Day 13 | 10.09.2018 Vancouver/Whistler

For the first time in the morning, there is no need to pack suitcases. Because we are staying here for another night. Since it was already raining in the morning, we knew that the weather was not suitable for a city stroll. So we drove out of the city into the mountains. The Whistler Ski Resort is the largest ski area in North America and was the venue for some disciplines during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The Whistler Village high up is our destination for today.

The journey was already great, in Vancouver we were still a bit in the morning rush hour.

Whale watching with a difference...

Once again, we marveled at how caring the North Americans are in general with their children. At many intersections, there are crossing guards who stand in the streets with fluorescent vests and show the drivers the stop sign. Even at intersections with traffic lights. I think this commitment is great. Just like the school bus system across the country, a lot has been lost with us.

The rush hour stress quickly disappears as soon as you leave Vancouver just a few miles behind. The highway is called "Sea to the Sky" and that is absolutely fitting.

Similar to the famous Highway No. 1 in California. On the left, there is the water with the many small mountainous islands, which are enveloped by the low-hanging clouds. About 45 minutes before Whistler, we stopped for a short walk to Shannon Falls. Beautiful and we were lucky again with the rain that took a break here.

It should continue like this. WHISTLER Village welcomed us warmly. Like a spa resort in the Alps, wonderfully located, we immediately feel like in St. Moritz. The first thing we came across was the cable car and lots of bikers. Directly from Whistler mountain, there is a downhill track with a lot of activity. We watched for a while, apparently the participants had a lot of fun. One had to push his bike because he had a flat tire. Another proudly showed his buddies a back that apparently was battered from a fall. Crazy, but cool.

We did some souvenir shopping and to satisfy our slight hunger, we went to the Longhorn Saloon. I got my first Poutine (Canadian specialty) and I was thrilled. Fries with sauce and cheese... optionally also with meat or other sides but I skipped that.

Our server Jocelyn was visibly delighted that I dared to experiment and was happy that I enjoyed it. For that, she added a heart to the bill, which I'm sure only I received. 😉

We then wanted to take a photo with Ilaanak (Native American: friend), the Olympic logo, and then headed to the Olympic Park in Callahan Valley a little further downhill. Unfortunately, the access road was closed because the season has not yet started.

Then back in Vancouver, we enjoyed the first dry weather and drove to Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver... great weather, mega relaxing atmosphere, many people jogging or simply taking a walk.

There are large ships between the islands, and there is a lot of driftwood from Canada's typical wood transport on the shore. We now have a perfect view of the Lions Gate Bridge, which connects West Vancouver with Stanley Park.

Vancouver is definitely very special and I believe it has much more to offer than we could discover during this short stay.