WHISTLER WINTER WONDERLAND
My favourite place on earth.
Oh Canada!
Before I start I want to quickly disclaim that no words will ever do this place justice! Having travelled with my family during the chilly winter months, I have never seen such beauty from that which I experienced in this magical place called Canada!
After a period of about 6 months we scrimped and saved every penny to later hop aboard the adventure of a life time destination: west coast Canada! Our itinerary included such things as exploring in Whistler, city hopping in Vancouver, and a quick gallivant over to Vancouver Island (Victoria). Never had I felt more excitement, especially escaping to these seemingly picturesque landscapes out of the scorching heat of another Australian summer!
We packed our bags – or in my case, over packed - and headed on the 24 hour journey of a lifetime (including transit and transfer)! We were greeted with the brisk and bone-chilling temperatures as we exited the airport; but, nothing could bring our mood down! We jumped in the transfer and headed through the winding roads of the seacoast highway to venture into the endless snow capped mountains, pine trees and still bodies of water. I was in Twilight... I mean heaven... It was incredible!
And it was our home for the next week!
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Now, to avoid too much detail from here on in I will just give a list of my 3 must do's and things to take into consideration in our first stint of Whistler. This has been so hard to collaborate as this place is filled with endless opportunity and enjoyment.
But, without anything further adieu, feast your eyes!!
Our Whistler Magic!
1. You absolutely must - I repeat, must - go ziplining!! From those who consider themselves non adventure types to those of us who are adventure junkies at heart, everyone can enjoy the insane views and perspective these ziplining tours provide! I have never experienced such thrill, excitement and beauty all in one, as I did zooming through the pine trees above clear snowy valleys and waterfalls.
However, don't fret, if heights aren't your thing, do the tree top walk instead, this offers the views without the adrenaline and yet still beautiful hours of wonder! (We did both with Ziptreck!)
2. Hit the slopes! Whatever way takes your fancy, you can't miss out on one of the main and grandest attractions Whistlers winter season has to offer - it's ski fields! Jump on a tube at the tubing park or hire some equipment to head up the mountain and power your way down on the fresh, soft powder! It takes anywhere from 20-40 mins to make your run down from the top, depending on skill level. I was in my element gallivanting down from the top while Tim took to the beginners slope having broken his collarbone on a previous trip...but that's another story!
*Try not to get your hands wet, it's a fight to stay warm and dry but your hands can freeze so fast up there, mine did, so make sure you break for a good cup of hot chocolate at least once... or three times if you're me! @blackcombwhistler
3. Now this was hard. So I am going to make this one a bit more...generalised. Seriously, just walk the village at night.
Whistler village itself is a sight to be seen: the twinkling Christmas lights, softly piled snow, glistening frozen lakes, roaring fires, alive and buzzing restaurants, specialty stores and so, so much more! So just go with the flow and enjoy your surroundings, soak it all in and drink back that mulled wine filled with all the spices of the season! We couldn't get enough of just 'being there'. Everywhere you look is straight out of a fairy tale!
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Oh and wait, the food. AMAZING. Our personal favourite, and according to the locals, an all time favourite, was "Earls". Tucked up above the Main Street (directly above a Starbucks) this place was always an incredible place it's to eat, drink and bask in the Canadian culture!
-oh and let's not forget there's ice hockey playing on the bar screens and refills are free everywhere, crazy!
A few side things to note:
-Tipping is essential, as always in Canada, but everybody is so charming (it's unbelievable) that not tipping just doesn't feel right!
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-It rains. A lot. Make sure you have a really good waterproof jacket you can rely on! Umbrellas are always provided by your hotels but it's nice not getting caught out!
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-There's more Australians there than you even know exist, Haha! It's obviously an amazing place to be because you will often get stumped by the number of accents that aren't Canadian!
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-Have a beer in a bar, listen to the live music and order the chicken wings! What's life without the true experience!
There's so much to do, so much fun to be had and scenes to take in so If you have the time and/or money to spare there's dog sledding, bobsledding, sleigh riding, snow shoeing, climbing, and so much more to experience!
So if you're thinking of heading to Canada and Whistler in particular, all I can say is... HURRY UP! It's a must see, bucket list worthy, out of this world (yet in this world) experience that has to be seen to be believed... I miss it just thinking about it, so if you go, don't tell me about it unless you're willing to take me!
#takemeback!
Now, go! Whistler would love to meet you!
Brogen x
