Why Do People
Travel From All Over The World To Visit Whistler Canada?
Why is Whistler Canada so popular?
Well, on one hand that's an easy question to
answer. Yet in other ways it's very
difficult.
You see, it's easy to come up with lots
of reasons, but difficult to narrow it down to just
a few.
The solution? Come up with a Top 10
List. So, in deference to David Letterman, here's our
family's...
"Top Ten Reasons To Visit
Whistler Canada"
# 10 - Shopping
Hey,
how did
shopping get on this list?! (I voted for
Whistler heli-skiing but "Mom" won out on this one.) For the most part
I'm out of my field of expertise here and hesitant to offer advice. But
I do know (from first hand observation), that if you love to shop, you
can easily while away an afternoon perusing the stores in Whistler
Village, in resort hotels and other locations
around
Whistler.
Our boys modelling some ROOTS (TM)
baseball caps
From good old "Canadiana" stores like
Roots, to art galleries, clothing shops and ski/snowboard shops, there
is plenty of variety.
Actually, I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I
can
actually offer some authoritative advice on shopping for
ski
equipment in Whistler. This past winter it was time to
upgrade the old
ski
gear. My gut reaction was that the prices in a
resort like Whistler would be inflated. Much to my surprise, I actually
found that not only were the prices
lower than in
Vancouver, (where we live), the whole experience was much easier.
#9 - Restaurants
With
two young boys in tow I have to admit we end up at
The Old
Spaghetti Factory probably more times than we'd like (my wife
and I that is) but hey, the kids love it, and the restaurant is very
family
friendly.
Posing outside our
boys' favourite Whistler
restaurant, The Old Spaghetti Factory
With over 100 restaurants, bars and lounges in
town, (including the best
restaurant in Canada) you will never run out of dining (or
nightlife) options in
Whistler. From high end Italian restaurants like Il Caminetto
di Umberto to fish and game at the legendary Rimrock
Cafe, the selection will not disappoint.
Heck, you can even have a fondue dinner at the top
of Blackcomb Mountain. Arrive by snowmobile or snowcat and enjoy live
entertainment while you eat. Very romantic!
One caveat however. Restaurants fill up quickly
(especially around 7 pm) so make your reservations early. In fact, it
would be a good idea to make your some of your restaurant reservations
before
you even arrive in Whistler.
#8 - Summertime
Whistler Canada actually got its start as a summer vacation spot almost
100 years ago. Long before it was a world class ski resort, this area
was coveted for its fishing, hiking,
wildlife
and beautiful lakes in the
summertime.
And it still is.
Nowadays you can also add mountain biking and golf
(see #6) to the list of summertime activities.
#7 - Whistler Canada Is Kid Friendly
From the "Whistler Kids" ski school, to kid zones and "kid friendly"
resorts, Whistler/Blackcomb is a perfect destination for families with
children (of all ages). And when mom and dad need a little time to
themselves, there are several local companies that offer bonded nanny
and babysitting services.
# 6 - Great Golf
Nicklaus and Palmer. Need I say more? Two of the three golf courses in
town were designed by these two golf legends. The third course? It was
designed by some guy named Robert Trent Jones Jr. (No slouch in his own
right when it comes to golf course architecture).
And if your willing to venture a few minutes
(30-45) out of town there are at least 3 more championship golf courses
set among some of the most spectacular scenery you'll find anywhere.
#5 - The Après-Ski Scene
People have been "après-skiing" in Whistler Canada for over 40 years. The
Longhorn, GLC and
Dusty's
are all synonymous with après-ski in Whistler.
 |
|
Dusty's patio, looking up Whistler Mountain (Creekside Base)
|
Inside
Dusty's Bar & BBQ, "Whistler's Original Watering Hole", located
in Whistler Creekside Village
|
#4 - The Resort Hotels
Ever since we stayed at the Pan Pacific Village Centre this past ski
season, my 7 year old son Callum uses it as the benchmark by which he
judges all of the other
Whistler
lodgings. Ranked by Conde Nast travel
magazine as the top Canadian resort in 2007, the Pan Pacific is one of
several luxury resort hotels spread throughout Whistler/Blackcomb.
Update: This past December we were fortunate enough to spend three
nights at the Four Seasons Whistler Canada Resort,
Whistler's only 5 star
hotel. Needless to say, Callum has a new benchmark for which to judge accommodation in Whistler.
#3 - Whistler Mountain
This is where skiing was born at Whistler. Over 4,700 acres and 5,020
feet of vertical.
#2 - Blackcomb Mountain
Why did I put Blackcomb ahead of Whistler Mountain? With one mile of
vertical, Blackcomb "beats" Whistler Mountain by about 250 feet.
Otherwise, it's a toss up. (Although when push comes to shove, I do
prefer Blackcomb.) But both mountains are unique in their own way, and I
highly recommend that you spend time exploring both of them. In fact,
starting in December 2008, that became much easier with the opening of
the
Peak
2 Peak Gondola, a world record setting lift that connects the
two mountains.
And The #1 Reason To Visit Whistler
Canada... THE SNOW!
Let's face it, without the snow
the the other nine reasons don't really matter too much.
Whistler
is
legendary for its "pow days". From late November right through until
early April, don't be surprised if you are
skiing
knee deep powder.
And even if you are not looking for the "steep and
deep" runs, there is always lots of freshly groomed runs each morning
on both mountains.
So there you have it. The Top 10 reasons to visit
Whistler Canada. See you on the slopes.
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