Ahhhh… a weekend getaway into winter wonderland is exactly what was needed this holiday season! What better way to celebrate Christmas than to be whisked away to Whistler for a weekend, enjoying the slopes, adventures, restaurants, bars, and fireplace? I’m an avid snowboarder, so this was especially nice since the local mountains had a slow start, and I have been itching to shred since November!
The weekend started with a quick easy check in at Legends Creekside, located in the heart of Creekside Village and very convenient located beside the Creekside Gondola, perfect for ski-in, ski-out access. The building also happens to have one of the Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations offices and Ticket Booth attached to it.
Once checked in, I was welcomed to one of the one bedroom suites on the top floor of this 6-floor hotel. The room comes complete with a King bed, a Queen sofa bed, a bathroom, a full kitchen, and features a gas fireplace, and an in suite washer/dryer. There was more than enough space for the 2 of us to wind down, cook some meals, and cozy up by the fire with some Christmas tunes. Being able to dry and warm up our wet snow gear at the end of the day by the fire is definitely an added luxury. There is also a ski/snowboard locker storage area located by the front desk to store your winter gear, conveniently located by Creekside Express Gondola. Legends also includes a fitness centre, pool table in the games room, a theratre, Nintendo Switch games room, and my favourite outdoor pool, complete with 2 hot tubs. There is nothing better than to relax in an outdoor hot tub with a warm beverage as the snow lightly falls onto your heads après-ski!
Legends Living Room
Tourism Whistler set us up with some awesome Whistler merchandise, including Dark Hazelnut Chocolate, Whistler branded Goggle Socs & Some Gypsy Soul bath salts & coffee scrub!
Onto the fun stuff! Waking up the next morning to fresh snowfall outside the windows was just absolutely lovely! It set the tone for the day as we prepare ourselves for the day up on Whistler Blackcomb! CAN-SKI helped us out with some ski rentals, the knowledgeable staff were able to set us up with the best gear for our skill level and snow conditions! The lineups for the gondolas and lifts were surprisingly not bad, considering it was Christmas weekend. The lifties & staff worked efficiently to get all the skiiers and snowboarders up on the chairs. We were whisked up to the top where the Umbrella Bar is, which is also where you can take the Peak to Peak chair between Whistler and Blackcomb. The conditions of the snow was amazing to say the least, the runs were nice and wide and nicely groomed with fresh powder on top. We frequented the Cougar Park, Bobcat Park, Jolly Green Giant, Green Acres, Old Man, and Franz’s runs.
The best part about snowboarding on Whistler Blackcomb is the accessibility from the mountains to the village and being able to après-ski properly. How absolutely amazing is it to be able to snowboard down to the restaurant right by the lift after a day on the mountains? That is exactly what we did, we made our way down Village Run right onto the covered patio of Garibaldi Lift Company to enjoy some food and drinks by the fire pit, all while watching people wander the village. It was the perfect way to wind down and warm up the toes!
Whistler Village this time of year is extremely festive. We went meandering through the Village and there were Christmas lights all over the Village Stroll. When we reached Whistler Olympic Plaza, it took my breath away! They had transformed the plaza into a skating rink and sledding area! It was absolutely beautiful to be in the middle of all of that and seeing couples and families enjoy the snow and ice under the warm glow of Christmas lights. There is something about this time of year that brings people together that I love seeing. It just warms my heart.
Whistler Olympic Plaza
We couldn’t end our trip without trying some amazing restaurants offered in the village. After checking out many different restaurants and menus online, we decided on Basalt Wine + Salumeria, conveniently located along the Village Stroll beside Crystal Lodge. I’ll try to keep this section short and sweet, but the dinner was amazing! We started off with a Beef Striploin Carpaccio (+ “a bag of chips”), and every bite was incredible. The texture and flavours come together so beautifully, I wish there was more of it, but alas we must move on to the main courses. As adventurous eaters, we decided on the more unique items on the menu. We chose the Cashew Crusted Rock Fish & the New Zealand Venison + Chorizo Ragu Cavatelli with its wine pairings, which paired beautifully with the meal. The rock fish with seaweek pesto and chilean crab stir fried red quinoa was an incredible flavour explosion in my mouth. The flavours & textures worked so well together, it leaves you wanting more, bite after bite. The Venison dish with Cavatelli is the definition of a savoury comfy food. It tastes like a warm hug after a cold day, telling you everything is going to be okay. We were already quite stuffed at this point, but felt we should try their dessert menu along with some boozy hot drinks to end our experience. We ordered their Apple + Butterscotch Crème Brulée, which to my surprise, was very delicious! Not that I was expecting it to be bad, but I’m just not a big dessert person!
Beef Striploin Carpaccio + “a bag of chips”
Cashew Crusted Rock Fish & the New Zealand Venison + Chorizo Ragu Cavatelli
Cashew Crusted Rock Fish with Daydreamer Riesling 2017
New Zealand Venison + Chorizo Ragu Cavatelli with Moraine Estate Pinot Noir 2016
Apple + Butterscotch Crème Brulée | maple almond tuile, ginger struesel
Basalt Boozy Hot Chocolate | Frangelico, Jameson, whip cream
Peanut Buttered Rum | Gosling's Black Rum, brown sugar, spice, peanut butter, steamed milk
Our weekend drew to an end, as the fluffy snow fell outside our windows, we really didn’t want to have to pack up and leave. It’s been such a great way to start the Christmas holidays. I hope you’ll be able to make your way up to Whistler sometime this season! There is something for everyone to do, from Skiing & Snowboarding, to strolling in the village, to trying out different restaurants, to relaxing at a spa, to a wild night out in the bars & clubs.
Thank you Tania and the Tourism Whistler team for setting this nice little getaway up, I’ll definitely have to find another excuse to come back up later in the season!
