Whistler Reimagines Family Friendly Fun
Have you been holding off on interprovincial travel? Not convinced your destination of choice will have the necessary coronavirus measures in place to keep you and your family safe? We’ve just returned from a long weekend in Whistler and uncovered several activities that met and exceeded our expectations.
Vallea Lumina:
This year, The Adventure Group has reimagined Vallea Lumina, a multi-media rich outdoor experience put together by award winning Moment Factory. We booked a 10 pm slot and drove our family of five to Cougar Mountain base camp and were impressed with the new operational measures. After being guided to our parking spot, we followed the clearly marked walk ways to a tent where temperature checks and the standard coronavirus screening questions were asked. We aced the test and began our journey through the illuminated old-growth forest pathways. The twilight walk took us through a magical multi-media story about a little girl and her grandpa in search of… well, let’s not spoil it for you. The entire adventure took about 30 - 45 minutes. Once back at base camp, we enjoyed s’mores and marshmallows roasted over the campfire before heading out.
Superfly Zipline:
Another Adventure Group offering, Superfly Zipline is a great option for those between 70 lbs and 250 lbs (ages 7 and up). Also offered at Cougar Mountain base camp, we were happy to see the same level of health and safety measures offered. We were with a group of 16 people all wearing mandatory masks and were given many reminders to spread out between zips. Each of the zipline courses had sanitization stations and ample space to distance yourself from those not within your bubble. If you’ve never zip lined before, it is pretty damn amazing. The first zip puts you a couple hundred feet off the ground blazing through the treetops at 60 - 70 kilometres an hour (depending on your weight). We asked the guide what the fastest zip was and apparently a just under 250 lbs guest clocked himself at 1 15 km/h. Crazy fast. Full disclosure, this activity would not be fun for those with height or speed phobias.
Meadow Park, Water Park and Playground:
We found out about this spot from locals, so please keep it under your hat for now. Located behind the closed Meadow Park Sports Center, you will find loads of parking. As this spot is not known by many, it was not busy like all the other touristy spots in town. Earlier in the weekend, went on several bike rides throughout Whistler and found that nearly all of the lakes had way too many people, so we were very pleased when we arrive at Meadow Park Water Park to find a reasonable amount of people properly spread out in family pods. This idyllic park is located on the banks of the River of Golden Dreams with one of the valley’s most magnificent views of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. We let the kids run free while we chilled on our picnic blanket and nibbled on snacks.
The verdict? We felt safe, secure and thoroughly enjoyed an experience that felt almost normal. Get out and explore Whistler now before we collectively surf the expected second coronavirus wave this fall.
