your Oenophilic Groove On
I was surprised at how many restaurants offered numerous wines by the glass, especially the Pacific Northwest varietals of which the British Columbians are so very proud. Araxi at Whistler Village is by far the best place to try them out, but La Bocca (also in the Village) and Thai One On in Blackcomb Village also have impressive wine lists considering their modest sizes.

If you're not planning a trip to B.C. any time soon, Esquin Wine Merchants have a great selection of Okanagan wines for sale online.

On an earlier trip to British Columbia, somewhere between Victoria and Vancouver, my husband and I fell in love with the work of Northwestern native artists. Every subsequent trip North has included a search for reputable stores and galleries that carry carvings and serigraphs, particularly…Read More

On an earlier trip to British Columbia, somewhere between Victoria and Vancouver, my husband and I fell in love with the work of Northwestern native artists. Every subsequent trip North has included a search for reputable stores and galleries that carry carvings and serigraphs, particularly those that are stylized pictorial representations of local myth and legend.

A popular character in the mythology of many tribes is the mischievous, shape-shifting Raven. Raven is always getting in trouble and relying upon his shape-shifting abilities to squirm out of whatever fix he's in, like finding himself in the belly of a whale with no obvious way out. Better galleries will be able to tell you exactly what story a given piece of art is describing, and some will even give you a writeup of the legend from a book or database when you buy a print. We've bought carvings in wood and soapstone, as well as some jewelry and textiles, but our favorite medium is the serigraph.

On Serigraphs
"Serigraph" might just be a fancy word that silkscreeners made up so as not to be confused with those guys who make family reunion t-shirts and corporate logo mugs, but the serigraphs I've seen and bought are original art, no question about it, and their creators and dealers take great care to ensure that they are considered as such. The process is actually quite complex, and when it is finished, any imperfect prints are discarded. The images are numbered and signed by the artist, and the stencils are destroyed so no more copies can be made. In other words, if an artist wants to buy a new car, he can't just print up a few more copies of "Raven Transforming into Dented Minivan" and put them on the market.

Where to Shop
Northwest Connection in the upper village is more of a store than a gallery. They feature hand-carved jewelry, masks, totem poles, baskets, mugs, and non-native art as well as some fine quality paintings and prints. Prices were very reasonable on the prints – we were excited to find a small Raven print by Wayne Young, an artist whose work we've found in the past in a Toronto gallery.

The other is Black Tusk Gallery, in the lower village. This is a high-end, high quality gallery, targeted to collectors. The owners are based in Seattle, and the gallery is their hobby as well as their passion. Here you'll find substantial and expensive pieces like carved headboards and elaborate masks, with ample space to display them. There are no placemats or t-shirts here; the saleslady painstakingly and ever so condescendingly explained to us that t-shirts trivialize the art of the serigraph and lower its value. We like to think that t-shirts help raise public consciousness of native art, but something tells me that argument would have been better received over at Northwest Connection.

Despite the side dish of attitude, Black Tusk is a great place to shop. They carry the work of "name-brand" artists as well as newcomers. We picked up a very reasonable print by a young artist from the Haida tribe (you can save a bundle by getting prints unframed!) and had it shipped home so we didn't have to pay the VAT tax. Black Tusk has an exceptionally good website which features biographies and extensive catalogs of each artist they represent. You can also purchase directly from the website.

Some artists to watch for:
Glen Rabena: Adopted into the Haida tribe, Rabena's serigraphs blend the ancient forms with modern subjects. His unusual style makes his work instantly recognizable.

Robert Davidson: Perhaps the most celebrated Northwest Coast artist alive today, Davidson has been the subject of several books. His work is shown in places as diverse as the Microsoft Art Gallery and Truly Malin's living room. No medium is off limits to this versatile artist, but his serigraphs are the most affordable.

Wayne Young: A personal favorite of ours, Young specializes in transformation myths, which he represents in prints and in totem pole carvings.

Eugene Alfred: We discovered this Tlingit artist's work at Black Tusk and are looking forward to more. At only 31 years old, he has a long and distinguished career ahead of him!

Northwest Connection
4232 Sunrise Alley
Whistler Village
Phone 604-932-4646

Black Tusk Gallery
At the Summit Lodge
101-4359 Main Street
Phone: 604-905-5540
Toll Free (CA & US) 877-905-5540

Photos courtesy of Black Tusk Gallery website

With only three days to ski the vast offerings of the Whistler-Blackcomb extravaganza of trails, we didn't have the luxury of planning our runs to end up at the best restaurant on the hill at precisely 11:45am. Instead, we let fate and timing guide…Read More

With only three days to ski the vast offerings of the Whistler-Blackcomb extravaganza of trails, we didn't have the luxury of planning our runs to end up at the best restaurant on the hill at precisely 11:45am. Instead, we let fate and timing guide our decisions, and for the most part, were happy with our choices. One important word to the wise, though: start thinking about eating around 11am. You'll need time to find your way through the labyrinth of lifts and trails so you can plunk yourself on a food line before the real crowds get started. Do NOT ignore this advice, or you may end up eating outside under a snowfall like we did one unhappy day.

If you are, on the other hand, the plan-ahead type, then plan to end up at the Raven's Nest on Whistler at least once during your trip. This smallish lodge has a lot to offer, including an outdoor grill that was manned (womanned?) by two cute blondes with mysterious accents. That probably explains why my brother-in-law ended up on that line before the rest of us had even decided where we were eating. The grill had run out of veggie burgers, so I headed inside and found a limited but appetizing selection of salads, sandwiches, soups, and fresh baked desserts. I ordered corn chowder with a whole grain roll and brought it outside to eat. The chowder was fantastic: peppery, robust, and filling. We indulged ourselves with some tasty chocolate chip banana bread and chocolate chip M&M cookies as well. The highlight of lunch on the outdoor deck was a visit from the local skipjacks, daring birds that will swoop down and take offerings of bread and french fries right out of your hand! We had them repeat their trick several times in hopes of getting a good photo, but a slow shutter and a fast bird are not a photogenic couple.

Day Two found us at Rendezvous Lodge, a well-situated and enormous structure on Blackcomb with an equally huge selection of dining options. They have everything you would expect from slope-side cuisine and more, including Mexican offerings, barbeque, soup and chili bar, and a variety of salads and desserts. Unfortunately it gets intensely crowded, particularly in bad weather when the outdoor seating is no longer an option, so go early or don’t plan to eat sitting down!

We stopped by Merlin's one night to check out the bar scene and found ourselves timewarped back to freshman year frat parties, Canadian-style. Live music enlivened an already hopping bar scene in this two-story, typical ski chalet-style spot. Most tables sported a bowl overflowing with an enormous pile of multi-colored cheese-coated chips: the signature nachos. The local microbrew got a unanimous thumbs-down from the crowd, but my Keoke coffee was delicious. We stuck around for a few silly human tricks, like the 'free bucket of [our sponsor's] beer to the table that cheers the loudest' stunt, but watching the beer board contest put us over some sort of "I am too old for this" threshold. Some imaginatively depraved mind had dreamed up the idea of attaching a number of plastic cups to a snowboard, then lining people up on stage in front of them. A bottle of beer was placed in each cup, each would-be winner placed the mouth of the bottle between their lips, and the board was slowly tilted toward them, forcing them all to chug their beers at precisely the same rate. All well and good for the semi-pro beer guzzlers who had obviously done this before, but woe to the unsuspecting petite female who answered the cry of 'we need some women up here!' She foolishly took the stage with no idea of what was in store for her. Within seconds she was overwhelmed. The beer overflowed her mouth and poured all over her lacy black top and jeans. She looked near tears as the staff awarded the prize (more beer, naturally) to the guy on her left. We left the bar and went home.

After being forced out into the snow to eat lunch at Rendezvous the day before, we decided to ski all the way down to the village for lunch on our last day. To our surprise, the lunch choices were somewhat limited, particularly for those in noisy clanking boots. It's worth noting that some of the lunch options in the village are actually bars, so if you have kids with you, you can't eat there. Why, when I was a kid, I used to sit right AT the bar on weekends at brunch with my Dad ... but either the rules have changed, or Canada is just uptight. Anyway! Tex Corleone's was the place we staggered into. You'd think we would have learned a lesson about mixing cuisines at Gaitor's, but while the TexMex/Italian food was uniformly ordinary, we had plenty of room to spread out (a table for 10, to be precise!) with our very own fireplace at the end of it to warm up our wet gloves.

The tall, needled spires of mountain hemlocks seem the size of toothpicks next to vast, immaculate glacial bowls. Ski and snowboarders co-exist peacefully, taking turns getting tissues at the "sniffle stations" and wending in and out of trailside glades or through nubbly fields of moguls.…Read More

The tall, needled spires of mountain hemlocks seem the size of toothpicks next to vast, immaculate glacial bowls. Ski and snowboarders co-exist peacefully, taking turns getting tissues at the "sniffle stations" and wending in and out of trailside glades or through nubbly fields of moguls. The runs are designed to keep you from getting in over your head, but because of Whistler's large size and unpredictable weather, some care should be taken to select routes that will offer an easy out should the weather turn foggy, and leave you near a lodge around lunch time. This proved harder than it looked – which is why I’m going to give you some suggestions. Our group had three boarders and two skiiers, ranged in age from teen to retiree, and depending on how tired our legs were at any given time, were happy to cruise anything from the bunny hill to the easier black diamonds, although we aimed for the intermediate blues whenever possible. On Whistler and on Blackcomb, here is where to carve out your little corner of paradise.

Ski Whistler
On Canada's Eastern coast, there is an old legend about "Le Souffleur", or The Whistler, who blows the clouds away with his great breath. I had hoped that Whistler Mountain was named after the Souffleur of lore, but no such luck. The truth is almost as interesting though – Whistler was named for the alpine marmot, a groundhog-like animal that makes a whistling noise to communicate with other marmots. We didn't see any on the slopes, but I'm sure they're out there...blowing the fog right in our faces!

Harmony Express: Shortcut to Paradise!
The Harmony Express chair goes nearly to the top of Whistler. This is the place to start a good long run that will leave your calves burning, eyes watering, and legs twitching if you don't stop to rest. In good conditions you can veer left getting off the chair onto Burnt Stew, an easy glide across the mountain's top to the vast glacial wonderland of Symphony Bowl. Intermediates can dive right into the mogul-filled bowl, while beginners should stick to the trail, with an option of meeting up at the bowl's bottom. (The bowl is visually stunning when filled with fog, but treacherous as well, so exercise caution.) From there, Burnt Stew continues all the way back down to Harmony chair, skirting the edge of the resort (which naturally results in glorious views of untouched terrain to your right.) Circle around the edge of the bowl, then bear right on the edge of the resort boundary onto Sidewinder.

You have a choice here: pick up the Emerald Express chair and head back up, or keep going. Note! If you're on a snowboard, start picking up speed on Sidewinder. The area by the lift is miserably flat and will force you to take off your board and walk a fair distance if you're not prepared. Once you're on Upper Olympic, which starts at the Emerald Express lift, you can look forward to an exceptionally long run, carved out of the side of the mountain with steep drops to the right. Other runs you can take from the middle to the bottom are Lower Olympic (green) or Fantastic (blue) to the village. On the way down you have great views of the village from above. Both have lots of opportunities for glade skiing on the sidelines. Regardless of the exact trails you take, you'll find yourself in a seamless curvaceous segue of easy but exhilarating trails that will deposit you right in the village.

An alternative route off Harmony for intermediates is the moderately steep and challenging Harmony Ridge to the Glades - great for people who like trees but want to stay near the trail.

Emerald Express: Great for Groups
There are tons of easy and intermediate runs off of Emerald Express – we liked Whiskey Jack (green) to Orange Peel (blue) to Tokum (blue). Tokum was particularly enjoyable, giving intermediates a bit of a challenge with some steep spots and offering spectacular vistas of the valley below. These runs can also be reached from Whistler Village Gondola, which holds a special place in my memories, because it was right after I got OFF that gondola that I realized I didn't even remember how to put a pair of skis on! Yes, it had been That Long. The gondola holds ten people, which seemed impossible until they actually crammed ten of us into it. Not the most comfortable ride but it sure does get you from the base to nearly the top of the mountain with only one line to wait on.

Ski Blackcomb
Blackcomb hasn't got a bottom-to-top gondola like Whistler, so you'll have to take two lifts or more to get to the top. But what a top … !

Wizard Express to Solar Coaster
Lots of good green and blue options at the top of Solar Coaster – we liked Springboard (blue), which takes you 3/4 way down the mountain to your choice of several shorter blues to the bottom. Another good solid combination is Expressway (green)/Easy Out (green)/Lower Gear Jammer (blue) or Merlins (blue) to the bottom.

To the Top!
If you’re ready for the highest heights, and don't mind taking four lifts to get there, go back up Solar Coaster and take Jersey Cream (blue) to cut over to the Glacier Express lift. You can take Blue Line (blue) down from there or follow signs to the Horstman T-Bar, which will deposit you atop the glacier. Note to snowboarders: T-bars are a little tricky! If you've never tried one before, I suggest you hang out and watch for a little while before trying it. You are now in a glacial bowl, a spectacular free-for-all which has at its base the conveniently located but horrifically crowded Rendezvous Lodge. If conditions are foggy when you get to the top, don't panic. There's a trail called Green Line (green), which is essentially a path through the moguls in the glacier bowl that is a real lifesaver in fog. Otherwise in normal conditions, the bowl is rated blue. Not that I'd know – I couldn't see the tips of my skis the day we visited.

Take a leisurely 2-hour drive from Vancouver to Whistler and enjoy the picturesque scenery as you travel northwards from the city. You will probably go cross the Lion’s Gate Bridge over the Burrard Inlet. Keep a lookout along the route, far out in…Read More

Take a leisurely 2-hour drive from Vancouver to Whistler and enjoy the picturesque scenery as you travel northwards from the city. You will probably go cross the Lion’s Gate Bridge over the Burrard Inlet. Keep a lookout along the route, far out in the distance you will see parts of many islands and the high peaks of local mountains. Much of the trip upwards is along a narrow, winding highway heavily surrounded by tall trees and high rock walls which makes viewing the lakes below a little difficult except where there is a break in the trees, so be alert for those Kodak moments.

Stop at the local Tim Hortons in Squamish for a short break, but take the time to look all around you.

Whistler is a city with so much to offer to people of all ages. Relax and enjoy all of the outdoor activities, from mountain biking, walking tours and gondola rides up Blackcomb Mountain. Rest up and enjoy the view at the top of the mountain at the Roundhouse Lodge. For the less adventurous, there are many spas, lots of shopping, galleries and plenty of places to eat of all ethnicities.

Bears do come into the village often to eat the local berries and try to open those garbage containers, which even I found a little difficult to open. They have become less afraid of people, but it is dangerous and unfortunately sometimes there is not a happy ending.

One of my favourite places to eat was the Mongolie Grill (stir-fry), near the local movie theatre. You can pick and choose all of the different varieties of meats, vegetables and noodles, etc. and watch the chef mix it all up on the grill right before your eyes. Add your own spices and sauces to taste. Also excellent are Araxi (Fine Dining), Caramba (Mediterranean/pizza) and Sachi Sushi at the Summit Lodge (Japanese food). If you are looking for fast food, there is also McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s Pizza and lots more.

Quick snacks and other prepared foods and grocery needs can be found in the IGA and Marketplace Grocery Store.

One of the nearest shorter walks is around the Lost Lake Loop. Nearby are also many smaller lakes, Green Lake for example, where the water really looks green, but you will need a vehicle to take advantage of the many other sites, including Creekside.

As they say, be careful where you walk and be mindful of the local bears. View them from afar and don’t get in between a mother bear and her cub.

Perimeter’s Whistler Express has an extensive schedule and can get you to and from Vancouver Airport for a reasonable fare. Approximately $70.00 Cdn. door-to-door condo one-way fare.

Local bus transportation is easily accessible and was free of charge around the Village and up into the Benchlands.

Whistler has year-round activities so travel anytime. Lots of great accommodations and full dental/medical/booking services are available. Visit the Adventure Centres to obtain free information, coupons and make arrangements for all of your activities.

Many people come from all over the world to visit and lots of people who came to work for only a short period of time found they loved it so much in Whistler, they haven’t left or stayed for many years. If you get the chance to speak to them, there are lots of stories to be told. Did you hear about that bear in the Cigar Store…?

For a ski town, Whistler has wonderful stores where all the employees enjoy their jobs. For both gals and guys, check out lululemon. This is a yoga store that sells yoga attire and other things. If you do not do yoga, you should check it…Read More

For a ski town, Whistler has wonderful stores where all the employees enjoy their jobs. For both gals and guys, check out lululemon. This is a yoga store that sells yoga attire and other things. If you do not do yoga, you should check it out anyway. The warm-up suits are really comfy, and they compliment the majority of body types. Also, check out the Salomon store in the Westin hotel. They sell ski equipment, clothes, and other accessories. Prices in retail stores are comparable to any city. Some of the funky clothes are at Wild Willie's. This is a spin-off of Urban Outfitters. They sell vintage-type t-shirts and all other clothes. They are reasonable in price and very trendy. Of course, you have to check out Roots Canada. I love their track pants and baseball caps. If you love to shop, then you'll love it here.Close

Believe it or not, Whistler has a large gay/lesbian scene! I made this trip with my boyfriend and I felt completely comfortable showing affection. There are also several activities that took place during the time we were at Whistler. The crowd was more sporty homosexuals…Read More

Believe it or not, Whistler has a large gay/lesbian scene! I made this trip with my boyfriend and I felt completely comfortable showing affection. There are also several activities that took place during the time we were at Whistler. The crowd was more sporty homosexuals opposed to the dancing kind, but I had a great time.Close

If you want to see some snow, I promise that it will still be there in August! Take the ski lift up as far as you can and hike around. Be prepared for a glaring sun as well as snow at the highest altitudes. Dress…Read More

If you want to see some snow, I promise that it will still be there in August! Take the ski lift up as far as you can and hike around. Be prepared for a glaring sun as well as snow at the highest altitudes. Dress in layers: it's quite cool in the shade and can be roasting in the sun! Hike down the mountain and expect some glorious sights of the valley below, adjacent mountains, wildlife and wild flowers. During certain weeks there are even concerts on the mountain. Take a picnic dinner and enjoy!

The town is lovely and very European. Sit out at one of the many cafes and watch the sunset and the great variety of human and canine life pass you by. It is lively till way past midnight. There are about a billion restaurants of all types and all price ranges.

During the day, if you're not hiking you can swim, white water raft, fish, lay about in the meadow, drive to nearby waterfalls or interesting small towns and other valleys. Take a one-day trip to Victoria. Drive south and catch a ferry. Leave early, return late -- very do-able and enjoyable!

My husband and I LOVE Whistler and will return to our timeshare there many times during this lifetime!