Whistler

Sure, Whistler boasts some of the word’s best bowl skiing and snowboard pipes (which convert into killer mountain bike trails in summer). But in the run-up to 2010, the village is showing a more nuanced, diversified character and now offers plenty of off-slope activity.

Out & About

Neoalpine Yoga
A respite from the village bustle, Neoalpine hosts yoga and meditation classes — including Bikram’s and jivamukti — in a spare, modern studio. 9a-1005 Alpha Lake Rd., Function Junction, 604-935-9642. $12-$18 drop-in fee

Zip Trek Ecotours
Guided zipline tours race through the canyon that divides Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Cable heights reach as high as 200 feet above ancient rainforests and spans are up to 2,200 feet long; acrophobics need not apply. Access via Carleton Lodge, across from the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas, 604-935-0001. $40-$125 per person

Whistler Village Art Gallery
Bold contemporary sculptures and paintings by such artists as Hamilton Aguiar and Scott Steele are featured in Whistler’s oldest — and finest — gallery. Two locations: Hilton Hotel in Whistler Village and the Four Seasons Resort, 604-938-3001.

Solarice
If your idea of a spa is petals and pot pourri, this spot is not for you. The focus here is on wellness, the mood decidedly unisex and contemporary. May we suggest the 90-minute ultimate moor mud wrap? Price tag: $215. Two village locations: 202-4230 Gateway Dr., 604-935-1222, and 4-4308 Main St. 604-966-0888.

Dining

The Beet Root Cafe
Auntie Em’s is now the Beet Root Café, where hearty, vegetarian-friendly breakfasts are served until noon. Entrées are inexpensive ($6.60 to $8.95) so there is no reason that you shouldn’t finish with a lemon-and-raisin muffin dusted with icing sugar. 129-4340 Lorimer Rd., Marketplace, 604-932-1163

Araxi
Executive chef James Walt’s take on seafood is both simple and fresh — try red tuna tataki, with daikon bite ($17.50), or one of half a dozen B.C. oyster varieties ($2.50 to 3.95)—and boldly reinvented, like wild salmon and ling cod made meaty and savoury with double-smoked bacon and garlic scapes, chorizo and sunchokes ($36.50). The wine list is deep and broad, having been carefully nurtured since 1981 — take some time to explore it. 4222 Village Square, 604-932-4540.

Bearfoot Bistro
Twenty-something executive chef Melissa Craig turns out decadent, locally inspired dishes like house-smoked caribou with balsamic-blackberry jus. We suggest creating your own prix fixe menu (three courses, $98-plus; five courses, $135-plus). 4121 Village Green, 604-932-3433.

Getting There

By Car — 2 Hours
Follow Route 99 along the dramatic Sea-to-Sky Highway. Road improvements (gearing up for 2010) may cause delays.
Traffic reports at Drivebc.ca

By Train — 3 Hours
The Whistler Mountaineer departs from North Vancouver (a shuttle provides pickup service from downtown) and meanders its way northward.
Whistlermountaineer.com

Bed Check

The Adara
4122 Village Green, Whistler
866-502-3272
{Price} Superior rooms from $129 up to $609 per night during the holiday season.
{Design} Contemporary décor a welcome departure from the rustic-lodge motif found elsewhere in the village.
{Amenities} Outdoor pool in the summer, year-round hot tub, bath products from Fresh (bonus points for the ample-sized soy shampoo), Internet, iPod dock, and business and babysitting services.

Four Seasons
4591 Blackcomb Way, Whistler
604-935-3400.
{Price} Standard rates from $245 to $875 with residences starting at $2,200.
{Design} The most luxurious rooms in town—bar none—complemented by a stellar collection of West Coast art (look for the massive Gordon Smith painting above the stairwell in the lobby).
{Amenities} Internet, 24-hour business services, restaurant, lounge, fitness facilities, pool, top-notch spa, and slopeside ski concierge service (no ski-in/ski-out access).