Holiday in Canada

We event planners can’t even go on vacation without thinking about events and how our vacation experience or destination applies to our clients. During the recent American Thanksgiving holiday, two RealTime Productions’ staff members separately vacationed in British Columbia, Canada, enjoying all that Vancouver and Whistler have to offer with an eye on what that means to you. Despite the weak dollar, our neighbors to the north offer a quick getaway that keeps getting easier.

Office Manager, Tiffany Stevenson, took the train from Seattle to Vancouver, enjoying the beautiful scenery and lack of border line-up. She highly recommends kicking back, reading a good book and leaving the driving to someone else! Once in Vancouver, she and her husband took the SkyTrain, the SeaBus, and, finally, a city bus to their bed & breakfast (www.thistle-down.com) in North Van, as the locals call it. North Van boasts its own attractions, such as the Lonsdale Quay Market and Shops (www.lonsdalequay.com), skiing at Grouse Mountain (www.grousemountain.com), and the amazing Capilano Suspension Bridge (www.capbridge.com).

The Vancouver Trolley (www.vancouvertrolley.com) provided the best tour for these first-timers around Vancouver proper and provided the option to jump on and off at different locations. Granville Island was a huge hit with its produce market, crafts, boutique shops and artist galleries. Stanley Park was another favorite spot, as well as the UBC Museum of Anthropology with its original First Nations totem poles and assorted ceremonial items. Bring good walking shoes and an adventurous appetite to Vancouver where it’s easy to feel that you’ve travelled halfway around the world in just a few hours.

Sales Manager, Catherine Springman, whisked her family up to Whistler by car, and the border wait was palatable thanks to checking the website www.borderlineups.com, directing them to the least congested crossing site. All U.S. residents must have a passport or birth certificate and photo i.d., residents from other countries may need a visa, and anyone with a criminal offense on their record (including a misdemeanor or DUI) may be refused entrance into Canada. Event managers should check the latest guidelines at www.seattle.gc.ca.

The expansion and improvements to the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler make that drive easier and faster than ever before. We still recommend dining in Vancouver or waiting until you reach Whistler, as the fare in between has not improved. The latest addition to non-ski activities is the Ziptrek (www.ziptrek.com), which zips you along a cable from treetop to treetop on an educational eco-tour of the forest. Groups are welcome. The rec center in Whistler is also fun with a huge swimming pool featuring rope swing and mini-current that sweeps you through a tiled channel into the main pool, as well as an NHL-size ice arena with rental skates. There are plenty of 5 star hotels and restaurants, as well as spas, with space for every group size.

For all that Whistler has to offer in winter or summer, see www.seevirtual360.com/index.aspx. Don't forget that the Winter Games come to Whistler in 2010!