nibos

Help! Trying to decide between New York and Colorado (stick with my logic here) for our familyof 4 (13 y.o. girl and 10 y.o. boy) - and came up with brainstorm of a few days in Vancouver for city life and then a few days in Whistler for hiking/mountains. What do you think? We like good restaurants, fun shopping. some hiking, new experiences - and I'd love them to see the mountains (we live in Wisconsin!) - so thought this might be the perfect balance. What do you think of the Westin's in both locations? Is there enough to do? How long is the drive to Whistler from Vancouver? What are the highlights for families? I'd love your input! Thanks!

gboy

Restaurants, shopping, the mountains, hiking, biking it is all here. The Westins are both great choices. The drive to Whistler is spectacular has it winds along the Ocean on the edge of the mountains. it will take you about 2 hours Westin to Westin. In Vancouver check out Stanley Park and rollerblade or bike the seawall shopping is also right there. In Whistler it has a great village to walk around in and the prices up there right now are great!
Here is a web site that will help you with both http://vancouverwhistlerhotels.com/

Cheers!

laurafromtexas

Whistler would be great fun for your family. There's lots of hiking trails, fishing, river rafting, and a chairlift that takes you to the top of the mountain. Usually, there's still some snow up top in the summer. There's also miniature golf, a fun hill-toboggan ride for adults as well as kids, a bungee-jumping/trampoline activity, and acrobats who will teach you how to do flips on a trapeeze. I believe the village also hosts activities for kids, and there's always lots of live music outdoors. Tons of fun!

laurafromtexas

I forgot golf and horseback riding!

BowenLinda

Yes, yes and yes, nibos!

I like Whistler better in summer (but that's me) and have been taking my two sons (now 12 and 17 years old) every summer for the past four or five years. Lots to do, fewer crowds, better prices, great weather in the summer (we go in August), and you get the benefit of the 30% or so USD/CAD exchange rate.

Both Westins are great. I especially like the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, a real favourite of mine.

I'm from Vancouver and love this city - have a great time.

Cheers,
Linda

Judy_in_Calgary

For the city portion of your vacation, once you have done justice to Stanley Park, something I highly recommend for the entire family is Science World:

http://www.scienceworld.bc.ca/

nibos

Thanks for the support everyone. I think we're going to do it. Now, the question is how much time to spend in each location. We're looking at 8 nights, but obviously flying into and out of Vancouver. Should we stay 2 nights in Vancouver at the beginning and 1 at the end - with 5 in whistler? Or 3 and 1? And are the Westin's really the best option for a family of 4? What about a condo? What's the best location to stay in Vancouver? Feel free to email directly with your comments as well: [email protected]. Thanks so much! -Helene

Judy_in_Calgary

Recommend you split the time evenly between Vancouver and Whistler. Do not underestimate how much Vancouver has to offer.

If you manage to arrange a fairly late flight out of Vancouver, one that departs around noon or so, you needn't return to Vancouver for your last night. You could go straight from Whistler to the aiport. This would save you from having to move for a third time in 8 nights.

Alternatively, you could do Whistler first and Vancouver second. This would give you more flexibility in choosing a departure time.

waltd

Dear nibos: My family (with kids 13 and 9) went to Vancouver and Whistler two summers ago and it was the best vacation we've had to date!. We started out in Seattle and planned on 4 days in Vancouver and 5 in Victoria (rental minivan) but at the last minute (well almost) we decided to take in Whistler. My kids had a ball! Laurafromtexas pretty much included "some" of the activities there. Most of the "kid" things are included right in Whistler village. You can get individual tickets for each ride, or a booklet which gets you into about everything and which is a better buy. Weather in the mountains can be very changeable so be sure to take heavy sweaters/medium jackets. The day we went up Blackcomb mountain to the glacier (in mid-July) the temp at the village was about 75 F. By the time we got to the top of the mountain it had dropped to 45 F, and the wind coming up that mountain made it feel colder. We were very glad to have out pullovers and jackets on! But what a gorgeous view! My kids complained that we only had 2 and a half days in Whistler and we are planning to return perhaps next year. You won't regret your choice. Have fun!

nibos

I like the suggestion to go to Whistler first and then finish up in Vancouver - thanks for the idea Judy! What about a rental car? Do we need it in Whistler? Should we take the train? What about rafting in Whistler? Has anyone taken the Green River trip? Half my family are daredevils - but the other half needs a ride that's not too scary. Also - I like the Westin's because of the 2 room suites - which they seem to have at the Grand vs. the Bayshore. Any other suite recommendations in Vancouver? You guys are so helpful!

BowenLinda

Nibos, for Whistler I always rent condos because of the obvious kitchen convenience. I've stayed at the Tantalus Lodge which boasts of having Whistler's largest 2 bdrm/2 bathroom suites, see http://www.tantaluslodge.com/. It's a 3 or 4 min walk to Whistler Village, and was great. Have also stayed at the Delta's Whistler Village Inn and Suites, right in the heart of Whistler - http://www.whistlervillageinn.com/wh...llage_inn.html - great location, accommodation pretty good, a little worn around the edges when we stayed a few years ago, but a great price. Also right in Whistler Village is the Mountainside Lodge which is comparable to WVI&S but we liked it better - http://www.the-hotels.com/pages/cana...side-lodge.htm. And lastly, we stayed at The Legends at Creekside, approx. a 5 min drive to Whistler Village but in its own mini village and on walking paths to Whistler Village. Much pricier though.

Both Westin hotels are great, but it just depends on whether you want to eat every meal out or have the convenience and cost-saving of a kitchen. If it was just you and your husband, go for the hotel but with kids along, I'd vote for the condo.

I'd stay 3 nights in Whistler and 5 in Vancouver. For a Vancouver condo, you might want to check out the Aston Rosellen Suites at http://www.rosellensuites.com/. It's located in Vancouver's West End, very near Stanley Park, with easy access to Robson Street. It's about a 15 min. walk to the downtown core or else you can hop a bus. I haven't stayed there or seen it but it came up on this board and the site looks good.

Cheers,
Linda

For a Vancouver condo you might want to look at