Whistler: It Takes a Village

Whistler in a nutshell: the best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, outdoor activities—and 10 places worth checking out on the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

By Rosemary Poole

PART 1: WHISTLER IN 24 HOURS

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Whistler Blackcomb usually gets its first big dump in December, but what if you don’t ski or board? Fear not: in the run-up to 2010, the place is taking on a more nuanced, diversified character. Sure, there are still lots of bottle blondes and overindulged progeny, but here’s a day’s worth of ways to avoid them.

8 a.m. Auntie Em’s is now the Beet Root Café (129-4340 Lorimer Rd., Marketplace; 604-932-1163; entrees $6.60-$8.95) and hearty, vegetarian-friendly breakfasts are served until noon. Finish with a lemon and raisin muffin dusted with icing sugar.

9 a.m. A respite from the village, Neoalpine Yoga (9a-1005 Alpha Lake Rd., Function Junction; 604-935-9642; Neoalpineyoga.ca; $12-$18 drop-in fee) hosts yoga and meditation classes—including Bikram’s and jivamukti—in a spare, modern studio.

10:30 a.m. Zip Trek Ecotours (access via Carleton Lodge, across from the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas; 604-935-0001; Ziptrek.com; $78-$98 per person) offers guided zipline tours through the canyon that divides Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Cable heights reach as high as 80 feet above ancient rainforests and spans are up to 1,100 feet long; acrophobics need not apply.

1:30 p.m. Eat comfort food—like the Hungryman meatloaf sandwich or one of three sky-high veggie burgers served with so many toppings you don’t need a side—at locally loved Ingrid’s (4305 Skiers Approach, Whistler Village; 604-932-7000; sandwiches $4.95-$7.25).

2:30 p.m. Culture fix: Whistler Village Art Gallery (two locations: Hilton Hotel in Whistler Village and the Four Seasons Resort; 604-938-3001; Whistlerart.com) exhibits bold contemporary sculptures and paintings by such artists as Hamilton Aguiar and Scott Steele. This is Whistler’s oldest gallery and its finest.

3:30 p.m. Go ice skating. Meadow Park Sports Centre (8107 Camino Dr., north of the village; 604-935-PLAY; admission $3-$6; skate rentals $2.25) offers public skating and drop-in hockey on an NHL-sized ice surface; frozen Green Lake has old-fashioned shiny appeal—and better scenery. Access via Edgewater Lodge (Hwy. 99 north of the village; 604-932-3389; Whistleroutdoor.com/snow.htm; half-day rentals $10-$12; full-day rentals $15-$20).

5 p.m. Unwind. If your idea of a spa is petals and potpourri, don’t come to Solarice (two village locations: 202-4230 Gateway Dr., 604-935-1222; 4-4308 Main St. 604-966-0888; Solarice.com). The focus here is on wellness, the mood decidedly unisex and contemporary. May we suggest the two-hour ultimate moor mud wrap? Price tag: $285.

8 p.m. Dine at Rim Rock Café’s recently renovated, elegantly rustic room (2117 Whistler Rd., Creekside; 604-932-5565; Rimrockwhistler.com; entrees $28-$52). Start with hot or cold oyster preps; finish with the roasted duck berry compote and pan-seared foie gras. Excellent wine card.

10 p.m. Continue imbibing. If you like cigars and scotch, try Fairmont’s Mallard Lounge (4599 Chateau Blvd., Whistler Village; 604-938-8000); for martinis, the newish Elements Urban Tapas Lounge (4359 Main St., Whistler Village; 604-932-5569); for a frothy pint, Dubh Linn Gate Old Irish Pub (4320 Sundial Cres. in the Pan Pacific Mountainside, 604-905-4047; Dubhlinngate.com).

1 a.m. Still going strong? Join the queue at Zogs Dogs (4340 Sundial Cres., Whistler Village; 604-938-6644) where $5 gets you a pie plate heaped with poutine, served hot and slightly soggy. Perfection.

CONTINUE TO PART 2