Canada has long been thought of a big cold country that sits on top of America, with images of mountains, moose, and maple syrup dancing through most people’s heads. While all that is a little bit true, the real story is how many great cities and scenic natural adventures are waiting for you in this massive country.
On the Atlantic Coast, you’ll clearly find a cultural connection to the UK way of life, in the centre, there are multicultural metropolises of Toronto and Montreal (as well as some very flat prairies), and at the far end (as far as taking a flight from England is concerned) is what many people think is the nation’s crown jewel when it comes to travel.
Vancouver is a bustling city with plenty of global influences with the North Shore Mountains offering breathtaking scenery not far from downtown.
A Modern Masterpiece
Vancouver ‘began’ as a settlement in the 1860s, but with it becoming the terminus for the rail line that connected all of Canada, the business quickly picked up. Throughout the twentieth century it became a major trade hub with Asian nations, and that area’s cultural impact on the city is best seen in this bustling Chinatown.
While downtown Vancouver has all the hallmarks of a major economic powerhouse, you’ll find plenty of charming neighbourhoods a bit further afield (fortunately it’s easy to navigate the city on foot and the LRT/bus system is clean and efficient). Gastown has plenty of nineteenth-century buildings, Granville Island is full of quirky shops and breweries, and the West End has plenty of art galleries and bohemian ideals.
Big ideas have always been part of Vancouver, as Greenpeace was founded here in 1969, and the TED conferences made the city it’s permanent home in 2014.
Its location at the edge of the mountains and the waters of the Pacific means you can have plenty of fun going up and going out. Grouse Mountain is a ski area only twenty minutes north, and even if you aren’t a skier there’s plenty of fun after you take the sky ride to the mountaintop.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver gives you a great way to experience what the Pacific Forests are all about. Even closer to downtown is Stanley Park, which is a great mix of tourist attractions (an aquarium, totem poles, beaches, mini-putt) and natural wonder (long and winding nature trails, plenty of wildlife).
If you want even more sea-based experiences, whale watching is also quite popular, and you can even book them online, before bothering with plane tickets or hotels (considering how easy it is to check London Escorts reviews no matter where you are in the world, it shouldn’t be a surprise). Scuba diving and fishing tours are also quite popular, all of which are just done in the sight of the downtown skyline.
However, if you do somehow have had enough of the city, a popular day trip is heading out to BC Wine Country, as the proper temperatures and healthy rainfalls have guaranteed some excellent harvests for many years now.
Of course, there is another great location to visit only two hours north, named Whistler…
Getting to Whistler Resort
Normally describing how you get from one major tourist destination to another is simply mentioning the length of time it takes to get there by car, rail or plane. But the one hundred and twenty-kilometre drive up Highway 99 is one of the most scenic drives on earth, so much so that we almost recommend you switch drivers on the way back down so everyone can enjoy getting ‘safely’ lost in the views.
Highway 99 is nicknamed ‘The Sea to Sky Highway’, and for good reason. It hugs the coast so carefully that it allows you to see the mountains on one side and the islands across the bays and lakes, many of which are practically mountains themselves, jutting high out of the water like cliffs, reaching up for the heavens.
Initially, you will pass through small communities with homes that dot the sides (some of which can be air BnB-ed), and soon the road will curve away from the sea and you will ‘just’ have quiet forest and mountain driving to appreciate on the way up. In the town of Squamish, you can buy plenty of supplies that will be a bit cheaper than what you find in Whistler proper.
Whistler Resort
While the two massive ski mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb (both of which have bases in town) have long been known as one of the best places to a fine powder in North America, its hosting of many events for the 2010 Winter Olympics brought even more attention.
It took several decades for this small little ski village to blossom into a year-round resort full of natural beauty, wild attractions, and plenty of rest and relaxation. Its mile-high vertical means runs on both mountains seem to go on forever, and the options range from snow-filled bowls to smooth tree runs and even some heart-pounding double-black-diamond drops.
With the construction of the Peak-to-Peak gondola in 2008, it was possible to enjoy both mountains much, much easier so you could really get a bang for your lift ticket buck.
Of course, skiing was just the start. With dozens of hotels and resorts and a downtown full of restaurants, shops and bars, you can be sure that the apes-ski scene will be full of whatever kind of party you want. Whether dancing at an all-night rave or relaxing in a hot tub, you’ll have a great time.
Even when the snow melts, Whistler can treat you right (and if you’re not a fan of the cold, this is a perfect time to visit). The gondolas still travel up the mountain so you can enjoy the restaurants high up, go on biking and walking trails, or just take in the scenery. Nearby there is white water rafting in case you still want some excitement.
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