As the leaves begin to fall in the Northern Hemisphere, we're starting to think about winter vacation plans. In this edition of Featured Journeys, we're going on a Canadian Ski Adventure. Our expedition begins in the chic city of Vancouver, where visitors can go from the heart of the city to the slopes of Cypress and Grouse Mountains in 30 minutes or less. Then it's off to Whistler-Blackcomb with quintessential mountain charm and more than 200 marked runs. Finally, we end our experience in Banff & Lake Louise with opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, hockey, and ice skating.
Vancouver
Whistler
Banff
Home of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the city of Vancouver is 15 minutes from Grouse Mountain with four seasons of outdoor activities, including a wildlife habitat and the Grouse Mountain Super Skyride providing panoramic views of the city and beyond. While Cypress Mountain is about 30 minutes from downtown and was the Official Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Offering 52 downhill winter skiing and riding runs, a magic carpet surface for the kids camp, a snowtubing park, 19 kilometers of Cross Country Ski trails, and snowshoeing tours around the historic Hollyburn Lodge, Cypress Mountain offers a range of activities.
Offering a relaxed urban luxury experience, Four Seasons Vancouver towers 30 storeys above the Pacific Centre. The hotel's Health Club has the city's only resort-style indoor/outdoor pool, which also features men's and women's saunas and hot tubs. For dining, YEW seafood + bar serves sustainable Pacific Northwest seafood, wines, and innovative cocktails. Plus, guests can schedule massage services in the Red Cedar Massage Suite.
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Providing panoramic views of the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park, and Coal Harbor, the Fairmont Pacific Rim has a recently unveiled collection of Owner's Suites that incorporate the city's sense of fashion, art, and music. The Willow Stream Spa provides an urban oasis with meditation pods, fitness center, and outdoor terrace. Botanist is a new restaurant concept with four diverse spaces: Cocktail Bar and Lab, Garden, Dining Room, and Champagne Lounge, all inspired by the Pacific Northwest. There's also the giovane cafe + eatery + market with Italian fare, and the Lobby Lounge with sushi and cocktails.
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Within walking distance of Stanley Park as well as Robson Street's high fashion boutiques, Rosewood Hotel Georgia first opened in 1927. Set within a Georgian Revival building, the iconic property has welcomed celebrities and dignitaries for decades. Following a major renovation in 2011, the property combines 1920s glamour with contemporary design. There's a Rosewood Spa with an indoor pool, Hawksworth Restaurant with contemporary Canadian cuisine, Bel Cafe Patisserie, and Prohibition Cocktail Bar for on-site dining.
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Located less than two hours via car from Vancouver via the Sea-to-Sky Highway, the world-class Whistler-Blackcomb Resort area consists of Whistler and Blackcomb, two side-by-side mountains, with Whistler Village set in the middle of the two mountains. Offering a range of activities for all seasons including lift accessed alpine hiking and mountain biking, Whistler Blackcomb has one of North America's longest ski and ride seasons. Receiving an average of 458 inches of snow annually, there are three glaciers, 16 alpine bowls, and more than 200 marked runs. As one of North America's most varied terrains, there's vertical runs and lifts for downhill skiing and snowboarding, plus backcountry, heli-skiing, sleigh rides, and snoeshoeing. Whistler Village is home to a community of hotels, boutiques, and restaurants, providing a walkable town to explore.
Featuring a modern alpine setting, Fairmont Chateau Whistler is a ski-in/ski-out hotel and golf resort with a par 72, 18-hole Audubon-certified championship course. The property has Whistler Experience Guides to provide guests with exclusive excursions and scheduled tours, as well as special events like the Women's Weekend Retreat and Holiday festivities. There are multiple on-site dining options including The Chalet--a winter dining destination with fondue and alpine cuisine, plus the Grille Room with exceptional chops, steaks, and seafood, as well as the Wildflower restaurant for gourmands. The Vida Spa provides treatments focused on health and healing, and the Health Club has an indoor/outdoor heated swimming pool, outdoor 60-foot heated lap pool, tennis courts, saunas, steam rooms, and whirlpools.
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Set in the heart of Whistler Village, the Four Seasons Whistler has a Ski Concierge that can assist with everything from lessons to equipment needs. Guests can partake in Wilderness Wellness programs including helicopter flights over ice caps to tour the areas ice caves (or Glacier Golf during warmer months), and the heated outdoor pool and whirlpools are open year round, ideal for post-ski or hiking relaxation. There are daily wine tastings, and the SIDECUT Modern Steak + Bar provides a modern alpine setting with views of the Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.
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Offering 400 residentially-styled suites, The Westin Resort & Spa Whistler has an elevated, slopeside location that served as the host resort for downhill events during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Accommodations feature fireplaces, soaking tubs, kitchenettes, mountain views and indigenous materials. The acclaimed Grill & Vine Restaurant serves regionally-inspired Canadian cuisine with an innovative twist and a modern atmosphere inspired by the surrounding landscape. Plus, the Avello Spa & Health Club provides rejuvenating treatments design to sooth after a day on the slopes.
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Set within Banff National Park (Canada's oldest national Park), Banff offers a dramatic setting with high moraine lakes, flowing rivers, and mountain landscapes. There's plenty of professional guides and outfitters to help guests explore the great outdoors via raft, bicycle or horse during the warmer months, or visitors during the winter can explore the landscape while cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or via the slopes. Banff townsite has a historic main street with quaint buildings, and it is also home to the Banff Springs Hotel, which was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1888. While Lake Louise offers a picturesque lakeside location with a variety of year round activities.
Referred to as Canada's "Castle in the Rockies", the Fairmont Banff Springs was built in 1888 as one of the grand Canadian Railroad Hotels. Set where the Bow and Spray Rivers converge, the hotel is located within Banff National Park, and offers year-round luxury with a championship golf course for the summer months and world-class skiing during the winter. There's the European-style Willow Stream Spa for rejuvenating treatments, as well as multiple dining options including the 1888 Chop House with a classic menu, and the Waldhaus Restaurant with authentic alpine cuisine.
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In the midst of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is surrounded by soaring mountains, with views of the Victoria Glacier, and the emerald-hued Lake Louise. Recognized for progressive environmental stewardship and responsible tourism, the resort offers an array of outdoor recreational activities including ice skating, snowshoeing, snowboarding, downhill and cross-country skiing, plus horse drawn sleigh rides. There are wellness retreats held throughout the year, as well as a kid's camp, and luxury spa.
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Featuring one of Canada's most extensive wine cellars, with more than 25,000 bottles and over 2,200 labels, the Post Hotel serves award-winning chef-prepared cuisine at the Post Hotel Dining Room, plus fondue at the adjacent Fondue Stubli. Opened in the 1940s, the hotel is nestled in the Bow River Valley, offering suites with wood-burning fireplaces, and views of the surrounding wilderness teaming with wildlife. Five minutes from the Lake Louise Ski Resort with downhill skiing and snowboarding, guests can enjoy an array of winter activities, including cross country ski lessons and heli-skiing.
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