Just over an hour’s ride from Vancouver, 76 miles to be exact, is the famous ski resort community of Whistler—home to the 2010 Winter Olympics.  It is home to both skiing and mountain biking. Literally, one can do both in one day.

About half-way between Vancouver and Whistler is the 1,099 foot Shannon Falls. If you can find parking space, this area makes a pleasant rest stop.

Further on is the village of Squamish.  A modern McDonalds is right along the road, good for a coffee stop.

 It was going east on route 99 from Squamish that in 2017, there was major road construction.  A truck ahead of us hit a “cone” which then proceeded to hit us on the right-front of the car.  The cone then bounced off us to hit the car behind us.  We really did not think much about it until we started to hear noises. 

 

There was well over $600 dollars of damage.  Our American Express Gold card paid the majority, leaving us with a $250 deductible to pay.  This incident took about six months to resolve itself. It was our first accident on the road after many years of traveling. We were lucky the cone did not go through the window.

Whistler was surveyed in the 1860s by the Royal Navy. Whistler’s original name was “London Mountain” due to the rain and fog.  Eventually, the name was changed to Whistler signifying the high pitch sound of the local animal, the hoary marmot. It just sounded better than “London Mountain” to the locals.

A unique village has been created with all the modern conveniences. Certain times of the year one can snag some good deals from various hotels like we did with the Pan Pacific Mountainside.

We had a fireplace, AC and even a balcony. 

We had this view from our small balcony.

Inside our hotel is a good pub, Dubh Linn Gate.  I had a decent Shepard’s Pie.

In another hotel, we came across this interesting piece of artwork made from sticks.  Someone spent plenty of time making it.

In our first visit in July of 2002, we took the ski left to the top of Blackcomb Mountain, over 7000 feet high.   There was plenty of snow on the ground and skiers were abound. Kathie was mighty cold on that ski-lift.

We had the best hot-chocolate in the hut which was located at the top of the mountain. We vividly remember that cup of delicious “hot” chocolate rich and creamy.

Coming down the ski-lift, we saw a number of bears roaming around.  There were quite a few in fact.  Today, there are all these bear sign warnings in the area.

Whistler has turned into a playground for the young and the older kids in us.

We always loved taking the nearby trails.  In 2002, we rented bicycles. There were plenty of bicycles in 2017

In 2017, we walked the trails.

We came to a relaxing creek.  There is also a mixture of nature and sculpture.

In July of 2017, the authorities warned us about the little tiny “Toad migration.”

There are a number of swimming lakes to enjoy.  Just a bit too cool for us.

You have to love a culture that values volleyball.

Golf, too, is a major activity in the summer.  The golf courses are spectacular.

At a park, we encountered this van.

On the side of the van there was this announcement.

There are no shortage of good restaurants in Whistler.  We thoroughly enjoyed the “Mongolian Grill.” 

 

A person selects off a buffet various foods to be grilled by their chef. 

Food is weighed to price out the amount. Similar but not like a Benihana’s.

Whistler also has one of our favorite Canadian Restaurants called “The Keg.”  They still have the delicious “Teriyaki Steak.”

In 2002, we met a couple from Seattle at “The Keg.” I asked him what he did for employment.  He said,”I work for a  new medical company called “DJO”. He said it was a good stock to buy.  I did buy it and sold it for a $20,000 profit.  The company later went private.

There was plenty to do for three full days.  One day we did visit the Olympic site which was about ten miles from Whistler.

The Biathlon Range is still in tacked.  For $10, one could shoot at an “Olympic” target.

 

Heading back to Whistler, we stopped to do the “Brandywine Falls trail.”  It is less than a mile long.  At the end of the trail is the “almost” 200 foot Brandywine Falls.

At the beginning of August 2017, there was mountain biking competition.  These mountain bikes go well over $8000 dollars.

From our hotel, one could be in a hot-tub or pool to watch the competition.

We were surprised on how many people follow this sport.

These young men take this sport seriously. 

It was near the competition center, I came across a food vendor named “ZOG’S” which sold a delicious sausage and onion sub.  It was so so good.