Episodio Diez

Before we left Seattle, we stopped at the Subaru dealer in Ballard to have a headlight replaced. They looked over the car and said they noticed no other problems. The rest of the trip up to Vancouver, including the border crossing, was a breeze. As the Washington landscape unfolded, we talked about how different the climate is on this side of the mountains. It was raining intermittently all day. Perhaps fittingly, our Washington State map fell to pieces as we were trying to determine the next leg of our trip, the road from Vancouver to Whistler.

Without a detailed map, we weren't sure of the layout of the beautiful features which abound along Highway 99 up the coast. The road wraps along the coast dotted with islands. Jagged mountains appear out of the mists. The scenery was terrific with the rain on the falling leaves glistening whenever the sun broke through the clouds. We stopped briefly to see Shannon Falls, a natural wonder a short walk through the woods from the parking lot. It was nice to get out of the car and stretch a bit.


Along the way we noticed most of the winding two-lane highway had been newly paved and improved in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Despite the improvements, it seems clear there will be mind-numbing traffic delays. The crowds are estimated to be about 50,000 people each day. We wondered what a big snowstorm would do to the mix of people, traffic, TV crews and the festivities.


We arrived in Whistler, which is spread along the highway for several miles, making a series of hotel cities: Whistler Creek, Whistler Village Blackcomb Village and others. The hotels are built so close together most of them are connected to each other, like interlocking Legos. 


Whistler is a world-class ski destination with all the amenities you can afford. We ate pricey pizza and wandered about the exclusive ski shops, galleries and various tourist enticements. After a full day on the road, we turned in early for a restful sleep at our hotel.


We awoke this morning to see snow at the higher elevations on the ski slopes. The season won't open until late November. Too bad we'll miss it. Time to pack up our bags, snacks, souvenirs and cats. Next stop - Prince George, B.C.