As a resident, business owner and frequent skier in Whistler, I have come to realize that there are “secrets”, things to see and do that the average visitor to Whistler has NO idea. I’ll try to pass on a local’s knowledge, but know that Whistler is a paradise unto itself – these secrets just add to the magic!
Hotels can cost $ 300 a night or more during the ski season and peak summer season, but three ideas have saved me money on lodging. First, there is a condo booking agency called ResortQuest that can offer off-season specials – I stayed in a beautiful townhouse one block from the town square, with a hot tub, fireplace, kitchen, sleeps 4-6 people for $ 100 in early fall. – Ask for deals like that!
If you are sociable and willing to ENJOY and put up with the common areas of a bed and breakfast, Chalet Beau Sejour had bed and breakfast in a spectacular chalet with mountain views for $ 90-125. Very social hosts and a mountain-view dining table with a double-sided fireplace and mulled wine while visitors from around the world discuss snow and skiing conditions – it just can’t be beat!
Lastly, there are two lodges – the venerable Shoestring Lodge, just north of Whistler, maybe ten blocks away, and slated to become townhomes before the Olympics, has beds for $ 25, as does the lodge. across the lake from Whistler. You can share a room with some interesting strangers, but that price leaves a lot of money for food and entertainment!
Whistler has an incredible variety of high-end restaurants, but one that I found exceptional was the Edgewater Lodge, just north of Whistler, a few miles away. Check out the image on the website, combined with the Zagat quote “deer to die for” (they have their own deer farm) and you’ll be on your way!
At the other end of the spectrum, the shopping center next to the Whistler Conference Center is home to Shakespeare’s Pies – Australian meat pies for under $ 4 that you will come back to again and again, especially after visiting the bars and nightclubs of Whistler!
Three bars stand out among the best in Whistler and offer a unique experience. Tommy Africa’s will draw in the early ’20s crowd, with a glass DJ booth, top local DJs, and a zebra-striped door. The Savage Beagle is a two-tier bar on the main catwalk, with a packed dance floor downstairs and a “belly to the bar” section upstairs. The 30+ “cougar bar” is Buffalo Bills, at the other end of the main catwalk – live bands, great DJs and comedians have put on many great nights over the years.
Lift passes are often available at the 7-11 in Squamish or Vancouver on your way to Whistler at a discount that can be $ 10-20 per lift ticket. The lift lines are shorter at the Whistler Creekside lift, if you want to get going quickly, but I prefer to ski at Blackcomb, the other mountain (they meet at Whistler Village)
The best-kept secrets about Whistler are the summer activities – there’s a bevy of pristine lakes for swimming or canoeing, mountain bikes in full protective gear are thrown to the top of the mountain for quick or tricky descents, and the ski hill has a glacier at the top that stays open until August!
Oh yeah, some guys named Palmer and Nicholas have golf courses, and there are ski camps, tennis camps, zip lines, helicopter tours, rafting, fishing, horseback riding, ATVs; There are LOTS of great things to do, but bring money !!
Enjoy it now, before the Olympics, because two weeks of watching this on TV will make the world go crazy for Whistler!