FAMILY DAY GETAWAYS
B.C. ski hills offer fun for all
Family Day is a perfect time for a long-weekend getaway to the ski hills. And it’s not just about skiing. Finding activities suited for all ages is a tall order, but British Columbia delivers. Here are some great ways to ensure the whole family has a good time Feb. 13. It’s easy to stoke the fire (a.k.a. work up an appetite) while carving tracks on British Columbia’s terrain. And when skiers, boarders or tubers wrap a day’s play, they reward themselves with everything from family festivities to toast-worthy treats. Here are some ways to soak up B.C.’s apres atmosphere:
In Whistler, apres activity is an outdoor affair. Set in the Whistler Olympic Plaza, select evenings in the winter months feature everything from live entertainment and snowman-building competitions to storytelling and tobogganing. Tip: check with a Village Host, as offerings change week to week.
At Sun Peaks Resort, Moonlight Snowshoe tours explore the winter landscape overlooking the village. The one-kilometre trek through the forest ends next to a campfire with freshly made s’mores and hot apple cider.
Big White Ski Resort’s Happy Valley Adventure Park in Kelowna is home to a 60-metre ice climbing tower for everyone from beginners to advanced ice pickers. To take it up a notch, book a twilight snowmobiling tour and finish the evening with hot chocolate and marshmallows toasted over a bonfire.
A hop, skip and a schuss further north, SilverStar Mountain Resort near Vernon offers the ultimate all-in-one experience with the My1Pass. A flash of the pass guarantees all-inclusive lift tickets, plus sliding fun at the tube park, spins on the outdoor mountain pond and snowshoe and cross-country treks through forests of fir. If you still have steam, look beyond the pass inclusions and opt for mini snowmobile rides, sleigh rides, dinner tours and friendly competition at the only ski-in ski-out bowling alley on the planet.
At Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, near Golden, families hit the newly redesigned Tube Zone. Head to the top on the Jelly Bean surface lift, and hold on for a shriek-worthy downhill glide. Further south in Fernie, cool kids cruise on the snow in an entirely different way, thanks to mammoth-wheeled fat bikes. The low-gear ride is easily mastered by first-timers and seasoned cyclists alike.
Die-hard skiers and snowboarders drawn to deep powder at Whitewater Ski Resort will find the nearby Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort alluring. First discovered by the Ktunaxa First Nation, Ainsworth’s healing, mineral-rich water — both in the pool and in the resort’s cave — is ideal for working out the kinks. Some don’t-miss winter activities are as Canadian as beavers and maple syrup.
Gear up at Sun Peaks Resort, where apres-ski activities include twirls on the resort’s NHL-sized outdoor skating rink. Public skating is standard fare, but so too are the drop-in hockey sessions that are perfect to fine-tune skills.
Or head to Apex, where you can lace up the skates on another NHL-sized hockey rink a snowball’s throw from the village. For a change of scenery, bundle up for a glide along the resort’s skating loop, a one-kilometre stretch ablaze with white Christmas lights. The Zamboni-maintained pathway assures a smooth ride.
Curling? Check. Hockey? For sure. Revelstoke has you covered, thanks to drop-in curling every Friday night for just $5, courtesy of the Revelstoke Curling Club. If you want to cheer with beer, take in small-town junior B hockey at a Revelstoke Grizzlies home game.
In Kimberley, it’s tough to beat the serenity of the slopes during a snowshoe crunch. The Mountain Descent will get you there — a ride on the North Star Express to the front side of the mountain follows a winding route back to the village base. Your reward: a homemade snack served with hot chocolate.
A TASTE OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Dining at British Columbia’s ski resorts doesn’t have to be just the standard fare. On Whistler Mountain, post-ski indulgences are elevated. Steeps Grill & Wine Bar sets the scene with stellar reds and whites paired with local menus.
At Sun Peaks, a fondue dinner package deliciously combines outdoor adventure with culinary indulgence. A trip up the Sunburst Express chairlift to the Sunburst Mid Mountain Restaurant finishes with fondue backed by live music. Post-meal, take a headlamp cruise down 5 Mile, a ski run set aglow by lanterns.
Bacon and eggs? Big White’s brunch-time horse-drawn sleigh ride will satisfy early-morning cravings. Should you prefer an evening sleigh ride, you can be transported to a cabin in the woods for a chicken-and-ribs feast, courtesy of the Kettle Valley Steakhouse chefs.
Families can work up an appetite at SilverStar Mountain Resort thanks to a host of winter dinner tours. On offer: cross-country ski, or a snowcat or snowmobile journey to Paradise Camp. Or you can snuggle under a blanket on a horse-drawn sleigh ride en route to the Wild Horseman’s Cabin. Both destinations await mid-mountain, where you’ll raise your glass to local delicacies.
Kimberley Alpine Resort’s Kootenay fondue promises a sweet reward. Here, the North Star Express will drop you at the top of the mountain; a gentle 30-minute snowshoe tour makes tracks to Kootenay House, where a decadent chocolate fondue awaits.
Elkhorn Cabin at Panorama Mountain Resort offers equally gooey options. Set midway down Panorama’s Rollercoaster run, the cabin serves up a Swiss raclette-style meal, where you’ll melt a cornucopia of cheese and cook vegetables and meat on your own personal grill. It’s a tasty — albeit messy — indulgence that is amplified when served with local B.C. wines and craft beer.
Atop Panorama Mountain, the Summit Hut satisfies hungry crews with heli-fondue experiences. Helicopter to Panorama’s peak for a traditional cheese-and-chocolate menu, paired with B.C. vintages. At meal’s end, diners clip in for a scenic ski down to the village or return to the base by helicopter, bellies full.
LOCAL LIBATIONS
Sometimes you need more than the heat of a bonfire to warm your fingers and toes. Where to start? Dance in your boots at the Garibaldi Lift Co. at Whistler Mountain’s base, line up a ski shot at Merlin’s Bar at neighbouring Blackcomb Mountain, or sip a caesar, the ultimate Canadian apres beverage, at Dusty’s Bar & BBQ in Creekside.
At Big White’s Moose Lounge in the Thompson Okanagan, live music, local menus and libations come with free crafts and popcorn for the little ones. Nearby, bigger kids and coffee aficionados take it up a notch at the Gunbar- rel Grill, where the resort’s famed Gunbarrel Coffee is on spirited display. Flaming Grand Marnier is poured down the double barrel of an unloaded shotgun straight into a waiting mug for cowboy coffee with a kick.
For a change of scenery, head south to Apex Mountain Resort. In the heart of the village, the resort’s famed Gunbarrel Saloon serves up nibbles alongside local craft beers and seasonal favourites, including its own version of a Grand Marnier coffee that’s sure to thaw even hardcore skiers and boarders.
Further northeast, at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, locally brewed Begbie beer draws fans to the Mackenzie Common Tavern at the village base. Don’t like beer? Order an Ugly Sweater, the tavern’s signature cocktail. If the night’s still young, keep the party going at the Village Idiot Bar & Grill, a convivial ski-town watering hole known for its tasty menus and boisterous atmosphere.
Panorama Mountain Resort’s family-owned and -operated Earl Grey Lodge promises a new addition this season: the Smokehouse Cabin. An extension of Grey Restaurant, the cabin welcomes skiers and boarders for apres treats, including smoked Canadian meats, along with vegetarian and gluten-free favourites.
Further southeast, the mood is chill at Fernie’s Lizard Creek Lodge. Here, the Ice Bar showcases Stoli vodka alongside other vodkas from across the globe in a sub-zero tasting room. Enthusiasts clad in Helly Hansen goosedown parkas join the hotel’s resident vodka expert to sample the goods.
Listen to live music and order a pint of Rossland Beer Company’s finest at Rafter’s Lounge at Red Mountain Resort in Rossland, further east. Nearby, in downtown Rossland, the Flying Steam- shovel pairs local brews with a chance to stoke a friendly rivalry, be it via a game of pool or a spir- ited round of neglin, a traditional German game where participants furiously pound nails into a solid stump of wood.
Or skip the competitive vibe and head to the cultural city of Nelson, where post-Whitewater apres activity includes live jazz at the historic Library Lounge in the Hume Hotel. Established in 1898, the Hume is an excellent meeting place to shake off the winter chill and enjoy a hearty meal at day’s end.
On Vancouver Island, locals meet and greet at Mount Washington Alpine Resort’s Ted’s Bar & Grill. A family favourite by day, the grill transforms when the sun sets with brews, signature cocktails and local pub fare backed by live entertainment.