Checking out the Olympic rings in Whistler Village
The village was very cute and all the hotels had a modern alpine cottage look to them. There were lots of cute shops (mostly outdoor apparel), a few Starbucks (we used their wi-fi a lot!), and some decent restaurants. We really enjoyed walking around the village.
One of the many hotels in Whistler Village
For dinner, we made our way to the Irish Pub, Dubh Linn Gate. The evening special was "buy one, get one free" fish and chips with any beverage. I ordered a cup of tea as my beverage so we could get the special, and Colin also ordered the Steak and Guinness Pie. Since we planned to spend two nights in Whistler, we figured we could keep some leftovers.
Our small bar table filled with two orders of fish and chips,
a steak and Guinness pie, two waters, and a cup of tea
When we stayed at the Hostel International in Vancouver (and before we really took stock of the terrible conditions in our room), we had made reservations at the Hostel International in Whistler. We reserved 2 bunks in a 4 person coed dorm room for $73. During our stays at the hostel in both Vancouver and Whistler, we kept comparing the Canadian experience to the experiences we had staying in Hostel International rooms in Australia and New Zealand. To give you the summary, the hostels in Canada were 2-3 times more expensive, the Whistler hostel came close to being among the best ones we stayed in on our previous trip (if you factor out the cost), and the hostel in Vancouver was probably the worst hostel we've ever stayed in.
The clean and modern Hostel International in Whistler
The forecast had predicted that the weather would be favorable on Tuesday, and we made plans to be there for the sun. Unfortunately, we woke to cloudy skies and damp, cool air, which did not go away for the rest of our time visiting the Olympic mountain. It all turned out just fine because Colin's foot was hurting and it would have been tough for him to do a lot of hiking. Instead, we decided to ride on all the gondolas all day, including the famous (and impressive!) Peak-to-Peak Gondola.
If you visit Whistler, and want to ride the gondolas, I highly recommend starting your day by 10am. We were up early, but tried to hold out to see if the weather would get better. Instead, it got worse, and when we purchased our tickets, we learned that the last ride down the mountain was at 5pm! Tickets were a bit pricey, at $45 each, but if we got to the top of the mountain early in the day, and were able to hike some of the trails on a nice day, it would have been worth it!
During our 4-5 hours "exploring" Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains by gondola, we rode four different gondolas for a total of 7 "rides." Not surprisingly, the highlight was riding the Peak-to-Peak Gondola between the Roundhouse Lodge (on Whistler Mountain) and Rendevous Lodge (on Blackcomb Mountain) in each direction. According to Wikipedia, the Peak to Peak is 1.88 miles and 1430 feet above the valley. There were literally four towers supporting the gondolas, with two on each mountain. For the rest of the ride - a solid mile - there was no tower holding us above the valley. I'm not a fan of heights and thought I would freak out, but even to Colin's surprise, I was fine.
Looking down on Whistler Village as we ride the enclosed
Whistler Village Gondola up Whistler Mountain
View from the Roundhouse Lodge towards the
summit of Whistler (still farther up the mountain)
Making our way up to the top of Whistler Mountain
on the open-air Peak Express Gondola
Very foggy at the summit of Whistler Mountain, it's a
good thing there are bright orange warning signs!
We caught glimpses of the mountains
and the sun throughout the day
Getting ready to board the Peak-to-Peak Gondola
Suspended 1400 feet above the
valley with no towers in sight!
Warming up with some lentil soup in the Rendezvous Lodge
Looking for bears, enjoying the flowers, and trying
not to freeze on the Solar Coastal Express Gondola
The enclosed gondolas (Peak-to-Peak and Whistler Village Gondola) were a tad bit warmer than the "open chair" gondolas, but it was much harder to take pictures through the glass with the rain drops on the window. After riding a few open chairs, I was ready to get back down the mountain and into a hot shower. That seems to be the best way to warm back up after being outdoors in cold, damp weather.
For our second night in Whistler, we had tried to get a good deal on a "name your own price" hotel in Whistler Village, but were unsuccessful. Instead, we found an inexpensive airbnb room not far from the main area. The private bath had plenty of hot water (thankfully!), and the small room (with it's own thermostat) was comfortable enough to enjoy a good night's sleep. We were able to leave our leftovers in the fridge before heading out the the gondolas, and it was nice to step out of the hot shower and have a warm plate of fish and chips ready to eat!
Before turning in for the night, we stayed warm and enjoyed some tea (me) and dessert (me and Colin) at one of the Starbucks in Whistler Village. There, we caught up on e-mails, booked accommodations for our travels back south, and did a little people-watching.
Overall, we made the best of our day in Whistler. We always enjoy sunny skies and warm weather, and we lucked out for most of the trip. We were bound to have a rainy day. Because Colin wasn't feeling up to hiking, it was probably best that the weather forced us to limit our activities. It just means we have to go back! I'm sure it's quite a sight in the winter, with all the tourists and snow on the mountains. It's no wonder the Olympics were held in one of the cutest villages I've ever experienced - or perhaps hosting the Olympics caused the village to step up to the plate! Maybe I can get Colin to try snowboarding with me sometime and we can relive the Olympic experience!!
What was your favorite memory of the 2010 Olympics held in Whistler/Vancouver?
Did you see anything about the village (Whistler) or city (Vancouver) that impressed you?
For our second night in Whistler, we had tried to get a good deal on a "name your own price" hotel in Whistler Village, but were unsuccessful. Instead, we found an inexpensive airbnb room not far from the main area. The private bath had plenty of hot water (thankfully!), and the small room (with it's own thermostat) was comfortable enough to enjoy a good night's sleep. We were able to leave our leftovers in the fridge before heading out the the gondolas, and it was nice to step out of the hot shower and have a warm plate of fish and chips ready to eat!
Before turning in for the night, we stayed warm and enjoyed some tea (me) and dessert (me and Colin) at one of the Starbucks in Whistler Village. There, we caught up on e-mails, booked accommodations for our travels back south, and did a little people-watching.
Overall, we made the best of our day in Whistler. We always enjoy sunny skies and warm weather, and we lucked out for most of the trip. We were bound to have a rainy day. Because Colin wasn't feeling up to hiking, it was probably best that the weather forced us to limit our activities. It just means we have to go back! I'm sure it's quite a sight in the winter, with all the tourists and snow on the mountains. It's no wonder the Olympics were held in one of the cutest villages I've ever experienced - or perhaps hosting the Olympics caused the village to step up to the plate! Maybe I can get Colin to try snowboarding with me sometime and we can relive the Olympic experience!!
What was your favorite memory of the 2010 Olympics held in Whistler/Vancouver?
Did you see anything about the village (Whistler) or city (Vancouver) that impressed you?
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