With VALERIE MILLER TRAVEL

Destination: Whistler British Columbia – Canada

Whistler is Canada's premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 75 miles north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents.

Skiing and Snowboarding at Whistler Blackcomb

• Treat your legs to twice the terrain on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains 8,171 acres including 16 alpine bowls, 3 glaciers, world-class terrain parks & 200+ marked trails

• Easy access to their snow globe-inspired Village with shops, restaurants and a celebratory après-ski vibe

• One of the longest and most reliable winter seasons on the planet – ski and ride until May 22

After a long winter, Whistler’s four championship golf courses are all set to swing back into action this May. Months of play on superb course conditions alongside stunning mountain views await golfers of every skill level. Big Sky Golf Club, an outstanding 18-hole golf course with stunning tri-valley mountain views, is located a short drive north of Whistler at the foot of the massive Mount Currie. Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club noted golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., rose to new challenges when he carved the Chateau Whistler course right into the flank of Blackcomb Mountain. Set beside a beautiful emeraldcoloured lake and just minutes from Whistler Village, the Nicklaus North Golf Course features five sets of tees to suit golfers of all abilities. For more info visit: whistler.com/activities/golf

Whistler World Ski & Snowboard Festival - April 10 – 16, 20

Known to locals as WSSF, the World Ski & Snowboard Festival combines spring energy with Whistler's unique mountain culture for a week of non-stop events and action on and off the slopes. This April event brings ski and snowboard competitions, music, art, photography, filmmaking and exciting nightlife, plus some of the best skiing and après sessions of the season.

Cloudraker Skybridge and Raven's Eye

Whistler Blackcomb's suspension bridge is the latest mountain innovation open during the summer months. It stretches 427 feet from the top of Whistler Peak to the West Ridge, crossing over Whistler Bowl at 7,160 feet above sea level. At the far end is Raven’s Eye, a 360-degree platform where you can enjoy an uninterrupted view of the surrounding mountains.

PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola

Whistler Blackcomb's world record-setting Peak-2Peak Gondola transforms the high alpine experience. Traveling a span of 2.73 miles, the Peak-2-Peak Gondola gives sightseers, skiers and snowboarders views of awe-inspiring vistas, mountain peaks, lakes, glaciers and forests as it crosses high above Fitzsimmons Creek between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

Winter made Whistler famous but its natural beauty, diverse residents and limitless year-round offerings make it an original and unforgettable place. The list of summer offerings continues: ziplining, treetop adventures, fly fishing, ATV and RZR tours, e-biking, rock climbing and white water rafting is just the beginning of what summer in Whistler looks like.

– For more information, visit: whistler.com