Chances are if you visit Vancouver, British Columbia between February 12-28 or March 12-21, 2010, you will have one goal: to witness the incredible spectacle that is the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games. .
And while you may not actually be inside the inner sanctum that is Athletes’ Village, numerous vacation rental properties in Vancouver and Whistler are guaranteed to get you close enough to the various Games venues to almost hear the cheers from your hot tub. A bevy of new and/or improved locations dot the lower part of the continent. Here’s where to book your winter break if you want to join the cheers at the podium:
Just 14 kilometers south of the city of Vancouver, Lulu Island is home to Richmond, a thriving suburban sprawl on the banks of the Fraser River that includes Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Nestled among rich farmland, this community’s attractions include the fishing village of Steveston, walking trails over the area’s network of levees, and the largest concentration of Pan-Pacific culture anywhere in BC. It is also home to the Richmond Olympic Oval, the official venue for speed skating events. This event center features 2 international-size ice rinks, a 200-meter running track, 8 gyms, and over 23,000 square feet of fitness facilities.
More than a quarter of the 2.4 million people who call Greater Vancouver home reside in the city. This thriving metropolis teems with life, whether you’re here for the shopping on Robson Street, the club scene of Granville Street, the trendy martini crowd of Yaletown, the old-world charm of Gastown, or the lush greenery of Stanley. Park. It’s also home to some of the world’s must-see festivals, including the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, and the Fire Symphony. But for several weeks in the winter of 2010 it will be the center of Olympic figure skating, short track speed skating and the most popular Canadian Winter Olympic event, ice hockey! Count on The Pacific Coliseum (former home of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks) and GM Place (current home of the Canucks) to provide some of the most memorable moments of this Game.
West of Cambie Street, the 70 or so blocks between Richmond and downtown make up Vancouver’s West Side. Home to the trendy Kitsilano Beach neighborhood, the Greek Quarter of Broadway, Kerrisdale’s quaint town center, the riverside stables of Southlands, Pacific Spirit Regional Park and, of course, the University of British Columbia (UBC), the The list of activities is endless, whether it’s dining, shopping, walking on the beach or taking a walk in nature. Two major Olympic venues call this area home. Just steps from the beautiful sunken gardens of the quarry-turned-nature sanctuary, Queen Elizabeth Park, is the Vancouver Olympic Center, home to curling and wheelchair curling events. This place includes an ice skating rink, an aquatics center, a library and gym, and, of course, half a dozen sheets of curly ice. On the UBC campus is Thunderbird Arena (on the site of the existing Thunderbird Winter Sports Complex). This facility will cater ice hockey events as well as ice sled hockey.
Just across the Lions’ Gate Bridge is North Vancouver. Once known as the forest town of Moodyville, the most popular activities in this booming town revolve around the alpine destinations of Grouse Mountain, Mount Seymour and Cypress Bowl. Cypress Bowl in particular is positioned to be an Olympic hub with the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events taking place at its $16.7 million facility complete with a new in-ground halfpipe, a mogul and aerial freestyle and a parallel giant slalom course as well as a snowmaking system.
But the epicenter of all the snow-oriented events is the resort town of Whistler, just a two-hour drive north of Vancouver via the Sea to Sky Highway. With more than 8,000 acres of ski terrain, more than 200 trails, 38 lifts, 5 snowboard parks, 2 super pipes, an 11-kilometer run, and more than 5,000 feet of vertical drop, South America’s premier alpine destination North was the deal breaker that earned Vancouver its Olympic bid, and that was before the addition of the 3-stadium, 12,000-capacity 1 square kilometer Whistler Olympic Park that services ski events from background, biathlon and ski jumping. Blackcomb, Whistler’s sister peak, is also home to the world-class Whistler Sliding Centre, home to Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton events. Now imagine all of this around a European-style pedestrian village with over 100 bars, nightclubs and restaurants and you might get the picture…
No matter which neighborhood you decide to call home during your Vancouver Olympics excursion, the city’s remarkable transit system will connect you to all the venues, parks, and event centers with relative ease. Translink’s city bus service connects the city to Vancouver’s outer municipalities, including Richmond, Delta and Ladner, with dedicated ferry service to and from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, serving Vancouver Island and the gulf islands. Born as part of another Vancouver international event (Expo 86), the Skytrain is currently the world’s longest automated light rapid transit system, serving 50 kilometers east of the city center courtesy of two lines (Expo and Millennium Lines) and stops at 33 stops in the municipalities of Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey. By the time the Games start, the new Canada Line will be running north-south, connecting Richmond and Vancouver International Airport with the rest of the transit network. Trips to the North Shore (including North Vancouver and West Vancouver) are made possible by the Lions’ Gate Bridge, a suspension bridge spanning the First Narrows of Burrard Inlet and also by the Translink Seabus consisting of 2 double-ended ferry catamarans seating 400 passengers. Trips run frequently and take 12 minutes, departing from the downtown waterfront and arriving at Lonsdale Quay on the North Shore. For those heading to Whistler, the Sea to Sky Highway has undergone a recent expansion, turning the twisty, nail-biting route into a wider, safer highway with additional medians, shoulders, and lanes. Greyhound buses also run regularly from the Pacific Central Bus Terminal on Main Street. And for an exceptionally romantic adventure, the Whistler Mountaineer Train takes a long, leisurely route as it meanders along shimmering and beautiful Howe Sound.
Wherever you are, however you get there, the XXI Olympic Winter Games are the experience of a lifetime. Vancouver and Whistler are ready to host you!