The Whistler Village has established itself as a must-visit destination for anyone exploring the west coast of BC. Rain or shine, Whistler is a wonderland full of fun and adventures for everyone. My boyfriend and I were fortunate enough to be able to visit this beautiful part of BC back in June of 2020.
The pandemic had entered an eerie plateau before its next spike nearing the changing of seasons from summer to Fall. Vaccines wouldn’t be coming to BC until December of 2020, so when we went to Whistler we were wearing masks whenever needed and being extra careful to social distance.
Incidentally, we didn’t need to try too hard because contrary to the regular tourism season, there was a drastic lack of tourists for us to compete with! It was a nice change of pace from being in Vancouver at the time. Fewer people, less noise and pollution, with more nature made for a genuinely mystical trip.
We managed to pack so much into our short one-week stay! There is so much to see and do in Whistler, even just wandering the lanes of the village for the day is a great way to pass the time window shopping. The village is bigger than it seems, and there are many trails and paths through nature nearby to explore.
Here is a fun fact, when in Whistler, you can ride transit for FREE! There is a free shuttle that operates on a set schedule and will take you where you need to go. It was very helpful for us because our Airbnb was up a pretty steep and winding hill.
Another note on practicality is that if you want to save $$ on eating out, there is The Whistler Grocery Store where you can stock up on some fresh goods. It’s great to mix it up while exploring somewhere new.
Alta Lake
One side trip to take while visiting Whistler is Alta Lake. It has a nice swimming area with kayak rentals, concession, and washrooms, as well as trails that go around the entire lake. We loved the stunning view of the water against crisp blue skies, in contrast to the calming 7.2km forest walk. The lake itself is stunning, and has natural streams flowing into it.
Brandywine Falls
Another must-see! Brandywine Falls provincial park is a sight that demands your attention. Easily accessible via forest trails, the steep falls will take your breath away. It is amazing to notice the layers of rockface while viewing the falls from afar. A truly spectacular sight.
We stopped by these falls on a rainy day but were not disappointed in the slightest. There are multiple viewing spots where you can see beautiful BC landscapes stretching for miles below.
One of the things we saved ’til last was Cows Ice Cream shop. This purely Canadian business has its only BC location right in the heart of the Whistler Village.
The ice cream has fantastic quality with dozens of flavours to choose from. In addition to ice cream cones, Cows Ice Cream also sells an array of souvenirs including Anne Of Green Gables famous Cordial. As a personal Green Gables fan, this detail excited me a lot. It felt like a small lifetime accomplishment to my inner child, and it can be for you too!
They also provide lots of other typical souvenirs such as t-shirts, hats, and more. Cows Ice Cream is so aesthetically pleasing and will leave you with great memories.
Wandering Whistler
In the village there is a beautiful bookstore called Armchair Books that will inspire anyone to pick up a book again, as well as lots of different restaurants ranging in pricing. The most budget friendly yet high quality restaurant we found there was El Furniture Warehouse. This is one of our favourite places to go due to their amazing food and fun atmosphere, so we were happily surprised to find it in the Whistler Village!
Another meal spot you should be sure to check out is Peaked Pies. Their pies are packed full of savory ingredients! Peaked Pies is an Australian company that creates high-quality baked goods, they provide a change of pace for sure.
Below are several photos of different areas we explored while in Whistler, it’s tough to place a label on every memory at this stage of the game! Hope you enjoy ^_^
P.S.
Something to keep in mind when visiting Whistler, is that you may encounter some coyotes while out adventuring. Be careful and wary to not upset the wildlife there, they are beautiful creatures but need their space. We saw around two or three coyotes during our short visit, thankfully from a safe distance. Whistler is a very safe place to visit, but it is good to keep these things in mind.
One thing we really wanted to do but didn’t get to due to closures was riding the gondola up the mountain. Even the ski lifts were shut down at the time due to covid. Our spirits were lifted however when we were able to ascend on the Sea To Sky Gondola in Squamish, which is where we went next!
If you have any questions or insights into this post I would be happy to hear from you via the contact page! Thanks for reading ^_^
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