Day# 31 - A whistle Stop Tour of Whistler

We had been having so much fun going out we hadn't tried out the hotel's fantastic facilities. Slightly hung over we went to the gym...

We had been having so much fun going out we hadn't tried out the hotel's fantastic facilities. Slightly hung over we went to the gym, situated on the floor above us. The hotel has a fantastic full size gym which is extremely posh, so posh that every cardio machine had a lovely rolled up towel with it. After working out we had to try the beautiful swimming pool also on the fourth floor. We had the pool to ourselves, it was a very lovely temperature with unique lighting. The decor, loungers and towels all gave a sense of decadence.

Our plan for the day - visit Whistler, just a 90 minute drive from the city. The route there is a stunning coastal road hugging steep mountains. I didn't know what to expect of the famous ski resort. We are in neither Summer hiking season, nor the bustling Winter ski season. But the Fall was so impressive. Brightly coloured autumn foliage, dotted within the green pine trees stood out majestically either side of the valley. Whistler Village itself is relatively low as ski resorts go, only 600m above sea level. With many ski lifts stretching up the mountains either side. 

We walked around the pedestrianised streets, lined by expensive ski wear clothing shops, bars and eateries and found a nice spot in the central square for lunch. The village has a newly built feel but very well done. Whistler played host to the Winter Olympics in 2010 and much of the architecture dates from then. 

I wanted to do a bit of hiking and so I settled on visiting Lost Lake, an easy walk from the centre. The trail was very beautiful and a lot of people had the same idea to go there for a Sunday afternoon stroll. There are plenty of warnings about bears and cougars in the forest but we didn't see any. Lost lake was tranquil and surrounded by autumn foliage, with one brave guy swimming in it. It must be popular in the Summer as there is a small beach with a few floating swimming pontoons. In Winter the area is a popular cross country ski area.

When we got back to the car we took a drive along the valley to take in the sights of the mountains and lakes, then headed back to Vancouver. We needed fuel so stopped at a gas station, with quite a large food store, it was in quite a backwater area. We decided to get something to eat, picked up some biscuits and the went to the check out. The guy serving, a hippy looking kind of guy said "you don't want those, they are out of date be several years!". Ok we thought and put them back. Grabbed something else and he said the same thing. So we went to the other side of the store grabbed something else and he said "those are even more out of date, don't eat them, you could get sick!" We obviously left without buying anything laughing thinking what a strange place to have all the food out of date!

The sun setting over Vancouver Island was incredible. We stopped in Stanley Park again to see the Vancouver skyline at night. And whilst there we found an area dedicated to totem poles.

We returned the car to the hotel valet, then walked a few blocks to find somewhere to eat. We both had got quite bored of hamburgers and fries, which has been on the menu almost everywhere. So we opted for an Indian restaurant. We had chicken madras and goat curry which definitely made a nice change. It seems rather strange that we will be eating out every day for 5 months! I'm starting to miss my home cooked meat and vegetables, and Spencer laughs at how much I love gravy on everything!

After dinner we headed back to our room and watched movies.