Happy Mother’s Day to YOU!! Let’s be real, a ‘mom’ can mean many things and in my life that involves grandmas, sisters, friends, and even dads. Sure my name is the one being hollered from the toddler on the potty, but it takes a village to raise these adorable little humans. And I know I couldn’t do it without my tribe, and I assume you feel the same way. So today, I hope you honor your mother, your friend, and yourself – because, ladies, we are running this world, now aren’t we?
So in today’s ‘mom’ theme, I thought I’d share another post from our recent family trip to Whistler. In all honesty, a vacation as a mom is something to get used to. It’s not easy, it’s never what you expect and relaxing may be hard to fathom. BUT, with that said, kid’s are pretty awesome and you can have a lot of fun. In fact, having busy little one’s encourages us to get creative and find unique adventures. And Whistler is absolutely perfect for everyone – families are more than welcome! In this post, I’ll share how to entertain the kid’s when visiting Whistler in the Spring – my favorite time of year.
First of all, my biggest piece of advice is to do your research. Make sure to check in with the weather (on and off the mountain), as it can vary quite a bit in the Spring. We had boots and jackets one day, and shorts and sandals the next. I packed for the whole spectrum which came in handy! Second, utilize local resources. I loved our concierge at the Hilton Whistler – she let us know what event’s were happening and answered our constant question – ‘how far is this walking?’ (we asked this a lot, as we had a 3 and 5 year old in tow). If you have a littles that will still fit, I would recommend bringing a jogger – we did not and ended up carrying the youngest quite a bit. :) The Village is very walkable – it just makes it easier to explore a bit more.
Another resource we loved was the Whistler Adventure Passport. It’s not only a guidebook for attractions and restaurants, but also a mini coupon book with over $1000 in savings – and the best part – it fit right inside my purse. The Passport is valid for 2 years, so we’ll use it again this summer!
You can also enter to WIN a Whistler Adventure Passport at the end of this post! ($25 CAD Value)
The Passport definitely saved us money during the trip – 10% off ski rentals, shopping discounts and some yummy Avalanche Pizza on the cheap…
And to cover all your bases, become very familiar with Whistler.com, the official Tourism website for this gorgeous resort town. It has daily useful content to make your trip as easy and awesome as ever.
Speaking of awesome…if you have an opportunity to visit Whistler, I highly recommend the Spring! You really get the best of every season rolled into one – as I mentioned in my previous post, you can ski in the morning and lay by the pool in the afternoon – not a bad day, right?
Since play is readily available this time of year, here are my favorites:
Whistler Core
Hands-down, best part of the trip – indoor rock-climbing at Whistler Core. Talk about a confidence booster – especially for young children. We opted for an hour guided session by expert climber and owner, Bob Allison, and he was fantastic. With a 3- and 5-year-old in tow, our expectations were mild – but the results were anything but. Both girls, especially the 5-year-old showed instant excitement and bravery. This is an absolute must-do when visiting Whistler (with or without kids). Plus, it’s open regardless of the season!
*I took around 300 photos here!! I’ll spare you the family photo album and just show my favorites. :)
The Core is Whistler’s premier fitness facility, created by locals and designed for the world. Our unique activity zones feature a huge climbing area, free weights, cardio equipment and two fitness studios for indoor cycling, yoga, circuit and many other classes. All this so you can train for life in this crazy town, keep in shape while you’re visiting or drop off the kids for some supervised fun, climbing all over our walls. WhistlerCore.com
When we return, Whistler Core is at the top of our list!
Onto another favorite way to play…
Skiing
Of course we had to try out the mountains! Even though Whistler is known for it’s ‘8,100 acres of snow-covered slopes, 16 alpine bowls, 3 glaciers, world-class terrain parks and 200+ marked trails,’ we took it easy and stayed on the bunny hill. :) I actually grew up skiing (though 12 years have gone by since my last run!), and neither my husband nor my girl’s have ever gone. So this is where the concierge at the Hilton came in handy, once again. She directed us to the beginner-friendly Magic Carpet and Olympic Chairs, which were easily accessible from the Gondola. This was a perfect spot to play for the day. ♥
I have two recommendations, though! One, rent your skies the day before you go – it takes a bit of time to get everyone fitted and our little one was spent before we even started. Two, have the littles take a private or group lesson for at least half a day. It was tough for me to manage both kiddos down the hill, and if they had the basics down it would have been a bit easier! Next year we are definitely going this route!
Here’s how are day went…Mila taking a break before we even set foot in the snow :)
And then another break… :)
The day was exciting, tiresome and exactly how it should be. We are thrilled they enjoyed skiing and can’t wait to hit the slopes with those little legs again next year! Whistler is open until May 30th – so you still have time to catch a run!
Whistler Olympic Plaza
It’s easy to get carried away with activities and planning – but I recommend taking one day to just enjoy all that Whistler Village has to offer. Having time to just walk, shop and explore is necessary in getting the full experience. We happened to discover Whistler Olympic Plaza and it became our favorite afternoon spot to soak up the sun and savor the mountain views. The tree house sets the stage for adventurous and creative games, right next to a beautiful grass field which holds outdoor performances during the warmer months and an ice skating rink in winter. Grab a treat from PureBread, a Whistler-based family bakery, which sits right next to the park – perfect for hungry kiddos.
I hope you enjoyed this post and you’re feeling inspired to take a vacation this Spring! Traveling as a family can feel cumbersome and expensive – but it doesn’t have to. A luxury vacation is possible if you take the time to research and plan.
If you’d like to see my favorite place to stay in Whistler, go HERE! And did you check out my article on Whistler.com?
Stay tuned for more tips coming this week…
And if Whistler is on your travel calendar…make sure to Enter to WIN a Whistler Adventure Passport via the rafflecopter below!
This giveaway is now closed.
XoXo Portia
Disclosure: Whistler Core and the Whistler Adventure Passport graciously provided complimentary services/product. The opinions expressed here represent my own, which I take great pride in providing pure honesty…because I’m OBSESSED with sharing the Good!