Accommodation: Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Dining:

Breakfast & Dinner at The Wildflower Restaurant
Breakfast at Portobello

Activities:

Couldn’t be more excited to spend our Spring Break this year in Canada! For about eight days, we will explore four stunning places that have been long on our bucket list, Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. Going this time of year to Canada might be surprising to some, since most people prefer to visit either in summer (June to August) or in winter (November to February). However, we chose exactly this in-between-period, which is also called “Secret Season” ( March to May), to visit because we know there will be less tourists and cars on the road. For our entire Canadian adventure, we booked exclusively with Fairmont Hotels, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which have amazing offers for families during this “Secret Season”. We are not just talking about unbelievable discount rates, but also complimentary activities for adults and kids.

The first destination of our trip is Whistler! Most people know Whistler as one of the best and most popular ski resorts in Canada. They come here to do one thing and one thing only, skiing/snowboarding. Since my husband could not ski this year due to his knee injury, we had to re-organize ourselves and look for alternative fun things to do. And we are not disappointed! It turns out that in Whistler, there are so many amazing activities and experiences. which we didn’t know about. We would have totally missed out if we were only skiing the entire time.

It took us just about two and half hours to fly from San Francisco to Vancouver and then it was a breathtaking scenic 1.5 hours drive from Vancouver airport to Fairmont Chateau Whistler. The location of the hotel could not be any more perfect and convenient, two minutes walk to the Gondola to go up the Blackcomb Mountains and then seven minutes walk to downtown of Whistler. We were right in the middle of where all the actions are.

Our spacious two queen beds room had a fantastic view to the mountain slopes and the hotel pools. It was so nice to wake up to see the mountain peaks lighting up by the sun and snow flakes falling onto the mountain. The hotel has several restaurants, but the ones we loved the most are The Wildflower Restaurant and Portobello. The dinner dishes from the Wildflower are very creative (everything were locally sourced) and each course was beautifully plated with vibrant colors. Portobello is perfect for those families are constantly on the go and after quick and healthy meals. They serve the most delicious porridges and savory bowls. Since we visited exactly a week before Easter, the chef from the hotel was so kind to provide the kids LOTS of sweets and chocolate, so they wouldn’t feel felt out. The creation was just mind blowing.

For R&R, Fairmont Chateau Whistler has three indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, hot tubes, outdoor saunas and indoor steam rooms. We visited the pools every day and had so much fun and relaxing time there. PS: The hotel provides bath robes to guests of all ages, even for the little babies. And the kids absolutely loved them. It was the most adorable thing to see families walking in white cozy bathrobes together in the hall way.

Now, let’s talk about what we have done in Whistler…if you have about two-three days like we did in town. I highly recommend you to check out the “Choose Your Own Adventure” with The Adventure Group. It is a great package to choose adventures that you would love the most and get the best rate. For us, we did Scandinave Spa (no kids), Snowmobile Tour and Ziplining Tour.

Scandinave Spa is adults only, which was perfect for and my husband to get some quality couple time together without the kids. The spa has a selection of hot and cold installations on the location, including Eucalyptus Steam Baths, Wood Burning Sauna, Finnish Sauna, Hot Baths and Nordic Waterfall and showers. The entire property is serene and calm, surrounding nothing but forest. After I took some photos of this beautiful spa place, I put my phone and camera away and enjoyed some super relaxing soaks and naps.

And if you are adventurous and love actions like me and my family, snowmobile tour and zip lining are definitely the things for you do try. Both were done with very professional, experienced, friendly and very funny guides. We felt safe, but free too to do whatever we wanted. The kids were given the opportunity to drive their own kid-sized snowmobile for 30 mins after a 30-40 mins tour with the parents. They had such a blast. As for Ziplining, our kids just raced their way through down the mountain. They had such an amazing time. We all were blown away by the beauty of the scenery we saw on the zip line. Bonus: If you stay with Fairmont Chateau Whistler, The Adventure Group will pick you up from the hotel directly.

Since we stayed so closed to the Blackcomb Mountains, we decided to check out the mountain peaks to see what’s the terrains like. We did “Peak to Peak” gondola ride and was again in awe with the breathtaking views. The terrains are long and wide, which we imagined it would be so fun to ski on. Next year!

Another interesting spot for families to check out would be Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. Sk̲wxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation, Coast Salish) and Líl̓wat7ul (Lil’wat Nation, Interior Salish) Nations are two of the original residents in the Whistler region. Visiting the culture center, tasting the traditional food, watching their dances, and talking to the members of the nations helped us to gain a better understanding of traditional local cultures.

All we can say after our three-day stay in Whistler is that “we will be back”! It was such a exhilarating and unforgettable experience we had here and we can’t wait to return next year. Hopefully, we will be able to ski too and experience what Whistler is known for.