We began our afternoon with lunch at the Garibaldi Lift Company Bar and Grill where we were met by Amber our host and Richard our guide . Richard is a young at heart and active boomer. Surprisingly, Richard was dressed like a young mountain biker, clothed in a black Whistler cap with a black hoodie, and black jeans. Josh asked Richard, if he thought that he would ever leave? Richard told him flat out, “No”! I laughed as I imagined Richard being 90 years and still dressed like a young man.
The next surprise that I noticed about Garibaldi’s was the Reggae music that was floating through the bar. As we entered I saw a poster advertising an upcoming Reggae concert. I thought Whistler was more like the country. We learned that Reggae is the favorite music of the mountain bikers, followed by rap as the second favorite music. Garbaldi’s mostly played island Reggae music soul music. The familiar tunes eased my mind back to simpler days. The music really set the stage for the ambience of the Whistler Village. Whistler is very laid back. It is a place to go “chill”. It is very retro and a hippie throwback to the 70’s symbolized by the disco balls hanging in the center of the restaurant.
Garibaldi’s Lift & Company has won numerous awards as the #1 Apres Ski restaurant. It is a great place to watch the mountain biker’s riding downhill from the mountain. There is a ski lift that takes the bikes up the mountain. Garibaldi’s has a wonderful patio view over Whistler Village. It is located at the base of the ski lift and the mountain biking trail. Mountain bikers whiz past the patio onlookers as they enjoy the view while having a cold beer or a leisurely lunch.
Surprisingly, Mountain biking is such a popular sport that there is even a women’s group from ages 16 to 60 which meets weekly. This group has opened the door for many women to try mountain biking.
After, lunch Ricard our guide begin our 2 hour Peak 2 Peak Gondola Tour to the top of the Whistler Blackcomb Mountains. The construction of the mountain was a mammoth undertaking that required helicopters to string the cables up the mountains. We rode the gondola sky cabin ride as high as 1.427 ft above the valley floor over Fitzsimmons Creek. The sky cabin took us on a journey that spans 2.73 miles from scenic Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain.
It was a cloudy day for our thrilling ride in the sky cabins. We broke thru the clouds and rain to in the sky cabins with windows open on every side affording magnificent views of the glacier mountains. As a flight attendant, I flown over many mountain ranges and broken through cloud layover ascending in planes. This sensation in a gondola sky cabin was incomparable. The majesty of nature through the view of the windows of the sky cabin was immersive.
There is one part of the gondola ride that is an unsupported span of 1.88 miles. The sensation is just that you are riding through the air with nothing around you but the sky cabin. It is arguably called the “Ride of A Lifetime.” It certainly is one of the most memorable sky rides for me with a sensation close flying. I was in heaven literally.
Guest post written by: “Skychi” Janice Temple of The Skychi Travel Guide.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
