-
7/29/2019 March With The Lions (This Week in Whistler)
1/1
By DAWN GREEN
OK, Illadmitit Im a hope-lessromantic. I lovehastilyscrib-
bled love notes, soppy, tear-jerknovelsand snuggleswith mysoulmate. So when I found myselfsitting across from my amoroushusband last Valentines Day inthe Fairmont Chateau WhistlersGrill Room restaurant, with aplate of indescribably beautifulfood waiting to be nibbled upon,and the warm, soft glow of thereplace all adding to the ro-mantic atmosphere, I knew this
was truly a slice of heaven. Andwith Whistlers shimmery snowslopes just outside the door, whocould askfor a moreawless rec-ipefor love?
The hotels and restaurantsall embrace the love in the air.The Hilton Whistler Resortand Spa has a romance pack-age, as does the Four SeasonsResort Whistler; Listel Hotelhasa Chill package where cou-ples can sample a range of 50
vodkas from around the worldin the Bearfoot Bistros Belve-dere Ice Room, and with morethan 100 restaurants, yourchoices for a romantic dinnerin Whistler are endless.
But dont just take my wordforit ReadersDigest recent-ly named Whistler the mostromantic place in Canada. Pa-tricia Westerholm, Tourism
Whistlers Manager of Cor-porate Communications, saysthe article is right on-track.
Thegreat thing about Whis-tler is that it offers the perfect
backdrop for any romance to
bloom, she says.Onceyou are here, thisis myvision of how a Valentines day,Whistler-style, should unfold awake leisurely in your hotelroom with no alarm clocksblar-ing, open the curtains to anoth-er blue sky snow day, then aftera leisurely breakfast, hit theslopes for a few runs followed
by a romantic lunch at a moun-taintop diner. The rest of theday can then slow down to an
indulging pace with a sooth-ing couples massage at one of
the many great spas, then on toa snowy horsedrawnsleigh rideto a warm and wonderful fon-duewith TAGWhistler.
In the early evening skateto your hearts content at theOlympic Plaza, then have adessert adventure at a fourdifferent restaurants with a
Whistler Tasting Tour. Whatcould top off this perfect andendlessly romantic day? Sip-ping a hot drink together by
the roaring re for an aprsWhistler snuggle.
For the more adventuroustypes, you can substitute hug-ging your sweetie tight on the
backof a snowmobiletour ortin-gle your wild side with a ziplinetour,a bungeejump, ora guidedtripfor two to the backcountry.
Before you leave, make sureyouwrite I loveyou in the snowat the most romantic place inCanada. No matter how youprefer your romance, Whistlerhasit covered.
By tobias c. van Veen
March devours Whistler likea lion. The weather is all teethand jaws: massive storms droploads of snow, leaving powder-hounds well satised. When thesnow takes leave of Whistlersforested valley, the evening sunsends pink shadows across thepatios leaving us all contentto bask with beer in hand as thenefarious bands of whiskeyjacksraidscrapsfrom the nachos.
If youdont believe the hype,bet on the numbers. The pastve seasons have seen morethan two metres of fresh snow-fall during March (well, exceptfor 2008, which only saw 170cm). Last year, four metres
dropped down on the valley inMarch alone. To phrase it inlo-cal parlance, it was ridiculous.
And thanks to the not-so-secretplans of local pagans, the bon-re sacrices of old skis are setto bring about another bomberspringthis year.
March yields greater day-light, which is all the more no-ticeable the higher up you go.Locals brandish the goggle tanas a badge of honour. Longerdays mean more time spentskiing, with operating hoursat Whistler and Blackcombmountains stretching to 4 p.m.It also means more time to ex-
plore what Whistler has to of-fer,fromchillinglike a villainin
the spa to sapping muscles andstamina in the backcountry.
Skiers looking to introducethemselves to the backcoun-try this spring should checkout a new guided touring pro-gram offered through WhistlerBlackcombs Extremely Cana-dian program. With lead guideKeith Readin charge,Extreme-ly Canadian is now extendingtheir services beyond the ropesof the lift-serviced runs. Theidea is to utilize the terrain farmore than it has been in thepast, says Reid. Pushing andrewriting what were trained todo as certied Guides. Whis-tler is once again setting the
bar for the most adventurous
skiing in North America.Of course, skiing and snow-boarding is not all there is todo in Whistler. The just-as-adventurous nightlife, pam-pered spas, quality eats, andterric springtime hotel roomspecials can keep even thededicated valley dweller orfamily looking to escape therainy urban doldrums wellentertained.The biggest epicofentertainment frenzy arrives inmid-April. From April 12 to 21is when all manner of moun-taincultureconvergeson noth-ing less than theWorld SkiandSnowboard Festival, (WSSF)
now deep into its 17th year.The week is peppered with
free concerts, art and fashion
shows, ski and product demos,and of course wild Big Air andSlopestyle competitions thatland right at the base of Whis-tler Mountain.Keepin mind thecompetitors you see this year
will be qualifying for Sochi in2014!All thedetail onthe actioncanbe hadover at wssf.com.
If the kids are in tow, thinkof leaving the ski gear at homeand take advantage of freerentals for kids under the ageof 12. Shops throughout the
Village provide beginner toperformance rentals, and ded-icated ski shops often demonext seasons rides, allowing
you to test drive the latest inski shaping and construction.
Spring is magic. Last run
down the mountain yieldsa shimmering, orange lightthat drifts down through cir-rus cloud and sky. Below the
bars wait full pints of foamyGuinness over at theDubh LinnGate Irish Pub; the warmth ofthe GLCs posh couch pit; the
youthful zest of the Longhornsski-boots-till-dawn party scene.Right when spring dances upthe coast, its the depth of win-ters best weather for Whistler.The endless rain that blanketsthe Lower Mainland turns to
bouts of snow alternating withglorious alpinesunshinejust upthe Sea toSky.
Confessions of a hopelessromantic
March with the lions
Adventure dsig by na
ExpEriEncE
ThE DiffErEncE
Caaas oly 5 diamo rso
ejoy pic moai mmois
wih a spcacla ay of skiig aWhisl Blackcomb follow byo Aps Ski massag, ppaigyo fo aoh ay o h slops.
view and reserve our valuepackage offers today
604 935 3400.m/h
4429 Sundial Place 1-800-663-6418email: [email protected]
WinterSpcal
BookNow for
25%offBest Available Rate
PHOTO BY Mike Crane COurTesY TOurisM WHisTler
THis Week in WHisTler sTOCk PHOTO
LIMITED TIME OFFER - 72 HR SALE!
SAVE 30% 72-HR SALEFEBRUARY 12 - 14, 2013
Come enjoy ourincredible backyard
BC Residents rate starting at$199
Simply book in advance and presenta BC drivers license at check-in.
Visit www.hiltonwhistler.com orcall 1-800-515-4050 for more information
Offer subject to availability and dates. Does not include applicable taxes, based on single/double occupancy.
1.800.766.0449
DISCOVER THE WONDERS.
SNOWSCHOOL.
Let Snow School help you
explore all the wonders of
Whistler Blackcomb. Set your
sights on Discover Whistler
Days special value periods, for
Snow Schools best deals.
30% OFF | Kids Adventure Camps | Ride Tribe forTeens |
MAX4 Adult Lessons | MAX4 Adult Ski Camps
N EARLY SEASON Nov 22 to Dec 16
N DEEP WINTER Jan 7 to Feb 8
N MID SEASON Feb 25 to Mar 8
N SPRING SKIING Apr 8 to Apr 21
Some restrictions apply, please inquire for details.
Book, explore and find out more at
whistlerblackcomb.com/DWD
DISCOVER WHIS
TLER
D
AYS
30%off
Whistlerevents
Whistlerevents
whistler.com/events
Winemaker Aprs Series onWhistlerFebruary 14
Sigges PayakentsutCross Country Ski EventFebruary 23
MusicAtWhistler A Nightat theOperaFebruary 23
Fire & Ice Shows Every Sunday
Wednesday Night Gallery Walks4pm - 7pm ever y Wednesday
THISWEEKINWHISTLER Your #1 ChoiCe forWhistler real estatewhistlerrealestate.ca
609.932.5538 | 1.800.667.2993
VAN01127894_1_1
