Why Don't You
Stories by Bronwyn Preece | Images by Joern Rohde
Take in a Concert in the Plaza
Music and mountains make the perfect mix… and Whistler takes this to the max! In an annual and much-anticipated July-August tradition, locals and visitors pack the Olympic Plaza to enjoy the Whistler Summer Concert Series with the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb as a backdrop.
On select Thursday and Friday evenings, Whistler will boast a dazzling blend of scenery and internationally renowned sound sensations, bringing an eclectic array of hit performers to the Plaza stage for free, family-friendly concerts.
Each evening kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with a set by a popular DJ or opening act. Headliners take the stage at 7:30 p.m., and the event winds up as the sun sets and the Village lights begin to dazzle.
Steven Page Trio and String Quartet kick off the series with a special Wednesday evening Canada Day concert. Other acts this year include, but are not limited to, Trooper, Fort Knox Five, Dirtwire, Galactic, Drag in the Mountains, and DJs including Foxy Moron and Vinyl Ritchie.
Bring your blanket, picnic, sunglasses and most definitely your dancing shoes!
whistler.com/events/concerts
Soar Above an Active Volcano,
Experience an Ancient Ice Cave
Experience the extremes of the Sea to Sky landscape by cruising over valleys and peaks on a 75-minute helicopter tour heading toward Mount Meager and its active volcano. As the helicopter circles, see geothermal activity and watch in awe as steam (when visible) seeps from the crater; then the aircraft flies on to touch down beside a millennia-old glacial ice field. Explore frozen blue ice caves, experiencing geology and geography in their most rugged, refined and magnificent forms.
No Limits Heli Adventures’s Volcano & Ice Cave Helicopter Tour offers guests the rare opportunity to see and touch areas unseen by most and visited by few. From the air, experience the vast and magnificent expanse of the alpine as the heli manoeuvres above the Coast Range, through valleys and over lakes. A guide leads guests into ancient ice tunnels that open into centuries-old, cathedral-like glacial domes. This tour offers a one-of-a-kind, unparalleled experience. nolimits-helicopters.com
Take a Forest Walk to See Sled Dogs
The sled dogs who mush visitors over the snow on toboggans in the winter also need to be housed, loved, and walked in the summer: the pack is keen to exercise and interact with visitors in exchange for pets and doggie kisses. Canadian Wilderness Adventures offers guests the chance to walk along the temperate rainforest trails of the Trappers Loop and Medicine Trail, engaging with a select, small group of these strong, athletic canines who are keen on cuddles and will melt your heart. The path wanders past a lake, a trapper’s cabin and totem poles. Watch the well-trained dogs as they swim and play, and marvel at their prowess, as you learn about their breeds as well as the nature of this area.
Three tours depart daily and last around three hours, including the shuttle between Whistler Village and the picturesque Callaghan Valley. Suitable for the whole family, this tour offers plenty of pooch-filled photo ops, and you will leave with your heart bursting with mushy puppy love!
canadianwilderness.com
IMAGE COURTESY CWA
Zip or Stroll on Multiple Tours
Craving the ultimate adrenaline rush — zipping at high speed across the valley on North America’s longest zipline? Or how about a more leisurely stroll through the tree canopy on trails, suspended stairways and treetop bridges? Or perhaps a bit of both? Ziptrek Ecotours offers the ultimate “bundle and save” option for your adventuring. Bundling tours allows customers to experience multiple tours by booking two or more to receive a 15 per cent discount, and arguably the best part (next to the experience itself) is that the selected tours do not need to take place on the same day.
Ziplining through temperate rainforest and above Fitzsimmons Creek offers visitors stunning scenery from above, and, if you choose, even upside down! Ziptrek offers four different tours — ranging from their Eagle Tour with five ziplines and four treetop bridges to their Treetrek Canopy Walk, an arboreal adventure without ziplines; from The Sasquatch® at more than two kilometres (1.2 miles) in length to their original, family-friendly Bear Tour. Each tour varies in length, ranging from 1.5 to three hours. whistler.ziptrek.com
