May 9th, 2009 - Whistler, B.C.
We were once again up early to meet our guide from LandSea tours in Vancouver for our day trip to Whistler, ski resort village and home to many of the venues for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Christian, a friendly young Brit from Essex, met us promptly at 7:45 and we proceeded to pick up only 6 other passengers for the trip (3 people from Wales, a lady from Australia and a couple from Colombia). Beautiful weather and a small tour group was the perfect start to what would be a 12-hour day of touring.
Our first stop was at Porteau Cove for photos and a short walk around the provincial park there. Although we were scheduled for only a few stops to and from Whistler, we were soon to discover that Christian is very accommodating and that he would be pleased to take us to all of his favourite picturesque spots and 'not-on-the-tour-map' places.
Next we stopped at the small mining community of Britannia Beach, to shop at a family-owned jade business (they mine, cut, polish the stones and design the jewelry) and to observe with interest a convoy of movie trucks pulling into the next lot. The inquisitive Welsh lady was quick to find out that the crew was setting up to film scenes for "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" featuring Brooke Shields and rumoured also to star the lady from the "Underworld" film series.
Our next stop was the majestic Shannon Falls, 1150 feet of rushing water amidst a lush green forest setting. We strolled up the path to the Falls to take some amazing photos, and then continued on the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler.
Whistler is a wonderful skiing venue for the Olympics, with Whistler and Blackcombe Mountains
standing guard over the village. Restaurants, bars, shops, hotels and condominiums make up the Lower Village with its cobblestone pedestrian area. Ian and I had lunch a local beer at the Longhorn Saloon at a sunny table on the patio, passing our time watching the zipliners on a training line nearby and listening to the music from the bar. After lunch we walked through the Village, re-visiting shops we had seen two years ago and picking up a couple of Olympic souvenirs. Our last stop after our 3-hour stay in Whistler was for a smoothie and a frappachino at Mogel's which we took onto the tour van for the drive back to Vancouver.
Once again Christian had great plans for our tour group. He took us onto a closed road to the Olympic Ski Jump venue, along which he had seen a black bear recently. Sure enough we spotted a bear lounging on a roadside hill, sitting back on his haunches to scratch his belly and pose for photos. We were all delighted to take photos until we were chased away by a park ranger, to continue our trip to the ski jump venue. Christian then had us each in turn climb the stone Inukshuk, symbol of the Olympic Games, to have our photos taken with the icon. I doubt that the ranger would approve :) We once again spotted our friendly bear, and saw another one who declined to stay and be photographed.
We continued on our drive back to Vancouver, stopping at every vantage point and scenic lookout along the way for photos of some of the most beautiful landscape in Canada. Our next official destination was the North Vancouver Outdoor School for a nature hike among old and second-growth forests. Christian pointed out huge trees that were up to 800 years old , and we were encouraged to climb up onto the trunk of the largest for photos. A peaceful walk in the fresh air and a great end to our official tour. Of course Christian had one more unofficial stop to make, a drive to the lookout on Cypress Mountain, a magnificent view of the city of Vancouver, Washington State, and Vancouver Island. We also saw the Millenium heading to Victoria for her 2-week drydock, and a Princess ship starting her run to Alaska.
If anyone is ever interested in a day trip to Whistler, I highly recommend LandSea Tours and especially Christian.
Back at the hotel by 8 pm, we thanked our guide, dropped off our shopping bags and headed to the White Spot for supper. An early bedtime for a 6 a.m. flight, and we ended our wonderful vacation to celebrate Ian's graduation.
Where else can you end up with photos of molten lava and a majestic glacier in the same week?
Next: Prologue - A comparison of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruiselines
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