Whistler, British Columbia, Canada - Day 1

Sunday, September 22, 2024

Today, we traveled from the small town of Pemberton, British Columbia to Whistler, about 30 minutes to the south along Highway 99. Andi and I had a big surprise for Tory and Aden today — we booked our family one night’s stay at the Fairmont Chateau in Whistler’s Upper Village.

Why? Well, we had lunch at the Fairmont Hotel when we visited Lake Louise in Banff National Park and the kids were wow’d by our experience there. “Will we ever get to stay at a hotel this fancy?” Aden asked Andi that day.

Andi had the idea to use credit card points to pay for a room at the Fairmont during our visit to Whistler. There aren’t a lot of RV parks or places to camp around the alpine village, and Andi thought this would be a fun and different way to experience our time here.

All day Saturday, Andi teased Tory and Aden with clues about their big surprise. “Is it ax throwing? Aden asked. “It is indoor or outdoor?” Tory wanted to know. At one point, Tory actually guessed “stay at the Fairmont,” which shocked Andi and I. That girl doesn’t miss a beat!

Andi didn’t tell Tory and Aden about our stay at the Fairmont until it was time to check into the hotel. We arrived in the resort village around 11:00am, and parked the RV in an oversized vehicle lot. Parking was surprisingly easy to do in Whistler with several oversized parking lots available. I think it helps that we’re also visiting during the shoulder season.

The Whistler Farmer’s Market was taking place today from 11:00am - 4:00pm, so we told the kids we were going to walk around the village. We strolled trough the outdoor market (not cheap; $16 for a small pint of strawberries!), and sampled frozen maple syrup on a stick.

It was a rainy, gloomy day in the alpine village. Fortunately, the weather wasn’t cold necessarily; it just felt like the season is changing.

Next, we walked through the Fairmont Chateau. “Oh, there’s a Fairmont Hotel here in Whistler,” Andi said to no one in particular. “We should use the bathroom just so we can use the fancy hand lotion,” Tory said with a smile.

The four of us walked through Whistler’s Olympic Plaza next. The Winter Olympics were held in Whistler in 2010, and the olympic rings are still on display. Tory and Aden took their picture by the rings, and then we wandered through the plaza area. We decided to grab lunch to-go from the grocery store since we’d probably have dinner in a restaurant tonight.

Tory and I each bought a cup of soup from the grocery store, and Andi got sushi. Aden couldn’t find any hot food he liked at the grocery store, so we walked to McDonalds next door for him. They were going to charge us $.25 cents for a paper bag to take his food to-go. Isn’t that nuts? Andi shoved Aden’s chicken sandwich in his coat pocket, and we walked back to the RV in the oversized-vehicle parking lot.

We ate our lunches there, and then told the kids our surprise. “The Fairmont! What?!” Tory and Aden were so excited. Tory immediately started packing a bag. “Good thing you told us, Dad, or how would you have known all the things I wanted to bring?” she said.

We didn’t have any luggage with us, and had to walk several blocks to the hotel since we had to leave the RV in the oversized-vehicle parking lot. It was important to bring the items we needed, but not to overdo it since we’d have to carry it all to the hotel and back.

The four of us checked into the Fairmont Hotel around 1:00pm. Andi booked us a standard hotel room with two queen beds. During the peak winter season, this hotel room costs $1,500/night.

Tory’s favorite part of the hotel room was the lighted make-up mirror in the bathroom.

We spent the afternoon at the Fairmont pool. Aden forgot his goggles in the RV, so Andi asked the employee working the pool / hot tub area if the hotel had any. “Of course we do, sir” he said, and produced a pair of goggles for Aden to use in no time flat. Nice! The service at the Fairmont is top-notch.

Andi walked next door to the hotel to buy me a bottle of local Okanagan Valley wine I’ve been wanting to try. The southeastern part of British Columbia is known for its wineries, and I’ve been curious to try one of their varieties. The bellman at the hotel told Andi that, because of the cold climate, Pinot Noir and Syrah are the best choices.

For dinner, we decide to eat at one of the hotel’s three restaurant, chosing The Wildflower. We had a fabulous waitress by the name of Lisa Marie who gave us her favorite camping recommendations for Vancouver Island. She even split Tory and Aden’s gnocchi meal in half, one with cheese and one without. Andi had the roasted chicken, and I ordered the beef short ribs. Our food and service were excellent.

Andi thought it’d be better to order room service for dessert which got the kids excited. Why is it so fun to order food delivered to your room? We headed back to our room after dinner, and they ordered a brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Andi had Tory order it from room service, and she did such a good job articulating what she wanted. The kids said it was the best brownie they’ve ever eaten.

Tomorrow, Andi and Aden have a big day planned — mountain biking on Whistler Mountain. This activity is a big reason we stopped in Whistler during our RV road trip through western Canada, as mountain biking has been top of Aden’s bucket list for some time now. Can’t wait for tomorrow!