I can’t believe I completely forgot about TTTD. Shame on me! I was so wrapped up in Vampire Diaries all day yesterday I missed my favorite post. I guess it’s better late than never.
Since its December that means snow (for a lot of people) and lots of winter sports.
By the way where did November go? LOL I am not complaining because I am 1 month and 1 day from flying out of this place and never returning but last month just flew by.
Anyways, I have been featuring a lot of places that are pretty far from the US so I figured I would pick something a bit closer to home this week but you will still need your passports and don’t forget a ski jacket. I love skiing and I haven’t been in years from when I went with my youth group to Colorado but that will all be fixed in a month when I’m flying down the slopes in DUBAI .
This week is skiing in Canada . I don’t think I would really like Canada unless I am doing some extreme winter sport just because in the summer I am really use to hot and swimming and actual summer things which I don’t think it gets warm enough in Canada for. Canada ’s climate is perfect for some people but other than winter I don’t have a desire to go soak up all the green. LOL
There’s a lot of different place in Canada to hit the slopes check out these main spots:
- Alberta
- Quebec
- British Columbia
Whistler Blackcomb in BC
4545 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, V0N 1B4
Phone: 800-766-0499 Snow Report: 604-932-4211
Whistler Blackcomb Website
By Crai S. Bower
The first question I used to ask myself each morning in Whistler, British Columbia was whether to spend my day on Blackcomb Mountain , sluicing among the glades below the 7th Heaven chair or venture up Whistler Mountain to splash around in Bagel Bowl. I’ve certainly chased the sun or followed a rumor of untracked snow from one hill to the other on a single day, but I couldn’t help but feel I’d let 45-minutes of potential skiing drop into a crevice. Today, to quote an old SNL Jesse Jackson skit, the question’s moot, because the “Peak 2 Peak” Gondola now connects the two mountains in just 11 minutes flat.
4,100 skiers every hour can admire the views as the (mysteriously unsupported) gondola cable bends above Fitzsimmon’s Creek, at 2.7 miles the longest such conveyance in the world. But Peak 2 Peak is really last year’s news. All the talk this year is the 2010 Winter Olympics, though the gondola means Games goers can ski Blackcomb in the morning, then slip over to Whistler for an afternoon on the ropes watching the Downhill or Super G.
As expected at North America ’s perennial #1 ski resort, Whistler’s on-slope offerings are just part of the fun. This is a patio town, the village stroll feels like a red carpet parade between numerous heated porches bustling with après ski energy. Whistler’s dining options change annually but the superior Bearfoot Bistro is not to be missed, the menu’s imaginative, the wine list outstanding. Quattro, Araxi and Trattoria Di Umberto round out the Fab Four dining destinations.
Whistler’s upscale accommodations continue to grow as well, the Whistler Four Season’s townhome rentals are the best of their kind in the entire Pacific Northwest and Fairmont Chateau Whistler caters to myriad families without losing it’s luxurious ambience. Boutique hotels are relatively new to the village, but Nita Lake Lodge, Adara and Aava hotels compare favorably to their downtown Vancouver brethren.
Set among the grand Garibaldi Mountains of the Coastal Range , Whistler takes its environmental stewardship seriously as it works to become the first carbon neutral ski resort on the planet. The city mandates a “Green Checklist” for future development, the entire ski area runs from a Fitzsimmons Creek hydro plant and the new library and Spring Creek Fire Hall are model green structures.
Vibrant living infuses the atmosphere here and visitors can’t help but soak up the vibe, whether descending a mile of powdery vertical, gazing over the valley from a private home rental or sabering a bottle of 1990 Nicolas Feuillatte Palme D’or in the Bearfoot cellar.
Or maybe Mont Tremblant in Quebec
1000 Chemin des Voyageurs, Mont-Tremblant , J8E 1T1
Phone: 888-857-8043
Mont Tremblant Website
By Crai S. Bower
While the eastern United States offers several world-class ski resorts to tempt destination skiers away from Colorado , California and Utah , eastern Canada boasts just one, Mont Tremblant. But what Sugarloaf and Stratton can’t offer the east coast skier is Quebec ’s unique cosmopolitan ambience. Set within the Laurentian Mountains, the 654-acre ski resort carries a European panache unparalleled in North America .
“Mont Tremblant is where the best skiers in eastern Canada go to ski,” says Rob Coté, formerly a public relations representative at Banff ’s Mt. Norquay . “It’s also by far the most luxurious ski experience in eastern North America .”
Coté, who grew up in nearby Montréal, recalls that family trips to Mont Tremblant provided the highlight of every ski season. “The village is really safe to roam as a teenager, so there was a sense of adolescent freedom. We could also walk to the lifts from almost every accommodation, more so than at most resorts.”
Tremblant offers 95 runs, among the most in the east, and a healthy 2871-feet of vertical serviced from 14 lifts, an impressive number that diffuses lift lines on even the busiest days. The terrain is challenging, with just 17% of the runs slated for beginners and 50% designated expert terrain. Still, the 49-miles of total trails, including a 3-mile run, offer full days for mixed ability groups.
True to the nature of most Quebec vacations, the party is just getting started at Mont Tremblant once the lifts have closed. Diners chose from three French restaurants that range from innovative fine dining to bistro fare, Aux Truffes, L’Avalanche and Les Artistes. Créperie Catherine completes the Gallic options, though plenty of other eateries cater to French influences. A lover of Quebec favorites will prefer Le Chalet du Smoked Meat Loup-Garou, purveyors of smoked meats and, of course, poutine, among other regional items. International and continental menus complete the options.
Clothing, gift and accessory shops join galleries to populate the pedestrian village. Visits into Blanc Bleu, Boutique Chamonix and Betty Barclay confirm Quebec ’s status as the best-dressed province or state in North America . And, as few exclusive resorts, people often come to Tremblant in winter just to shop, spa and dine.
When it comes to nightlife, Le P’tit Caribou rules, considered among the best après and nightlife scenes in eastern Canada . Bar Café d’Époque features a roster of nightly DJs for the visitor who’s legs still have something left to burn after descending the “Flying Mile” or especially “Ryan” summit to base.
Mont Tremblant’s posture, nestled beneath the gorgeous and lazy Laurentians, conveys the ambience of the Alps’ resorts more than any other ski resort in North America . The Francophone culture, cosmopolitan élan and advanced ski terrain merge to convey an other worldly experience without ever crossing the Atlantic .
In Alberta there’s a lovely place called Sunshine Village .
PO Box 1510, Banff , T1L 1J5
Phone: 403-762-4561 Snow Report: 403-277-7669 (snow report)
Sunshine Village Website
By Crai S. Bower
Sunshine Village , located just 8 km west of Banff , is another enormous ski area with a fun twist, access comes via a leisurely gondola ride that includes a rare, 90-degree turn. The village itself, located on-mountain, hosts the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, a full-service hotel with a location to rival most resorts’ mid-mountain day lodges. Three mountains comprise the 3,500-acre resort with plentiful intermediate and beginning runs, perfect for a family possessing diverse skiing and snowboarding talents.
“Was the Dive open?” is the most common question in the Banff saloons at night. “The ‘Dive’ is ‘Delirium Dive,’ a little bit of back country madness found within Sunshine Village ’s ropes. Well, sort of. Skiers must report in at the lodge if they’re heading there and a beacon and shovel are required. Still, I’m psyched to find some ‘earn-your-turns’ essence without having to ‘skin up.’ We traverse the Dive’s rock face before dropping into a good 20-minute run of deep powder and no tracks. The kid in me found plenty to love about the “gondola-to-somewhere” but my inner adventurer was awfully giddy after I dove into the Dive.
But you don’t have to ski like a double-black diva to enjoy Sunshine Village . 12 lifts spread out among 3,358 skiable acres to tempt skiers with 107 named runs, more than three quarters of them either intermediate (55%) or beginner (25%). The broad Sunshine Meadows here also provide great terrain where beginners or a mixed ability group can pick from a bushel of lines. Aerial artists are also thrilled to find an agreeable environment, at 12 acres, the largest terrain park in the region.
Like the geologically older chain of the same name south of the border, the 30-feet of annual snow lands dryly in the Canadian Rockies and we spend the day sliding through powder off Goat’s Eye, one of three mountains with a series of open bowls that lead to numerous glades and narrow runs. Finishing up that afternoon, our daytime excitement is matched by the knowledge we are spending the night in Sunshine Mountain Lodge one of North America ’s locales located at the offload of the gondola, miles away from any amenity other than skier’s bliss. Talk about fresh tracks access. We’ll hardly need to doff our pajamas.
These are just a few and seeing they get snow in October in some places the skiing season is a long one so there are PLENTY of ski resorts to choose from. If you’re strapped for cash but still want to take a vacation find a ski resort and then stay in a cheaper hotel/motel nearby and skip some of those tourist trap expenses. There are vacations out there for everyone no matter your budget.
Information on resorts from http://skiresorts.com/resorts
Now go and book that winter wonderland get-a-way, just don’t forget your jackets!
I love what you said, "I haven't skiied in years!!" That's hilarious! You've only been once. Lol I loved it too though. You better be careful skiing in Dubai, Miss Pro! Love, Mom
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