We took Uber to the airport, a first time ever and a smooth ride with no traffic. Peggy booked Air Canada flight to Vancouver - there were not many travelers in the airport on Xmas Day so we blitzed through the security check and used the ACA Lounge, which is far better than the UA Lounge I normally use on business travels. The two kids could not get in so opted to eating at Wolgang fast food joint.
The aircraft was a 737 Max8 - the newest one from Boeing - lucky us. The IFE system was brand new and worked perfectly.
Btw, I gained quite a bit of weight in 2018 with undisciplined lifestyle on top of busy schedule. Need to get my body in check in 2019.
We stayed in Sheraton Wall Center in Vancouver and used its lounge for some snacks. Afterwards we went to Gyu-ku to get some Japanese bbq around 9pm.
After dinner we took a stroke around the hotel and found this interesting place inside a hospital. Vancouver downtown is very safe and clean, unlike most of the US cities. Every time I visit Vancouver I like it more, just like all the other great cities in the world. To me these world class cities reflect civilization, not just the living standard - the way the cities are planned, maintained, and marketed are more fascinating than comparisons of the countries which are too broad and superficial. In my opinion all these cities ought to be their own countries.
December 26 was the Boxing Day, Canadian equivalent of Black Friday, I guess. We bought Canada Goose for the two kids as planned along with other shopping spree in Lululemon, etc...
After a brief rest in Sheraton, we took off to Whistler. On the way we stopped at Yifang, a Taiwan tea joint to get boba and other drinks - excellent quality. We arrived in Whistler around 8pm. After parking and checking in, we had a quick stroll in the famed Whistler Village.
We stayed at the Westin and was fortunate to get upgraded to the top floor facing slopes. The morning we woke up to the mesmerizing view of snow-covered forest.
Next day we got up a bit late and also killed some time in getting tickets which we reserved online. The lines were super long. It took us probably one and a half hour to finally get loaded into the gondola. The rest was getting familiar with skis, snowboards, after an eight-year hiatus - and marveling at the stunning natural beauty of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.
The first ski day was sunny and the second was snowy. After two days of skiing, we ran out of steam and spent the third day walking around the villages.
The fourth day, we got the lifts again. I went all the way to the peak and took too many pictures that my phone ran out of battery.
We left Whistler around 11am and made several stops along Sea-to-Sky Highway. The Westin we stayed could not see the entire fireworks show but it was a trip to memorize for years.
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