Whistler has always been one of our family's favorite places to vacation. Especially in the summer. There are lots of places to go and lots of things to do. Even for little kids, which was why it was such a successful vacation spot for us.
However, over the last few years we have switched over to Schweitzer as our family vacation spot, because it was problematic for Sam to leave the country. Now that Sam is on his mission, we are doing all the things that he doesn't like, or can't do- like eat shrimp (he is allergic), and go to Whistler.
We haven't been there since before they hosted the Olympics in 2010. So lots of things around Whistler that we last saw under construction, is now finished and gorgeous.
We chose this week to go because Jared was on semester break from college. Chuck and Jay wanted to do some downhill mountain biking. It is pretty intense- you ride the gondola to the top of the mountain with your bike and then ride down on specific trails set aside for biking with jumps, bridges and other obstacles. Unfortunately, it rained the whole time we were there. Of, course it rained here at home the whole time too, so it was good that we went. However, the constant rain made the downhill trails really wet, slick and muddy. The boys decided not to spend the big bucks on the gondola ride when the conditions were that poor and just rode the trails around the valley, which ended up being a pretty good workout in itself.
I, on the other hand, spent a lot of time reading. One day Chuck and I did take a walk in the drizzle, and I certainly did my share of shopping in the rain.
In the old days, when the kids were small and the US/Canadian dollar exchange rate was in our favor, I always did all of my Christmas shopping in Whistler every summer. It worked out great- the kids would shop (Chuck, too) and pick out things they loved. I would buy them at what amounted to a 30% discount in US dollars and I would put the stuff away. When Christmas rolled around several months later, they had forgotten all about the clothes I had bought and it was a surprise, only a surprise that I knew fit and was exactly what they wanted. With the current exchange rate I just window shop and keep my money in my pocket.
There were some fun surprises, like the Olympic Plaza that was new to us.
There were other sights that brought back fond memories of walks we had done with the kids when they were small.
This time of year, everyone in Whistler is all about biking. Everyone is riding them, racing them, renting them or buying them. As a result there were lots of interesting bikes to look at.
This is one of my favorites, with truly FAT tires.
In spite of the rain, it was fun to see Whistler again, and spend some time with Chuck and Jared. I would love to do it again when the sun is shining.
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