Wednesday, February 8, 2017

WHISTLER RECAP + HUGE PHOTO DIARY



Good morning!  Today I'm sharing a huge photo overload of our trip to Whistler, British Columbia last week.  We left Ottawa on Wednesday morning and travelled to the west coast of Canada to visit the beautiful Whistler-Blackcomb ski village.  

Our trip was only a short four days, and the days on either end were basically travel days, but I took a ton of photos and would love to share, if you'd like to see...






F21 SCARF (SIMILAR)  |  TOP  |  LEGGINGS (SIMILAR)  |  BOOTS -- OLD (SIMILAR)  |  ALDO BAG -- OLD (SIMILAR)

Travel style for me is usually leggings, a long top and a blanket scarf.  This was our first winter vacation, and while we live where winter is real, it wasn't a shock, but travelling with a parka isn't the most fun.  That said, mine is very smush-able and great if you need to stuff it into a bag or overhead compartment--this one & this one are very similar.





After a five hour flight, we arrived in Vancouver, shuttled to the rental car spot and picked up a car.  We hit the road almost immediately, but were starving.  A quick search on Tripadvisor, showed a delicious looking spot about half an hour out and we decided to go for it.

We found Horseshoe Bay, just off the Highway 1 / Sea to Skyway and settled on Troll's for fish & chips.  It didn't disappoint and the view was so good I made Marco sit on the same side of the booth with me so we could take in the views.  Yes, we were totally that couple, and he almost didn't go for it, but #thatmountainviewtho !

Afterwards, we grabbed Starbucks in the tiny village, which was literally a four way stop with some cute little shops and restaurants, and we were on our way to Whistler.




We arrived around 3pm and checked into the  Sundial Boutique Hotel, which was amazing--right in the heart of the village, at the bottom of both gondolas (Blackcomb to the left, Whistler straight ahead) for perfect ski-in/ski-out days.

We got settled in, relaxed for a bit, and then headed out to meet up with our friends who had already arrived.  We had dinner at Sushi Village, which is in the Sundial Hotel and it was amazing.  Highly recommend.




The next morning was our first ski day!  We suited up and hit the mountain with our friends in the morning.  The pic above of Marco and I is at the top of the gondola--there are plenty of places to take photos when you first emerge, and lots of people not skiing, and just taking in the views.  

The mountains were incredible, massive, overwhelming, and more.  I had never experienced feeling so small, nor anything like it.  It totally sounds cliché, but it was everything everyone had ever said.




Lots of people ski half the mountain all day long, if you're planning a trip, the best way is to take the gondola to the top, and ski the top half of the mountain.  Often, our friends were saying (who are seasoned Whistler go-er's), beginners will stick to the bottom half of the mountain, but that is where it gets iciest.  If you are fairly comfortable on skis/snowboard, the top half of the mountain has the best conditions, and there are plenty of green and blue runs to choose from.

Additionally, there is a huge lodge at the top of the gondola, plenty of food to choose from (I had Pho, which was awesome), bathrooms, and even some shopping.  We actually lost my wrist guards the weekend before, and I was feeling pretty apprehensive about riding without them (I broke my wrist in grade 9 when I first starting snowboarding).  After a couple runs, we popped inside and I bought a pair for $20--the best peace of mind money could buy!




Later that afternoon, we met up with another friend who lives there for après ski drinks at the Longhorn Saloon & Grill--a great spot with an amazing outdoor patio that you must stop at for a beer.  Apparently the food isn't great, but this is the hot spot to grab a drink after a day of riding.



SANDOVA HAT (SIMILAR)  |  SCARF  |  SWEATER  |  LONG SLEEVE THERMAL  |  LEGGINGS  |  UGGS  |  H&M FRINGE BAG (SIMILAR)

Later that evening, and a quick change later, we did a bit of a village tour with our friend.  First stop: the Mexican Corner restaurant in the Sundial Hotel.  Pssst!  Get the habanero margaritas--you won't be disappointed!

From there, we met up with a group of her friends at the Irish pub, and then we headed over to the Fairmont for amazing drinks and snacks in the Mallard restaurant (so chic!).



BOATHOUSE HAT (SIMILAR)  |  SCARF  |  PARKA FROM ITALY (SIMILAR)  |  DENIM (LAYERED WITH THESE LEGGINGS)

The next morning, I took my time getting ready and then headed out to meet up with my girlfriend again for brunch.  Marco skied, but I was fighting a terrible cold the entire trip, so one day was enough for me.





After brunch, we walked around the village and she popped into some cute little shops and poked around.  I picked up a cute pair of earrings (similar to these) from a little boutique called Ruby Tuesdays (another great boutique was The Beach).

Then we visited the Olympic Rings, at the edge of the village, before popping into The Whistler Tea House for some warmth and girl talk.




On my way back to the hotel, Marco texted and said he was done skiing and hungry.  We met up at a restaurant along the way and eventually our friends joined us for truffle fries + drinks.  

Later that evening, for our last night, we had dinner at Black's Pub and then crashed pretty hard.  It was a busy few days!




The next morning was Saturday, the day we were leaving, so we got up early so we could head out and explore.

The gondola line above was insane!  If you're looking to book a ski vacation to Whistler, during peek period, go during the week if you can.  There were no lines and the hills weren't crazy busy at all--plenty of space.  The line up above lasted for three hours and people were out there at 8am.  It was so busy.




There is a cute path, through the forest, that connects the lower village to the upper village, so after grabbing some breakfast, we bundled up and headed out.

We found a super cute bridge and stream, and snapped some pics.  It was snowing and it was magical--it was freaking cold, but it was so pretty.  A few passing people even offered to take our pic and we ended up with such a special one (below) that I can't stop smiling at when I look at it!  We hadn't gotten many pictures together during the trip so that just really made me happy.



SANDOVA HAT (SIMILAR)  |  CAMERA





Then it was time to pack up, and hit the road.  Since we were in the midst of a massive snowstorm, we wanted to leave plenty of time for the two hour drive back to Vancouver to catch our flight.  We arrived just in time, returned the rental car, grabbed some snacks and boarded our flight back to Ottawa.

This trip was far too short, but definitely an incredible experience and something totally different from warm weather vacations.  I really hope we can go back again and see more of the Canadian west coast, it's incredibly beautiful and so different from the interior.

Like I mentioned on Snapchat (acoest1984) & Instastories, I did vlog this trip so I'm working on putting all the footage together to share even more of our trip, so stay tuned for that.

Hope you have a great day & thanks for stopping by! xo



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