Whistler Staycation
This year has been crazy. For obvious reasons, but also for the fact that I haven’t travelled anywhere since early March. Yea, yea I know, “first world problems” (do people still say that?) but my work requires me to travel quite a bit so staying put for the last 8 months has been….strange. On the bright side; I’ve had more quality family time, I’ve done more hiking than I can normally squeeze in and I have a bunch of sweet Zoom meeting virtual backgrounds.
That being said, we all still need to turn off and recharge once in a while. With the surrounding global pandemic it’s been tough to get away and relieve the stresses of being in the office 40+ hours per week.
But wait, we have a world class tourist destination within a 2 1/2 hour drive from us that’s conveniently celebrating their first official Craft Beer Month! So begins my Whistler Staycation……
Don’t Forget The Chicken!
It’s an on going debate, where do you find the best fried chicken in Vancouver and surrounding area? Juke, Downlow, Re-Up, LA Chicken…the list goes on and is ever changing. In my opinion though, nothing beats Sunny Chibas in Squamish and anytime we’re in the area we make a point to stop in for some deliciousness. It’s a quick exit off the 99 Highway and luckily this time we didn’t have to wait in any lines. Taking a Friday off work and visiting them on a weekday afternoon has it’s advantages. The decor in the place is amazing too. 90’s hip hop meets 80’s video games. I call it “2 Pac-Man Chic”.
With our bellies full we made haste for Whistler. But devouring a flock of fried chicken and sitting in a car for an hour isn’t always the best decision so we made a pit stop at Brandywine Falls to burn off some calories. It’s a short, half kilometre hike to the falls viewpoint with an amazing pay off at the end. Luckily we visited on a bit of an overcast day and got some, what I think are, cool photos of the falls. Definitely a must visit on your way up to Whistler. Don’t forget Shannon Falls as well. Another great waterfall to visit along the 99 highway to Whistler.
Those Views Though
Before I start, I have to give a huge shoutout to Gibbons Whistler, Tourism Whistler and the Delta Whistler Village Suites. They helped bring this fantastic weekend together and their hospitality was top notch!
When we checked in at the Delta Whistler Village Suites we were relieved to see the Covid procedures they had in place; mandatory masks, hand sani stations all over the hotel, only 1 family group in the elevator at a time, reservations for the pool/hot tub and much more. They’ve really done an amazing job keeping things safe inside the hotel.
In our room we were treated with an amazing welcome package featuring maps & details on the Craft Beer Month festivities, chocolates from Whistler Chocolate and, my favorite, a selection of suds from Deep Cove Craft, Whistler Brewing and Coast Mountain.
The room itself was outstanding. At the Delta, they’re all suite style rooms which means you get a full kitchen, living area with a pullout sofa and separate bedroom (ours had a king size bed, schwiinng). I was actually considering moving in for the winter but I figured my kids might miss me.
Oh, and lets take a minute to appreciate this mountain view from the bedroom and deck. It doesn’t get much better than waking up to a view like that. Wow!
Cold Feet, Hot Hands
After admiring the views from our hotel room it was time to go grab some eats. We ended up checking out the Deep Cove Tap Takeover & slider pairing at The Longhorn. The Longhorn has one of the best patios in Whistler with views of the ski hill. It’s a great spot to chill and watch people tumbling down the mountain while swigging back a few pints. We were there at night but still opted for the patio because the tables have built-in firepits to keep you warm. Well, they keep your top half warm at least. I should’ve worn thicker socks.
We followed up the sliders and beer with a nightcap over at the FireRock Lounge for their FireRocktober Fest. It’s a cozy little spot with a great cocktail menu and it was a short walk from the Longhorn. I went for something different and tried their signature Chili Chocolate Old Fashion while Mrs. Hungry Explorer’s Club went for the Death Before Decaf to warm her up from the sub-zero temperatures outside. A great way to end the night!
Saturday Afternoon Was A Train Wreck
As any tired parents do when they have a hotel room without their kids, we slept in on Saturday morning. Damn, did that feel good. I rolled off the mattress and sauntered out to grab some coffee while Mrs. Explorer enjoyed the mountain view from the bed.
Lucky me, one of my favorite coffee shops, Mount Currie Coffee, was only a 3 minute walk from the Delta. I grabbed an Americano for myself and a Mocha for m’lady along with a butter almond croissant and a breakfast burrito for us to share.
After lazily finishing our breakfast with no mooching kids asking us for bites, we prepared ourselves for the Whistler Brewing brewery tour we had scheduled at 11. I kind of knew what to expect already though. I’ve been on a number of brewery tours in the past. Yes, it’s cool to see the brewery’s operations but these tours are all pretty standard. Or so I thought.
Whistler Brewing has a competitive advantage on their brewery tour and his name is, Hugues. He’s a French Canadian who’s traveled Europe tasting beer and he was hilarious. Cracking jokes the whole time (some of which can’t be repeated here) but also had a plethora of knowledge of the brewing process and Whistler’s brewing history.
Along the tour we were given some of Whistler Brewing’s core beer samples. One of which was the Chestnut Ale, a beer that I hadn’t had in a long time and forgot how good it is. Super sweet, even to smell and a beer that gave me memories of apres snowboarding in my younger years. I need to get a 6 pack of that this winter and hit the hill! Who’s with me?
The tour finished off in the tasting room where I ordered their seasonal Cherry Märzen, which is weird considering it’s October. FYI, Märzen is German for March. They’re traditionally brewed in March and then stored in cool spaces as it was too hot in the summer months to brew lager. Hugues was quick to point this out as well. All good though because the beer was tasty.
Stop number 2 for the morning (or is it afternoon now? I need a coffee) was Pure Bread conveniently located stumbling distance from Whistler Brewing. If you’ve never been to Pure Bread, what have you been doing with your life? So many delicious pastries and some of the best bread around. We actually ended up grabbing the “Dysfunctionale” which was a white bread loaf using spent grain from Whistler Brewing. We also grabbed the “Krack Bar”, Caramel Brioche Bread Pudding and the Chocolate Caramel Slice which was recommended by Hugues. Don’t judge us.
We decided a little exercise was in order after our gluttonous morning so we headed over to the famous Train Wreck hike. It was a nice little trek, about 2km out-and-back, with lots to see including a suspension bridge, a waterfall (a little ways off the main trail) and, of course, the train wreck. Here’s a quick history lesson for ya (read this in David Attenborough’s voice): the historic train derailed in 1956 while traveling expeditiously on a fractured portion of track. The train cars facing irreparable damage were cast off in to the forest for 70 years. Now, they’re canvases for local graffiti artists and a part of the forest’s rich history (end Attenborough voice).
Mysterious Mustaches
Time for a siesta……..
Crap, we slept a little too long and had to rush out for our sunset Jeep tour with Canadian Wilderness Adventures! It also didn’t help that I took us in the complete wrong direction to the Canadian Wilderness office (I don’t need no stinkin’ map). Turns out it was literally 2 minutes from our hotel and not 10 minutes in the other direction.
We were greeted by our masked driver, Bob, outside the office and escorted to our ride. A Sprinter van took us up to the snow level where we hopped in the Jeep Rubicon for the bumpy excursion up to the top of Blackcomb gondola. The views on the way up were spectacular and we even saw a family of deer. This is about the time that Bob announced we had a bit of time to kill before sunset so he pulled off to the side and started ripping donuts in the snow. I was lovin’ it, Mrs. Explorer was getting a little queezy.
Up top Bob let us roam around and gave us some blankets to stay warm. What I really needed was an extra pair of socks or four. I felt like my toes were gonna fall off. This seems to be a reoccurring story. Was I ill-prepared? Nevertheless, the sunsets up top were stunning! If you haven’t visited Whistler before then you might not know that the ski hill closes before sunset. Not many people actually get to experience the sun going down over the mountain range in the distance. Needless to say, my fingertips were freezing while frantically pushing the shutter on my camera to get as many shots as I could before the sun disappeared.
Before we got back in the Jeep I noticed Bob had his mask off and he had a mustache. A nice big, bushy one. It would actually be the first of 2 hidden mustaches that would be uncovered that night. Which got me to thinking, how many mustaches are being hidden from us on a daily basis during this time of mask donning? Now you’re going to be like me, picturing everyone you pass with a mustache under their mask. Men, women and children. Have fun!
While defrosting our toes in the hotel room our stomachs started to rumble. Our hunger would lead us to the High Mountain Brewhouse, a Whistler staple located right beside the Olympic rings. Also the location of the second mustache unmasking of the night.
Our charismatic server was wonderful, cracking jokes and giving some helpful tips on the menu. He even convinced the kitchen to make me the beef dip which wasn’t supposed to be served after 5pm. (Why? Is it made from Gremlins?) While we waited for our food I ordered the seasonal Cascadian dark ale & Mrs. Explorer went for the Twisted Raspberry Lemonade. Two peas in a pod, aren’t we?
As I sipped my suds I looked over and noticed our baby faced waiter pulling down his mask to take a sip of water. That’s when masked mustache number two appeared! I would’ve never guessed that he sported a stache. This young man with flowing hair and a bubbly personality now resembled a private detective from the 80’s. That’s not a bad thing, it was just unexpected. (see my point from a couple paragraphs ago).
Thomas Magnum brought out our entrees accompanied by another round of drinks and left us to enjoy. I have to say, when Mrs. Explorer ordered the Pad Thai at a pub I was expecting some initial disappointment and later regret. Man, was I wrong. That was actually one of the best Pad Thai I’ve tasted. It could’ve used some more prawns but the spices and flavour were fantastic. My beef dip was pretty damn tasty as well. Sloppy with thick au jus, just how I like it. We both left satisfied.
And Now We Brunch
Our final Craft Beer Month festivity would take us to Stonesedge Kitchen for the Craft Beer Boozy Brunch featuring Strange Fellows Brewing. 10am is typically a little early for me to partake in a pint but, when in Whistler…..
Stonesedge is a picturesque spot with Westcoast vibes tucked off the main strip of Whistler Village. The brunch menu is small but everything sounded mouthwatering (bigger selection isn’t always a good thing). After embarrassing Mrs. Explorer by recording Instagram stories of myself in a busy restaurant, we were ready to order. I went for the breakfast poutine paired with a Strange Fellows “Talisman” pale ale and Mrs. Explorer ordered the “Notorious P.I.G. 2.0” benny with a mocha. Both were super delicious and filled us up just enough for the drive home.
How Soon Can I Come Back?
I love Whistler.
The mountain vibes, the views, the hikes, the activities, the restaurants and bars….there’s so much to love. I definitely don’t venture up there nearly enough as I should and going up during Whistler Village Craft Beer Month made it even better! A Whistler staycation was definitely what I needed for a bit of a recharge.
There’s still time left this month to book yourself a last minute getaway for Craft Beer Month. But even if it’s not this month, I recommend heading up there at some point to enjoy everything the mountain town has to offer.
You might even uncover some masked mustaches like I did!
Here are a few more photos from the trip….
Great work Nick. Sounds like an epic weekend! Your photos are amazing as always.
Thanks, Tim. I really want to go back and try zip lining after watching your Instagram stories!