Four Seasons Resort Whistler; Canada's Only Five Diamond Resort

---

For most people, Whistler's grand introduction onto the world stage came in February, 2010, when it hosted many of the events of the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

For skiers, though, no introduction was needed. The Whistler Backcomb area has long been considered one of the world's top skiing destinations. What the Winter Olympics did was to let the cat out of the bag to everybody else, about a place two hours north of Vancouver that resembles a Currier & Ives postcard, with the snow-capped mountains and deep-green forests of British Columbia's Coastal Range, four-season outdoor recreation...and Canada's only AAA Five-Diamond hotel.

The Four Seasons Resort Whistler is right in the middle of one of the world's great recreational playgrounds. In summer, there's hiking, biking, mountain biking, rock- and mountain-climbing, hot-air ballooning, horseback riding, rafting (both whitewater and scenic), golf (on a Jack Nicklaus-designed course), kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and sailing. In winter, you can ski (downhill or cross-country), snowboard, skate, heli-ski (in which a helicopter ferries you in and out of what's virtually your own private ski mountain), dog-sled, snowshoe, and snowmobile into the back country.

One of the best ways to get to these spots is the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. It's the world's longest free-span between ropeway towers - 1.9 miles - and connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. It's filled with skiers in the winter, and hikers in the summer.

There are also bear-viewing and ecology tours, through an active black bear habitat...in which you'll see actual bear dens, day beds, and places where the animals gather to look for food.

Whistler village itself is an attraction, a beautiful mountain town with a creek running through it, interesting shops and restaurants, and an events schedule including the Whistler Farmer's Market (Sundays from late-June through early-October), and the Canadian National BBQ Championships (Come hungry. And wear a shirt you won't mind throwing out afterward!).

Four Seasons Resort Whistler has 273 guestrooms, in an ambience of warm woods and "Northwestern Lodge." Some have fireplaces. And just about all have mountain views that keep guests lingering on their balconies.

The Spa at the resort has 14 treatment rooms, two couples' rooms, a tranquility lounge, saunas, whirlpools, eucalyptus steam rooms, and ice showers, and uses only natural, locally-sourced items such as essential oils, seaweed, and clay from British Columbia's glacial lakes. There's also a fitness center, with free classes such as Pilates, yoga, and spinning, and, of course, a pool.

You won't go hungry here, either. Sidecut is a classic steakhouse featuring aged Canadian beef, and a variety of special sauces and rubs with each plate. And Fifty-Two 80 Bistro and Bar has pub-style food, an outdoor terrace that's heated year 'round, and a fire pit.  

When the world came to Whistler for the Olympics, you couldn't get a seat at a restaurant, and you couldn't get a hotel room unless you had reserved a year or two before. But now Whistler is back to being Whistler...a mountain village where anyone can "escape," any time of year. Here, amidst the glacial lakes and towering forests...the world comes to you.

And the Four Seasons Resort Whistler is the perfect place to experience it.