WHISTLER OFFERS MOUNTAINS OF FAMILY FUN FOR SUMMER

Whistler, B.C. – Family fun doesn’t stop when the snow melts at Whistler. There are mountains of things for families to do in Whistler all summer long.

The Whistler Children’s Art Festival, on July 12 and 13, is a magical weekend for the entire family. There are lots of workshops led by professional artists in fine arts, crafts, theatre, multimedia, dance and music. As well as workshops for kids aged five to 11, the festival includes a pre-school area for children aged three to five, intermediate workshops for kids in grade seven and eight, and workshops for the whole family. The festival comes alive with many free activities and entertainment by roving musicians, zany roving characters and popular children’s performers on the festival’s main stage. For information, go to whistlerartscouncil.com.

For families that like to get up into stunning high alpine country, Whistler Mountain offers many trails and hiking routes, with skill levels ranging from easy to challenging. These routes take you through meadows of wildflowers in brilliant summer colours, into lush green mountain-top forests, and past clear blue alpine lakes. Watch for wildlife, too. The Whistler Gondola lets you begin your hike 6,000 feet up the mountain. Check out the new Peak Adventure, a thrilling open-air chairlift ride to the very top of Whistler Mountain, where interpretive trails await and mountain peaks stretch as far as the eye can see.

If biking is your family thing, Whistler has lots in store. One of the most popular rides is the Valley Trail, 30 kilometres of paved pedestrian/bicycle path that links parks, beaches, neighbourhoods, and playgrounds to Whistler Village. More challenging trails are found all around Whistler, and the world-famous Whistler Mountain Bike Park offers plenty of exciting terrain.

Five lakes are found within five kilometers of Whistler Village. Three of them, Lost Lake, Alta Lake, and Alpha Lake, have swimming areas and beaches to relax on. You can also get out onto the water in a kayak or canoe on the lakes and many rivers in the area. Most of Whistler’s lakeside parks provide canoe and kayak rentals for a day or just an hour during the summer.

The Blackcomb Base Adventure Zone features mini-golf, the Westcoaster Luge, bungee trampolines, a maze and even a trapeze. Parents can enjoy some of Whistler’s attractions on their own through Whistler Blackcomb’s Summer Kid Programs. For kids aged 18 months to four years, activities may include nature walks, gondola sight seeing, visits to the fire hall, arts and crafts, outdoor play, story times, nap times, and cooking activities. For kids from five to 12 years old, activities may include nature hikes, visits to Lost Lake, gondola sight seeing, swimming, outdoor games, mini golf, cooking activities, Frisbee golf, scavenger hunts, boat building, and arts and crafts.
Visit www.whistler.com or call 1-800-WHISTLER to book and for more information on Whistler accommodations, bookings, weather, activities, directions and more.

Whistler is a year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and is site of the alpine, Nordic, and sliding events for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Whistler has a range of accommodations totalling 3,200 hotel rooms, and more than 5,000 other tourist accommodation units including condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler offers a wide selection of restaurants, bars, spas, boutiques, and activities from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. Whistler Blackcomb Mountains feature 3,036 hectares (8,171 acres) of terrain and receive an average of 10.22 metres (33.5 feet) of snow annually. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents.

Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the TELUS Whistler Conference Centre, the Whistler Golf Club, the Whistler Visitor Centres and tourismwhistler.com, as well as 1-800-WHISTLER and whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.

July 8, 2008   Posted in: Canada