OK . . . it's 1 week to go until our trip with the kids (10 and 13) to Whistler/Vancouver. We get in on Wednesday to Vancouver airport - drive to Whistler (Westin - 2 room suite) for 4 nights, then 4 nights in Vancouver (Westin Grand - 2 room suite). Any special restaurant recommendations? We love ethnic, casual, fun and interesting places and our kids are fairly adventurous. Any special rafting companies to look into? Any special places to stop on the drive from/to Whistler? In Whistler I figure we'll just hike, hang out in the village, horseback ride, rent bikes, etc,, and in Vancouver it's the Granville Market, science museum, suspension bridge, Stanley Park, etc. You've all been so helpful in planning - is there anything I"m missing? Any last minute recommendations? Thanks so much!!
-Helene

Check this site to see if anything appeals http://www.takayatours.com/

We just came back from vancouver/whistler in march with our 6 and 3 year old. We only stayed one day in whistler and wished we had stayed longer. We stopped at Shannon Falls to stretch but didn't make any other stops along the way.

In vancouver, we went to a huge mall - i'm sorry i can't remember the name of it but there is a big game room there called the Playdium. We didn't get a chance to go but we hope to our next trip. We also found a roots outlet near the mall and spent at least an hour there shopping - terrific bargains! You need to go to Robson street - there are a lot of nice restaurants. At Granville Island, we ate a nice dinner at Bridges.

BIG HINT: Save all your receipts and GET THEM STAMPED BEFORE you leave canada - you can claim the taxes on accomodations and anything you buy over $50. We didn't know you had to get them stamped before we left Canada.

Hope this helps!

What do you mean by "get them stamped"? What kind of stamp?

If you've never been to Whistler before, buy lift tickets up to the glacier. Awsome scenery and the ride takes about 45 minutes, what with three different lifts and a bus ride between the first and second lifts. Be sure to take jackets and sweaters becuse of the great drop in temp as you go higher, not even counting the wind.

Ginocat: I think Dandy is only referring to retail purchases of over $50. each purchase. The Canadian government wants to ensure that only tourists get the GST refund, and they require that you receive a verification from Canadian Customs prior to departure. This verification does not apply to lodging receipts. We always wait until we return from our trip. We then download the GST refund form from the official Canadian government website, attach the original lodging receipts (not credit card receipts) and mail it off.

We just returned last night from almost two weeks in western Canada that began in Vancouver/Whistler. We loved it, but getting there was the hardest part! We waited exactly two hours at Canadian immigration in the Vancouver airport in order to have them look at our US passports and say "Welcome [?] to Canada. (We did arrive on a Saturday, which I guess is when all the cruise ship passengers come in. Still, it was frustrating, especially after a cross-continental trip.) The airport is on the south side of town and you have to go right through the middle of the city -- and lots of traffic -- to get on the (only) road to Whistler. You probably know that they are widening this road in preparation for the 2010 winter Olympics, which are in Whistler. On weekdays they close the road several times a day. I'm not sure when or for how long. You might check with your hotel re. the schedule and try to avoid those hours. Anyway, take something to entertain the kids while you wait. Whistler has an interesting farmers market on Sundays. Crafts as well as food. Definitely go up the lift...it's fun to go from grass/summer to ice/winter in less than an hour. We had a fabulous (though not inexpensive) meal at Quatro. The antipasto plate was to die for. Check the weather report right before you go. It was very warm (high 80s) when we were there. We took turtlenecks we never wore and too few shorts.
We didn't spend any time in Vancouver on this trip, but have been there several times before. Stanley Park has a lovely tea room where we have had some nice lunches. You can eat outside. I highly recommend the U. of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology. It will give you some insight into the natives of the Pacific NW. The kids will love the totem poles and canoes. I think you can get over to Victoria and back in one day. It is a very pretty town and the museum there (Royal BC Museum) is another winner.

To Waltd - thanks for that. I'm in the accommodation business and know about the gst but didn't know about getting mdse receipts stamped. It is really necessary?

Do be sure and check the road closure times!!! We left Whistler and headed back to Vancouver an hour later than we had planned to avoid getting stopped on the road.

Thanks everyone for your advice. What's up with the path closures? Is there a high fire risk? I hope not! We were in Sedona a few years ago and almost all the hiking trails were closed due to fire danger, but I didn't expect that so far up north. Does anyone know??

I don't know about path closures but the province is already experiencing a lot of forest fires and this year could be worse than last year (when hundresd of people lost their homes in the BC interior). Campfires have been banned in many areas but as far as I know they haven't yet closed any trails.
Enjoy your trip.

You can get updates on closures on highway 99 (Vancouver to Whistler) at this site.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/roadreports/...name=hwy99.txt

Thanks again everyone. One more thing . . . I'm checking the weather forecast and it looks like it's really cool there - highs of only 15 (low 60's??) in Whistler and 23 (low 70's??) in Vancouver? I think we need to take out the shorts and add a few more long pants and sweatshirts to our luggage!!

Well, that is shorts weather for us!
Yes this is a little cooler that it's been for the last couple of weeks, but it's normal for this time of year. Bring layers, then you're covered for all temperatures.