I must confess, I have always been much more of a “sunshine and beach” kind of a guy.  The swaying palms in Hawaii and the reggae music in the Caribbean have always seemed more inviting than colder destinations.  But, as many of you know, having children can strongly influence the vacation decision-making process.

My kids (ages 8 and 10) have only seen the snow two times in their lives, and those were day trips to Big Bear, California.  They really wanted to try a longer cold weather vacation, but it had never really appealed to me before.  Learning to ski sounds like fun, but I need much more than that for a good vacation.

Then at the Virtuoso convention last August, I was fortunate to have met with representatives from the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Four Seasons Whistler, two top hotels at this famous ski resort in Canada.  They presented a picture that was much more enticing than I had ever imagined.  Not only is there an excellent ski school and plenty of places to rent ski equipment, but there is an abundance of other possible activities to choose from.  Beautiful, with no boredom factor!  And it is easy to get to from the airport in Vancouver; just a 90 minute drive.  So, I did my research and planned a 6-night vacation for my family, starting with two nights in Vancouver, followed by four nights in Whistler.

After landing, we picked up our 4WD SUV rental and made our way to the Four Seasons in the heart of Vancouver.  The waterfront hotels are not a good choice right now due to excessive construction noise related to the 2010 Olympics projects.  The Four Seasons location allows for easy navigation of Vancouver by foot.  We planned a somewhat relaxing first day in Vancouver with a small walking tour, a little shopping, and dinner at one of the city’s fine restaurants.

On day two, it was raining in the morning.  With umbrellas in hand, we took a short walk to Caffe Artigiano, known for their excellent coffee drinks, and the absolute best hot chocolate in all of Canada.  Our kids gave it two thumbs up!  The weather improved and we visited Granville Island for lunch, a ten-minute drive from our hotel.  Granville Island looks like an industrial area that was converted into a public market, with buildings that house art galleries and museums. There is even one building dedicated to just kids toys.  The market allowed us to graze on many different cuisines.  Later, we were able to enjoy the improved weather and walk through the city’s famous Stanley Park.  We ended the afternoon with a short dip in the hotel’s indoor swimming pool – always a hit with the children!

Even though most people think of the Four Seasons in Vancouver as more of a business hotel than a resort, they excel in taking care of the kids.  They even have a special children’s newsletter that they hand to the kids and parents when they arrive, detailing the many things to do with kids in Vancouver.  Of course, we had to pick and choose what sounded best since we had such a limited time.  We all agreed we had to come back to experience more of Vancouver.

On day three, we drove to Whistler, stopping at the Capilano suspension bridge on the way.  The first of our spectacular hotels was the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.  There is much more to Whistler than world-class skiing.  The Fairmont is home to The Wildflower restaurant, known as one of Canada’s top dining spots.  It is also home to the Vida Wellness Spa.  The hotel looks like a classic European chateau, and it has a reputation for being one of the country’s premier resorts.  The ski-in / ski-out facilities and free ski storage in the lobby make it possible to ski for part of the day, and easily choose other activities for the balance of the day.  We booked a Gold junior suite which offers some additional amenities like in-room fireplaces and a private lounge with complimentary continental breakfast, post-ski appetizers and an honor bar.  It was worth the extra money when I saw how much my kids ate for breakfast.  Just the croissants alone were probably worth it!

A few days later, we moved down the road to the Four Seasons Whistler, a smaller deluxe property with a terrific golf course to enjoy during the spring and summer months.  It is also an excellent family property, going out of their way to make the younger guests feel welcome.  They even had free hot chocolate in the lobby when we arrived.  They provided the kids with their own child-sized bathrobes, and for parents of very young children, they are happy to childproof the rooms.  They have their own ski concierge who arranges everything related to the slopes.  Although not technically a ski-in ski-out resort, they make up for it by having their ski concierges waiting at the bottom of the slopes to take your skis and store them for you until the next day.  It is quite a luxury!  Again, fine dining and spa treatments are readily available, but our busy schedule didn’t allow enough time to do everything.

During our stay in Whistler, we took beginning ski classes in the mornings.  My wife and kids graduated to more advanced classes much quicker than I did.  I guess golf is more my thing, but I had a lot of fun skiing anyway!  We made time to take a dog sled tour and a snowmobiling adventure.  Both were fabulous highlights of our trip.  We didn’t have time for the ice-skating or Ziptrecking, and my wife never had her spa treatment, but we had no regrets about our choices.  The food in Whistler was excellent.  We especially enjoyed Quattro and Trattoria di Umberto.  

We all had a fabulous time on this vacation!  We are not ready to give up our tropical holidays just yet, but it was about time our horizons were expanded.   I am out of my rut now, and we already have a ski trip planned for Lake Tahoe soon.  I can’t imagine it beating Whistler, which completely won me over.