Fabulous Whistler Trip Part Two

Saturday morning started with a walk around Whistler Village. As the mountain biking competition Crankworks was on when we were there there were demonstrations and competitions going on in several spots. It was great to watch the skill level of these competitors. We also took advantage of a couple of freebies. I ended up with a free cup of Ben & Jerry's icecream as they were doing a promotion (Cherry Garcia) and hubby took a testdrive in a new Jeep over gigantic rocks. While we always purchase our vehicles used it still is a good idea to test drive a new model to get the feel for the cars. I really don't think a Jeep is in our future but you never know.

We stumbled upon the finals of the men's freestyle and got to see the winner (the guy on the screen). The event was held at the bottom of Whistler mountain right where we got off the lift. It was something that I would never go to watch but am so glad we did. These mountain bikers are the worlds best and the crowd was treating them like rockstars, very fun to watch.

The mountain was dotted with thousands of wildflowers. One of my favorite parts of the trip was going up the open chair lift on Blackcomb mountain. It was so peaceful and quiet.

The Peak To Peak Tram is the jewel in the Whistler Blackcomb crown. A feat of engineering opened just before the 2010 winter Olympics it connects Blackcomb mountain with Whistler mountain. It is the highest lift of its kind in the world and it spans over 3 kilometres unsupported. It was truly amazing.

Part of the prize was tickets for the Roundhouse BBQ that runs weekend nights in summer. Normally I avoid buffets as dislike overeating and never feel I get my moneys worth. This one is $30 per person but was one of the best buffets ever. Absolutely everything was tasty, not a single miss in the entire menu.

We bought our own beer and were entertained by a good band playing at the BBQ and this tiny chipmunk scavenging for bits under the picnic tables. He was fast as lightening, obviously a return customer.

This picture shows a little red and blue dot on top of the cliff. Those are people who somehow managed to hike and climb there. Just looking at them gave me the willies.

The vistas were breathtaking, and we were so fortunate for the clear sunny skies. Normally you only get views like this out of an airplane.

We had lunch on Sunday, which was my Birthday at the outdoor view patio at Christine's at the top of Blackcomb mountain. I had what possibly might be the best mixed green salad ever made with pea shoots and candied almonds. We had several cocktails in celebration and then did some hiking to walk it off.

It was a wonderful holiday weekend and we discovered something new - we actually enjoy hiking! We have finally figured out a way to get exercise and spend quality couple time together so I see local day hikes in my future. The weekend was far more than we could have hoped for and I would love to return to Whistler one day.

Fabulous Whistler Trip - Part One

Late December last year I received a voicemail message indicating I had won a three night trip to Whistler. A part-time hobby of mine is entering contests and it has paid off big-time in the last several years. Due to our recent move to B.C. the trip had to wait until this past weekend, booked to co-incide with my 43rd Birthday.

We had wonderful weather, clear blue skies and hot summer days. First, the ferry crossing from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay, then an ocean cliffside drive up into the mountains.

Our budget of $500 for expenses was as follows:
Gas $25
Parking $100 ($30 per night plus tax)
Ferries $160 ($80 each way for a car and two passengers)
Meals and drinks $220

$505 Total. This was my birthday weekend as well as our only real holiday this year so we budgeted for it. We packed our own alcohol, muffins, fruit and snacks for the room.


No trip is totally free even if won as a prize. This one did not include transportation to the resort and only included two meals. When researching the trip I quickly realized that Whistler has absolutely no free parking. An outdoor lot for the day costs a minimum $8 so our hotel charge of $30 per day for underground secure parking, while high, was not unexpected. We planned it into our trip budget as could find no cheaper way to get there than driving. If I had not researched this, it would have been a very bad shock. The trip did include unlimited passes on the chair lifts on both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and peak to peak tram so that was our main form of entertainment for the trip.

Hotel Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the lift chairs at base of Blackcomb Mountain


We stayed three nights at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, an old-world charm five star hotel which lived up to our high expectations. There was lush bedding, bathrobes, hot tubs and pools enjoyed every evening after a long day of hiking and sightseeing. The hotel is in a wonderfull location right at the bottom of Blackcomb mountain and we rode the lift down right to the hotel at days end.

Whistler hosted many of the skiing events from the 2010 Winter Olympics and is definitely a world class town. We ate great meals, did some hiking and conquered our fear of heights (not quite but we pushed ourselves) to go as high as you can go on the mountain.

I am breaking this post into two entries due to the number of photos I took. Part Two to come shortly.