Now that you’ve watched the Olympics, chances are good you want to explore beautiful British Columbia and all that you saw on TV.
Vancouver is the third most filmed city, behind Los Angeles and New York City, due to its weather that can be substituted for anywhere in the Northwest- it is rainy, lush, green, etc. It is also home to the second biggest Chinatown in North America. Vancouver is very metropolitan, but if you want to escape that and go ski or snowboard, head further north to Whistler.
Whistler Blackcomb Mountains are home to a petite ski city with their famous “PEAK 2 PEAK” Gondola. There are plenty of ski-in/ski-out rentals where you can ski or snowboard home to everyday. The runs are challenging, and their blue runs are often harder than blue runs in the United States. There is a tubing park (my favorite part of the whole trip), ziplines, tours, sleigh rides, and other activities so you do not have to ski everyday. There is food on the mountain (and alcohol) and tons of choices in the village too. After skiing, enjoy a Whistler Coffee- Kahlua, coffee, Frangelico, and Amaretto with whipped cream on top to warm up and unwind. Eat dinner at Araxi for seafood, get homemade beer at the Whistler Brewing Company, and hit up Elements for extravagant tapas and wine options. If you want a quick bite, try deliciously huge burritos at Dup’s Burrito’s and pizza at Avalanche. The nightly hotspot changes every night, so ask around on your way out. Take the free shuttle to town to watch the Fire and Ice show before hitting the bars and clubs like Longhorn, The Savage Beagle, and Tommy Africa’s where you and the go-go dancers can dance to house music. If you want a night in, most condos have kitchens and hot tubs, so you can cook a feast, watch some TV, and relax too.
