Whistler, British Columbia 2009

Whistler 2009, originally uploaded by jomoma58.

Pictured: rock sculpture, top of Whistler Mountain. See more on my flickr site.

Part 2 of "My Awesome Summer Vacation" included a 3 day trip to Whister, British Columbia (Canada). My partner and I 'bit the bullet' and purchased the two expensive tickets to ride the chairlifts and gondolas of Whistler/Blackcomb mountains. It was the BEST money we've ever spent on an adventure! We had two glorious days of hiking (above tree line) and watching the die-hards ski and snowboard in July (yes, July!!). We were also able to ride the Peak 2 Peak gondola, a truly awesome feat of engineering that just opened last winter. It was mainly built to accommodate athletes and spectators for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It was a bit of a hair-raising ride for me, as the gondola crosses the tallest span of 'air' in the world! So what did I do? Ride it a second time of course! It was a bit easier the 2nd time across...

This is yet another activity that gets my creative juices flowing: spending time in high altitudes. (I grew up in the Colorado Rockies). I highly recommend visiting Whistler, B.C. before the Winter Olympic crowds start to gather. It's an amazing place!