New York Times-Whistler 12-2-05

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  • 8/3/2019 New York Times-Whistler 12-2-05

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    12/01/2005 10:Whistler, British Columbia - New York Times

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    36 HOURS

    Whistler, British Columbia

    Peter Yates for The New York Times

    Strolling in Whistler Village.

    By BOB MACKIN

    Published: December 2, 2005

    MYRTLE and Alex Philip found their own pot of gold when they came

    from Maine and built the Rainbow Lodge by the shores of Alta Lake in

    1914. There were several dozen year-round residents living on Alta, a

    fishing hole 75 miles north of Vancouver. The locals were intrigued by the sound made by

    the western hoary marmots at the lake, so they called the area Whistler. The 1960 Winter

    Olympics in Squaw Valley in California inspired a group of Vancouver businessmen tobuild a ski resort and bid for the Games. London Mountain was rechristened Whistler

    Mountain and opened for skiing in 1966. A dozen years later, an area used as a dump was

    transformed into a European-style town. Now there are 115 places to stay - from ski chalets

    to luxury hotels - almost 100 bars and restaurants and 200 places to shop. Those Olympic

    dreams? They'll come true in February 2010 when events like skiing and sledding are held

    in and around Whistler. Now is a good time to visit, before the gold rush starts.

    Friday

    8:30 p.m.

    1) Aprs, Before

    Step out of the cold and into the warmth of Aprs (103-4338

    Main Street, 604-935-0200), a 50-seat wine bar and

    restaurant that seems more South Beach than Pacific

    Northwest. Your jaw will drop when you see what became of

    a space once occupied by Mail Boxes Etc. Aprs's executive

    chef, Eric Vernice, offers his take on slow food with an

    emphasis on local ingredients and regional wines. Wash

    down some cherrystone clam chowder with crisp cod cake

    and parsley oil ($10.50) with a flute of Domaine Ste.

    Michelle champagne ($14). The local pan-roasted, free-range

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    12/01/2005 10:Whistler, British Columbia - New York Times

    Page ttp://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/12/02/travel/escapes/02hours.html?adxnnl=0&adxnnlx=1133505890-octe9aWcIcOdx4KtyA5Y9Q&pagewanted=all

    Peter Yates for The New York Times

    Eric Vernice, the executive chef as

    Aprs.

    pheasant breast stuffed with bread, crisp pork belly and jus

    tranch ($29) goes well with a glass of King Estate pinot noir

    ($13).

    10:30 p.m.

    2) Beer on Premises

    Stroll through the village and relax by the fireplace at

    Whistler BrewHouse (4355 Blackcomb Way, 604-905-2739). The rustic wood and stone

    chalet with high ceilings is typical of the local architecture. "Drink fresh beer" is the slogan,and the selections brewed on premises can be eclectic, including the current seasonal

    special, maple hemp ale ($5.50 a pint). Other offerings have included India pale ale and a

    wheat ale called Hefeweizen. Your children can join you here or in any other Whistler

    licensed establishment until the early evening.

    Saturday

    8 a.m.

    3) Canadian Bacon

    Near the Telus Whistler Conference Center is the Gone Bakery & Soup Company (4205

    Village Square, 604-938-1957). It's the place where Whistlerites go for fresh-baked goods

    and hearty meals. The Canadian bacon, scrambled eggs and Texas-style whole-wheat toast

    ($6) provide the ideal fuel for a day of outdoor play.

    9 a.m.

    4) One-Mile Drop

    Blackcomb Mountain is the newer of the valley's two ski and snowboard areas and offers

    5,280 feet of vertical skiing. That's about 260 feet more than neighboring Whistler

    Mountain, and enough to make it the continent's longest drop (4545 Blackcomb Way, 800-

    766-0449; www.whistlerblackcomb.com). Get outfitted at the basement of the Fairmont

    Chateau Whistler hotel (4599 Chateau Boulevard, 604-938-8000; equipment rental starting

    at about $35), and then head to the slopes via the Solar Coaster Express and Seventh

    Heaven Express chairlifts (adult day passes are $48 to $63). A variety of intermediate trails

    sit in the shadow of the peak. Expressway and Easy Out offer relaxing tests. Brush up on

    your skills and get a tour at the same time from one of the mountain's skilled instructors(half-day lessons starting at $77).

    Noon

    5) Lunch in Thin Air

    Cold cranberry juice ($2.50) and a steaming crock of garden vegetable soup ($4) never

    tasted so good as at Rendezvous (800-766-0449), a roomy deli-cafe in a lodge 6,102-feet

    above sea level on Blackcomb. If you'd rather take it easy, Christine's (604-938-7437; open

    for the season starting on Dec. 16) offers table service. It's at the convergence of the Jersey

    Cream Express, Solar Coaster Express and Catskinner chair, in the shadow of imposing

    7,494-foot Blackcomb Peak and the glaciers beyond.

    1:30 p.m.

    6) Olympic Anthem

    The Vancouver 2010 Whistler Information Center (604-932-2010) is a renovated

    construction trailer near the BrewHouse that's worthy of Olympic billing. Admission is free.

    It's open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and tells the story of what's to come in 2010 when the

    Winter Games and Paralympics arrive. Since opening in January 2002, more than 150,000

    people have come to pose on the podium, sit in a bobsled or shoot a puck. This is where

    you can sometimes meet local Olympic athletes. Maybe even Ross Rebagliati, a local

    snowboarder who won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.

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    12/01/2005 10:Whistler, British Columbia - New York Times

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    3 p.m.

    7) Into the Trees

    Ever wonder what a tree 15 stories tall looks like from the top? Find out on the TreeTrek

    Ecotour ($34; 866-935-0001; www.ziptrek.com), in a strip of forest near Fitzsimmons

    Creek between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. The proprietors of Whistler's Ziptrek

    have constructed a walkway network over and around the tops of centuries-old Douglas firs,

    western hemlocks and red cedars. Tour groups meet daily at the Carleton Lodge in

    Mountain Square. The more adventurous might want to try gliding over the trees on

    Ziptrek's systems of ziplines, above, a sort of horizontal version of bungee jumping ($84).

    5 p.m.

    8) The Spa Who Loved Me

    The half-hour Rapid Rub ($56) at Sacha Spa (4-4308 Main Street at the Delta Whistler

    Village Suites, 866-368-0888; www.sachaspa.com) is the perfect way to wind down from a

    high-energy day of skiing and hiking. Arrive early and enjoy a cup of herbal tea next to a

    soothing indoor waterfall. Choose from themed rooms, which will take your mind to China,

    Thailand, Morocco, Japan or Italy as your body relaxes.

    8 p.m.

    9) Seafood in the Mountains

    Head to the Four Seasons Resort Whistler's Fifty Two 80 Bistro and Bar (4591 Blackcomb

    Way, 604-966-5280) to sip a Mountain Passion martini - lemongrass-infused vodka,

    passion-fruit pure, lemon juice and fresh ginger ($12) - and share the seafood platter ($21 a

    person for two or more people only). It's a bucket full of the day's catch, fresh daily from

    Vancouver's docks. The firecracker roll ($9) is a taste explosion.

    10 p.m.

    10) Green on White

    The slopes may be white, but Dubh Linn Gate Old Irish Pub in the Pan Pacific Whistler

    Mountainside Hotel (4320 Sundial Crescent, 800-387-3311; www.dubhlinngate.com) is the

    place to wear your green, dance a reel and enjoy a pint of Ireland's greatest export, Guinness

    ($6.50). There is traditional live music nightly.

    Sunday

    9 a.m.

    11) No Shoes Like Snowshoes

    Lost Lake Park's trails, surprisingly close to the village, are well marked, so you won't get

    lost when you don snowshoes or cross-country skis. Cross Country Connection, beside the

    ticket booth, rents snowshoes for $15.50 a day for adults (604-905-0071,

    crosscountryconnection.bc.ca; open for the season early or mid-December). A day pass for

    the park is a bargain at $2, especially if you only have an hour for the Lost Lake Loop.

    If You Go

    Whistler is two hours north of Vancouver via the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Perimeter Bus will

    pick you up at the Vancouver airport and take you to your hotel in Whistler for $58 one way

    (877-317-7788, www.perimeterbus.com). Tourism Whistler (888-869-2777,

    www.mywhistler.com) has maps and information.

    You won't need a car; the village is so compact, you're close to the slopes no matter where

    you stay.

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    Next Article in Travel (3 of 21) >

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    Whistler,

    British Columbia

    T Style Magazine:

    Winter Travel

    The Coast Whistler Hotel (4005 Whistler Way, 800-663-5644;

    www.coastwhistlerhotel.com) is a good budget accommodation, starting at $119.

    The Crystal Lodge (4154 Village Green, 800-667-3363; www.crystal-lodge.com) has been

    renovated and expanded. Rates start at $131 but almost double during the holidays.

    The Four Seasons Resort Whistler (4591 Blackcomb Way, 888-935-2460;

    www.fourseasons.com/whistler) offers luxury accommodations beginning at $296.

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