A stirring legacy from the Winter Olympics is the Sea to Sky Highway, an engineering triumph that fuses Vancouver and Whistler with a medley of jaw-dropping roadside scenery. Photogenic Squamish is located halfway between Vancouver and Whistler. It's a hot-spot for rock climbing, and trainspotters should check out the RailwayHeritage Park, which is home to Western Canada's last steam train, the Rocky Hudson.
But the prize draw is Whistler, a year-round tourist mecca. The alpine village is one of the world's most acclaimed ski destinations, with a colony of Kiwis based there on working holidays.
The village is the quintessential Northern Hemisphere ski resort, spangled in fairy-lights, gabled roofs and timber-framed lodges. Even in summer Whistler is jam-packed with visitors who hike and bike on the alpine trails, wine, dine and shop. The village is studded with designer stores, from Cartier to Versace.
Whistler's answer to bungy-jumping is zip-lining; 70m above the forest floor, you step out into thin air and hurtle down a cable to which your body harness is attached.
Spoil yourself with a night of indulgence at the Fairmont Whistler. At the base of Blackcomb Mountain, the Fairmont, a luxury mountain lodge, delivers impeccable service, superb cuisine and heavenly accommodation. Enjoy live entertainment in the apres ski lounge and savour a soak in the slope-side whirlpools.
