Whistler

Up early to be ready for our tour pickup bound for Whistler, only to do the old soft-shoe shuffle waiting for the bus who was waiting for the other guests at other hotels. Some got on completely different buses to the ones sent for them, and we didn't have our complete busload till after lunch.

Anyway, the bus took us to North Van station where we boarded the Rocky Mountaineer. You know all of those iconic pictures of trains in the Rockies in Canada with the glass roofs? Well, that's the Rocky Mountaineer, owned and run by a private tour company. We didn't actually have a glass top observation car - that's for the long trip to Jasper and Banff, and we were only on a day trip to Whistler, but it was lovely all the same. Croissant and yoghurt breakfast, host in each car, souvenirs, mints, ceremonial send off - they pulled out all the stops to make it memorable, and they did a great job.

The weather was perfect, 22 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, which actually matters when you are climbing through mountain ranges looking at the far flung peaks covered in snow. It took us 3 and a half hours of dawdling up the incline to Whistler, and the advantage of a private train is that you can basically stop at each scenic spot so everybody could get a photo before moving on.

Whistler was the venue for many of the events of the 2010 Winter Olympics, yep the ones where the flame mechanism got stuck during the Opening Ceremony. (There but for the grace of God goes Sydney) It was the principal venue for the downhill skiing events of different persuasions, as well as the cross country, biathlon and ski jumping events. We arrived at 11:45, and had the choice of all kinds of tours (plus GST and PST of course - it's Canada). For some strange reason Mandy declined the option of a downhill mountain bike ride from the top of Whistler back to the village, and opted for some walking and exploring instead. The wimp!

We saw the Olympic precinct, rings and stages, and explored the twin resorts of Whistler and Blackcomb before heading off for a walk in the Lost Lake area which is the main cross country skiing zone during Winter. Saw fresh bear droppings, though the only live bear we saw was from the bus later in the day. It was all lovely and very picturesque with the snow covered mountains as the backdrop everywhere you looked.

The bus picked us all up at the appointed time, and we stopped at a number of sights on the way back - Howe Sound, Shannon's Falls, and the Tantalus Mountains lookout. Apart from the Irish lady who'd had far too much to drink at lunch, and goaded her husband who'd also had too much, to entertain the bus with his singing ("He's good" - no he wasn't), and then promptly fell asleep, it was a wonderful day.

Our last dinner on our balcony watching Vancouver go by, before we move on. We've had a great time here - great accommodation, great hosts, great city, great sights. Well worth a visit.