After a hard stint doing a site at Visa in Virginia, we took a quick break and headed up to Vancouver and Whistler for a week.

We stayed at a couple of Fairmonts in Vancouver both at the beginning and at the end of our trip. The Pacific Rim is probably my most favorite hotel in Vancouver as it’s right near Gas Town, has easy access for long runs in Stanley Park, and had the Hertz Car rental right downstairs. Not to mention that the lounge with it’s excellent views is great!

We drove up to Whistler and stopped at Horseshoe Bay along the way. That is one beautiful place along with all the inviting islands off in the distance. May be one day we’ll be lucky enough to live out in this environment. Next to nature, yet so close to Vancouver and some amazing skiing.

We thought that we were a little too early for the ski season as it was peak time for the fall leaves. However, we had a massive snow fall the day after we got there and everything was instantly transformed to a winter wonderland! Some people would think that this type of unexpected weather would put a damper on one’s vacation, but we were lucky enough to have transferred over the the Four Season’s Hotel and enjoyed all their amenities along with a lovely heated outdoor pool – that they raced to get opened before our departure. Thank you Four Seasons!

To finish off, here’s a little something of interest!

Did you know listening to your babysitter is important?

Well, as Squamish legend has it, Natkwi kwekwin was babysitting some children, but they never really listened to him. So when it got dark he called them all inside, but some stayed outside and wondered off. They eventually got caught by Kálkalilh and were brought back to her place in the woods. You see Kálkalilh had planned to suck their blood and eat them! Luckily while she was performing her ritual, Natkwi was able to find the children, free them, and overpower Kálkalilh by pushing her into the fire during her trance. Kálkalilh then pinned her down so her couldn’t get out.

Then as Kálkalilh burned, her ashes transformed into lice and mosquitos, which to this day still enjoy the blood of children! How’s that for a story!?!

Well the Lil’wat story is a little different in that Kálkalilh is actually an Owl called Skalúla7 that would swoop down on children in the evening to steal and eat them. As for Natkwi? well… he is replaced by a coyote that was there when one of the children managed to kill Skalúla7. After the children escaped, the coyote jumped over Skalúla7 four times to wake her. So wether she is an owl or a bunch of mosquitos really depends on your heritage!

Nest stop November!