Searching for Just the Right House in Whistler

Well, here we are in Whistler - our whole reason for this trip. Our campsite is GREAT, we are enjoying further investigating Whistler, and watching their preparation for the Olympics. It brings back soooooo many memories!

There is frantic work going on to complete road improvements in and around Whistler. The medals ceremony arena in Whistler is still under construction (after being shelved due to finances with the alternative of medals given at the venues - now they are back to building the ceremony arena). All the finish areas are ‘under construction’ for the grandstands, press boxes, etc. The ‘Whistler Athletes Village’ is still under construction. Etc., etc. etc.

Monday was property investigation day - looking at possible housing for the 2 weeks of the Olympics, walking around the Village and just driving around to see what is going on in the way of preparation. A nice casual day followed by dinner on our ‘patio’ watching Monday night football - using that outdoor entertainment center!

Grillin' & chillin'

Tuesday, September 22, we bounced into fall looking at more houses and golfing. Both were a BUST - a lot of disappointment. Nothing to say about the house and not much more to say about the Nicklaus North Golf Course, except it was surrounded by mountains on the shores of Whistler’s Green Lake - 15 holes with water!! The rest is all bad - and my Mother taught me if you didn’t have something good to say - don’t say anything. So - nothing to say here.

Wednesday - the first FULL day of fall - and another full schedule of houses, errands (a hair cut for Elizabeth!?!?!?) and a round of golf. Think perhaps we found ‘our’ house for the Olympics - after many ‘fact finding’ discussions with the Chamber of Commerce, Office of Tourism, Municipal Office, several real estate offices and property management offices, as well as individuals and many internet sites!! Amazing the lack of information at this point about bus schedules, bus routes, ski area access, etc. from the above offices - all of which was important information for our decision making. Whenever we received the same ‘bit of information’ from more than one source, we considered it ‘gospel’ and factored it into the decision process. Now we have our friend/roommate working on the negotiations - keeping our fingers crossed.

We also played the Arnold Palmer Whistler Golf Club Course this afternoon - a delight after yesterday afternoon! The course was beautiful, fairways and greens were in fantastic shape and it was a beautiful afternoon. Could not ask for any more on our last day in Whistler.

Tomorrow is another travel day - to Vancouver Island! Yes, Magic is going swimming! We will give you a full report of how things go later tomorrow.

Love to all - E&G

YUCK!! & Aaaaahhhhh!!

Well - I asked Gary to write this blog report and he said it would be one word if he wrote it - “YUCK!!!!” So here I am again -

Our second day of golf in Kamloops was a course called Tobiano - Golf Digest’s ‘Best New Canadian Course’ for 2008. Gary decided the same types of people make this determination as those who determine the overall winner at the Sundance Film Festival - they all have their heads somewhere other than where we have ours!!

First of all - the course has been plunked down in the middle of nowhere under the theory - BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME! (Note - we did come!) The residential development part seems to be on hold like so many areas of the same ilk.

Ugly Course plunked in the middle of nowhere

The condition of the course was wonderful - IF you could find the fairway, stay on it and then find the green. The majority of the men’s tees had carries over sagebrush dotted gullies - and not short carries! The par 3’s were all from hilltop to hilltop with a ‘wonderful carry’ in between - even for the women. The fairways were lined with that golden fescue stuff - so good luck finding your ball if you go off the fairway. AND, even if you hit your ball in the fairway it would wind up in the fescue because all fairways rolled ‘big time‘ right or left. Oh yeah - the views were great!

How far is this carry?

Another hilltop to hilltop par 3

So this is what a green looks like - with a view

The best about this adventure - lunch was good. We ran a few errands on our way back to Magic (like picking up our dry cleaning), cleaned up for dinner and had a very nice dinner at Hoodoos restaurant above the city of Kamloops watching the city lights come on. A very nice way to wind up our visit to Kamloops.

Sunday was a fabulous travel day! We took ‘the back way’ - or as the locals call it - ‘the Duffy Lake Road’ - from Kamloops to Whistler. It is only about 180 miles, but it took us 6 hours! We had been warned that the road was very steep and winding in places, but that trucks used it so we would be OK with Magic. For the most part, the road was good - only a few gravel/dirt spots. BUT, it was very narrow in spots with several one lane wooden bridges (wish we had a shot of these to show you - wow!) and lots of very steep places. Ever seen a 13% Grade?!?!?! We had several - and Magic performed just fine.

Grateful for exhaust brakes

At one point, we came up over a ‘hill’ and there in front of us was this fabulous picture -

Duffy Lake with glaciers in the background

The aforementioned Duffy Lake!! The scene was beautiful with the mountains and glaciers in the background. It just took your breath away. We decided this was a good lunch spot - so fired up the micro with leftover taco ‘stuff’ and enjoyed the view!

Another lovely spot for lunch

After taking it all in and having full stomachs, it was time to hit the road again. Most of the way it was open range, but we thought that was just for cattle. At one point it was the horses who created their parade - and didn’t care if they held up traffic!

5 of more than 2 dozen wandering on the road

The entire way was one beautiful view/picture after another. The 180 miles was worth all 6 hours - and the white knuckles!! AND, we were rewarded with a wonderful campsite in Whistler.

Now we begin our quest for Olympic housing. Will keep you posted on that hunt.

Love to All - YUCK & Aaaaahhhhh

Golf with a view

We are now out of the parks (for a brief time) and into golf. As mentioned in the last post, this 'camp' is short on views - but long on amenities and about half way between our two golf games (the real reason for the selection).

As we drove in yesterday we took note of several courses 'in the neighborhood' but, we had to be up and out at 7:30 for a 9AM tee time at a course that was about 35 minutes away. With the various courses right around us we debated the wisdom of our decision. BUT, stuck with the agenda this morning, as we came to Kamloops specifically for the two courses we are to play today and tomorrow. (Gary read about them in an American Express magazine touting the area for wine making and four wonderful new golf courses.)

So - we were off this morning to Talking Rock Golf Course at the east end of Little Shuswap Lake. This course meanders through a sandy forest and ends with a breathtaking 18th hole along the shoreline of the Lake. Although, before you get to the 18th there is plenty to see. Today instead of bears or moose, it was this coyote on the prowl for lunch. He could care less that we were in his territory - he just wanted lunch!

He joined our foursome for one hole

By the 15th hole you have climbed the mountain on the back side of the course and have a beautiful elevated view as this par 3 drops down toward the lake (I even parred this one!!).

Enjoying the views

Just like at Banff, we had the benefit of playing with two local ladies (Gary got to be odd man out this time) who gave us the scoop on the course. As a result we both had very good rounds - so liked this course a lot! Part of the fun of a trip like this IS meeting the local 'color'. Today Sue and Lynne provided that - they were wonderful women, vivacious and full of fun and information. Sue spent time in Whistler - so she gave us the route to take from Kamloops to Whistler, where to play golf there and where to eat. Lynne had grown up on Vancouver Island (before she became a ski bum and traveled the Western US and Canada skiing and giving lessons - (she is older than I am)) and provided all kinds of data about places to see and courses to play there - our stop after Whistler. We are now 'armed' for the next two legs of our journey.

After golf - and a wonderful lunch at the course - we headed back to investigate Kamloops. On the way we drove through the Village of Chase (population 2,000), which sits on the Little Shuswap Lake and has been home to the Secwepmec people for over 10.000 years! Here we stopped at a little roadside stand and bought fresh corn for a future dinner.

First stop was the Chamber of Commerce/Information Center. After looking at the map of all the wonderful golf courses in the immediate area - beyond the two we are playing - we decided this has to be on our route to Alaska next year with a full week just to play golf!!

We also got directions to a dry cleaner, grocery store and place for Gary to get a haircut. Besides getting chores done, we also drove through the old town center and obtained recommendations for dinners and activities. As always, there is just too much to do.

Tonight we returned home with groceries in hand, made dinner, worked on pictures and blog postings, watched a little football and called it a night.

See you tomorrow - Our Love to All - Elizabeth & Gary

For the Skeptics

For those skeptics out there (yes, I mean you Soul Man and Michael) here is video proof that Elizabeth does actually drive the bus.

Please note that no animals were harmed (well maybe a few bugs and stuff) during the making of this movie.

A Golf Day at Banff

Hi there again.

It is now Wednesday (September 16) - a golf day. We are off early to the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course for our ‘splurge‘ day of golf on this trip. This course is touted as one of the ten best golf courses in the world, cradled in a valley between Mount Rundle, Sulphur Mountain and Tunnel Mountain with each hole located along the Bow River and at the foot of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Again, all the views are awesome - which makes it hard to concentrate on the golf.

Golfing at the Banff Springs GC

Wow - it actually landed in the fairway. What a concept!

We played with two locals - one an 80 year old man who walked the course (and does so 3 times a week) and shoots VERY close to his age and the other a Greek who owns a local Pizza restaurant on Banff’s Main Street! Their shared knowledge of the course must have helped as Gary and I both had a decent round - couldn’t beat the 80 year old, though!

All the golf made us very hungry - so we were off to investigate the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel for lunch. The hotel is the one you see in all the pictures of Banff - and it is just as stunning in person. Although, the views of the hotel from the outside - and the farther away the better - are better than the wanderings inside the building, it is just too much. The views from the patio are stunning (and you can see the golf course) -

On the terrace at the Fairmont Banff Springs

Another beautiful lunchtime view.

Again, this is a hotel built by the RR (Canadian this time) and is named for the hot sulfur springs still used today. The springs were ‘stumbled upon’ by three railway workers in 1883. Their discovery led to the creation of the first national park in Canada - Banff National Park, which today is also a World Heritage Site. It is interesting that the town of Banff sits inside the National Park and has enough private homes to house a population of approximately 8,000 people (about the same size as Park City - no wonder we love it). The primary East-West Canadian Highway (most of the time a two lane road!!) also goes through the park - so to continue any drive on Canada Highway 1 you must go through the park and pay the park fee of $10.

After our photo opportunities, full stomachs and a little shopping - we were on our way to the gondola ride - another awesome experience and incredible views! This was another amazing construction feat - created in the early 1900’s this gondola carried visitors to the top of the mountain to ‘tea’! It enabled the casual visitor to see the views that only the sturdy who hiked up the mountain had see before.

On top of the world - compliments of the gondola.

From the top of the gondola you can see Banff and all the surrounding area - the small rounded mountain in the middle of the picture is Tunnel Mountain - to the left of Tunnel Mt. is the town of Banff - to the right of the Mt. is the golf course and at the foot of the course is the Banff Springs Hotel. If you could see just around the right corner of Tunnel Mt., above the course, you would see Magic perched on the hill in our campground!

Something I learned while visiting Banff and Lake Louise - neither of the wonderful Hotels/Chateaus that you see in all the great winter scenes have a ski area that comes down to the hotel! The Lake Louise ski area is about a mile from the Lake Louise Chateau. Banff has three ski areas around the valley - all about 2-3 miles from the Banff Springs Hotel. So - there is no ski in - ski out here!

After the fabulous overview of Banff from the gondola, we went back into town for a last good bye. It was then time to return to Magic, clean the bus, cook dinner and begin the packing process as Thursday we were on our way to Kamloops.

It rained almost the whole drive to Kamloops - so it was a good day to be in the bus. The drive was fairly uneventful except for one little ‘hitch in our get-along’ - when the windshield wipers quit working in the pouring rain!! And, of course, I (Elizabeth) was driving. It is a good thing Gary is so handy at figuring things out - he had the wipers fixed in about 30 minutes and we were on our way again. There is good news and bad news with our new campground - there is no wonderful view, which we have become accustomed to, BUT, there is internet, satellite and a laundry room!! So - we are set up again, have the laundry done, dinner dishes are done and we are getting this posted to the blog from the comfort of Magic without being kicked off the internet even one time!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is a golf day - report on that soon.

Much Love to All - Gary and Elizabeth