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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Whistler
The first ski lift opened at Whistler in 1966, transforming this tiny settlement a few hours north of Vancouver, British Columbia, into one of the world's primo ski enclaves. Two immaculate villages set high in apparently virgin territory, it is blessed with wide streets, freshly minted buildings, and clean everything—a community that you swear smells like a new car. True, as an entirely planned destination it has only the character that money can buy, but a lot of money was spent—and continues to be doled out in preparation for the resort's hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Attractions & Activities Of course, there are the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort's twin peaks, Blackcomb and Whistler—respectively the first- and second-largest ski mountains in North America. Together, they have enough runs to all but guarantee that you could spend a week here and never shush down the same piste twice. The terrain can be challenging-a green, or novice, slope can feel like a blue, or intermediate, almost anywhere else. Whistler, the more popular of the two, has a beginner's area midmountain that's easily accessible via gondola. Blackcomb, with a vertical drop of 5,280 feet, is more rugged but less crowded; choose the right run here and you'll have it to yourself. Because of the mountains' low altitude at the base, the bottom third can get slushy. Happily, there are plenty of lifts midway to keep skiers high up, where the conditions are better. Whistler Village has more than 200 shops, and visitors from south of the border can take advantage of the relative strength of the U.S. dollar when partaking of retail therapy here. Sporting goods stores from North Face to Salomon sell their latest ski and snowboard wear at the steep prices typical of a resort. For those looking for a bit of contemplation off the slopes, Armchair Books carries international best sellers and is strong on regional guides and titles from Canadian authors you might not find at home (4205 Village Sq.; 604-932-5557). Whistler is such a popular winter sports destination that it's easy to forget that the area was first a summertime retreat. Fishing on Alta Lake was a top lure in the area's first heyday, in the 1920s. Today, golfing on one of several courses—from the Arnold Palmer-designed Whistler Golf Club (604-932-3280; whistlergolf.com) to the Chateau Whistler Golf Course, conceived by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. (604-938-8000; fairmont.com/whistler)—is a prime reason many visitors come here in the warm months. Hikers can take advantage of the resorts' off-season lifts and gondolas, using them to zip up the mountains and their own steam to navigate past tall fir trees, waving grasses, and delicate wildflowers on Whistler's summer hiking trails. At the Mountain Bike Park, cyclists of all abilities can ride the lifts to the top and then let gravity draw them back down over runs of varying difficulty (604-932-3434; whistlerbike.com; day ticket, $34-$40). And although temperatures at the base may be in the 80s, Blackcomb Glacier is open to skiers and snowboarders of at least intermediate ability, and caters to kids who sign up for the ski and board camps that run skills clinics here. Regular snow grooming keeps the slope in peak condition through the end of July. For organized and guided excursions, check out Backroads Whistler, which offers canoeing, kayaking, and mountain-biking day-trips (604-932-3111; backroadswhistler.com; guided canoe tour, $70 per person; gondola-riding and hiking above tree line, $145 per person). For the more audacious, Ziptrek Ecotours arranges zipline tours over the white-water Fitzsimmons Creek, which separates Whistler and Blackcomb mountains ($70-$88 per person). Lodging Whistler Blackcomb is by some accounts the best ski area in North America, so it should come as no surprise that at its mountains' bases are three properties on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List of the world's best places to stay. The Westin Resort & Spa is at Whistler, and the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Four Seasons Resort are both at Blackcomb—and at a quiet remove from the central chairlift and frat-party hubbub in Village Square. Because this is ski country and because hotels here commonly host extended families, accommodations are often more like condos, with several bedrooms, common areas with sofa beds, and kitchenettes for preparing meals en masse. The Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside is one of these, with ski-in/ski-out access to both mountains' gondolas. The outdoor pools and hot tubs overlook the plaza at the base of the gondolas, giving prime views while you soak après-ski. The hotel's greatest attribute is the ski valet, where guests can stash their gear. Sister property Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre is, despite its name, far enough from the din of the village to feel like a retreat, yet close enough to the après-ski action. Smartly appointed apartment-style suites feature kitchenettes and plenty of dark wood, while gas fireplaces and down duvets add a dose of Alpine coziness. The bar does double duty as a restaurant, offering the same uninspiring dinner menu as room service—but this isn't a big deal considering how many other restaurants are close by. Guests also have access to the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside's ski valet. Dining When the lifts close at three, visitors descend to the bars and restaurants immediately at the base of the mountains to unwind with pints of suds and plates of calorie-laden grub. The Irish joint Dubh Linn Gate (4320 Sundial Crescent; 604-905-4047; entrées, $11-$22), the pizza-heavy Blacks Pub (4270 Mountain Sq.; 604-932-6945; entrées, $12-$22), and the Texas-inflected Longhorn Saloon (4284 Mountain Sq.; 604-932-5999; entrées, $7-$14) have location going for them, since they ring the plaza at the base of both mountains' gondolas. Farther away from the slopes (though not by much), in the heart of the village, Amsterdam Café is arguably the most cosmopolitan of the brew pubs, with one the best selection of imported beers in town. The nacho platter is particularly satisfying (4232 Village Stroll; 604-932-8334; entrées, $11-$18). Since this is such a popular destination for families, it's possible to feed a crowd without breaking the budget at many restaurants. There's always a line at the Old Spaghetti Factory, but those with children are willing to wait it out for the signature pasta platters, fresh-baked bread with garlic butter, and scoops of complimentary spumoni ice cream for dessert (4145 Village Green; 604-938-1081; entrées, $8-$13). There are opportunities for more refined dining, too. At the Four Seasons Resort, Fifty Two 80 Bistro (so-named because nearby Blackcomb Mountain soars that many feet—5,280, as in one mile) skews seaward with arctic char with morels, wild salmon, black cod with chanterelles, and a raw bar to rival the best Japanese houses. The setting is casual plus, befitting a top ski resort (4591 Blackcomb Way; 604-935-3400; entrées, $23-$37). In operation since 1981, Araxi Restaurant & Seafood Bar has seniority in town, and legions of fans keep returning for its innovative preparations using the best local and Canadian ingredients, and for bottles from the cellar, which, with some 1,200 vintages, is the best stocked in town (4222 Village Sq.; 604-932-4540; entrées, $24-$38). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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