Whistler, Canada

With four birthdays in a two week span, and two of those birthdays being the big 3-0, we decided we needed to do something big to celebrate.  Lots of ideas were tossed around, but the one everyone jumped on was a long weekend in Whistler.  The roster included Lex, Brooke, Dominique, Tracy, Melissa, JP (extra bonus points for being the only guy!) and moi.  None of us had ever been - it was perfect! S o Wednesday morning we set out in two very loaded down cars (six girls can bring a lot of stuff) for Vancouver, BC, allowing for a leisurely way to break up the trip and a fun night in the city.

We all rolled into town around dinner time, so after quickly checking in we made our way to the Seasons in the Park, a restaurant Lex found that did not disappoint.  The food was yummy, the waitress was witty, and the views were fantastic.

 (check out that view below!)

 We were stoked to learn that while it was raining in Vancouver it was dumping inches of fresh powder on the mountain, so we set out early Thursday morning to get our skiers/snowboarders on the snow as soon as possible.

 Vancouver is gorgeous!  If you haven't been, its worth the weekend trip.

 Not only was there going to be lots of fresh snow, but it was going to be a beautiful sunny day as well.

 We checked in then revealed in our amazing views of the mountains and the super cute village.

 Then the snow peeps took off and Dominique and I wondered around the village, mainly to take stock of any and all possible coffee shops.

 Although we did get a bit side-tracked.

Meanwhile, Lex and Tracy were taking snowboarding lessons, and JP, Melissa, and Brooke were hitting the slopes.

 Check out this beautiful pic that Brooke snapped at the top of one of the mountains (the resort has two, Whistler and Blackcomb, both included in the ski pass and connected by the longest unsupported gondola in the world (1.88 miles)).

 Then as we all started to meet back in the room we got word that Melissa was in the first aid center and had torn her ACL (!)

 Note that she's still wearing her rented ski boot.

 This girl is hard core.  She laughed her way through it and had the best attitude!

 She happily joined D and I in our non-skiing adventures (read: shopping and reading and drinking coffee). We went out for amazing dinners every night, and celebrated our birthdays at each of them.

(Birthday girls above, with Lex and Melissa celebrating their 30ths)

Our waitress at this point snuck up behind me (everyone else saw her coming) and shot off a confetti gun.  I about keeled over from a heart attack and peed my pants at the same time.

Never a dull moment!

The next day was spend exploring and eating and shopping and skiing and snowboarding. 

 We enjoyed the Managers Reception at our hotel, sipping wine and getting great tourist advise from the manager.

 (More birthday dinners...)

 (Dominique tends to drain her drink before even the waters are put down.  I had to guard it from her until her meal arrived.)

 Check out Tracy's bruised palms!  She's a trooper, and finally called boarding quits after getting a few in places she didn't think possible - like the back of her thumb. 

 More exploring...

 Then Saturday night was our "official" birthday dinner at Alta Bistro, where we met up with a bunch of Lex's friends/co-workers, in Vancouver from Canada and Europe for a conference.  They decided to head up to Whistler for the night and join us for dinner.

Melissa decided to rock a super sexy dress with her crutches, so of course we all had to keep up!

 After dinner we wondered around the village (Melissa on crutches and in stilettos) to find a fun bar to hang out in.

 Then Sunday came too soon and our vacation was over.  It was starting to rain, so it was the perfect time to make our exit.  But first we had to dig into our birthday presents.

We all got some fun and very thoughtful stuff.  Then we headed off the mountain and began our long journey home.

It was a great trip! Can't wait to try to top it next year!