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Two Weeks in Whistlertown.

kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
Back to the salt mines after two weeks in Whistler with the family. Had a good time, although flying with a 1 year old isn't super awesome. My older son turned 4 during our trip, so we got him a new Spawn Cycles Yoji at Corsa Cycles in Squamish.

The few days prior to leaving was a complete cluster F. We were set to head out on Saturday the 8th and the Thursday before, as we were getting everything together, I had seemed to misplace my passport. So full on panic mode ensued, tearing the house apart, literally room by room. Still never found it. When I renewed, I ordered the passport ID card as well, but was only good for land or sea travel. So, in come all these plans of flying in Bellingham, WA and driving to meet the family, either in Whistler or pick them up at the airport. Just a complete shit show. So, talking to some people I hear fairy tales of getting a same day passport. Turns out they are true.

I called the passport information center at 7am on Friday when they opened and she told me it was possible. So gathered all required docs, left my house a little before 9 and showed up to the Federal passport office on Wilshire Blvd in LA around 10. After a day of misery and endless lines (although everyone was actually pretty helpful), I left at 4:30 with a legit replacement passport so we could fly out the next morning at 8am.

The rest of the trip was pretty smooth sailing. Met a few buddies that were there for the first week, rode my bike, did some riding in Squamish with some other friends, did family stuff, wife did some solo outings like zip lining and river rafting and came home.

I would move out of SoCal if I could right now.

Photos in no particular order.





Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/137042975@N04/, on Flickr

 
kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
jstuhlman said:
did you put your kids in any of the whistler camps, or just juggle them with teh wife?
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No Whistler camps. My oldest will be learning to pedal on the new bike. All the camps I looked into they had to be able to ride a bike efficiently. Youngest is 14 mo, so just old enough to walk around and get into everything dangerous. Unless there's camps available that I was unaware of. We pretty much juggled, then the second week, in a round about way, found out we could get sitters. Hired a sitter for two nights the second week so the wife and I could go out. It worked out.
 
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Sandro

Sandro

Terrified of Cucumbers
Nov 12, 2006
3,228
2,541
The old world
CBJ said:
I am thinking about the Alps next year.
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All the Austrian resorts with bikeparks that i visited recently were very well set up for families with kids. If you don't mind driving a little further though and can do with less amenities and some ocean, i would highly recommend checking out Liguria, where the trails are just so much better than anything you'll find in a bikepark.
 
kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
Yea, he's done really well on his Strider and is basically at the point of being too big for it. I had been looking at these Spawns even prior to this trip, but hadn't seen one in person. They were all over up there. Bought it at Corsa Cycles in Squamish and it was pretty close to the price they had through Spawn online (having to do maths with conversions and whatnot). And, on top of that, he had his 4th birthday while we were up there, so we didn't really have a party or anything....besides, I'd rather drop coin on something he'll have for a while instead of food and party favors.
 
CBJ

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
13,077
4,792
Copenhagen, Denmark
Sandro said:
All the Austrian resorts with bikeparks that i visited recently were very well set up for families with kids. If you don't mind driving a little further though and can do with less amenities and some ocean, i would highly recommend checking out Liguria, where the trails are just so much better than anything you'll find in a bikepark.
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I agree but this would be with my boys then age 8 and 10 and not that experience on bikes so a safe and easy start would be much better. I more or less live on the beach so I am actually fine spending time away from the beach. Well this Danish summer not much beach time if the crappy weather continues.
 
kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
I hate the ocean. And sand. I'd be fine never going again. At least in SoCal. Tropical places are nicer, but I still definitely prefer the mountains and lakes.
 
Sandro

Sandro

Terrified of Cucumbers
Nov 12, 2006
3,228
2,541
The old world
CBJ said:
I agree but this would be with my boys then age 8 and 10 and not that experience on bikes so a safe and easy start would be much better.
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I didn't know your kids were old enough to do some riding themselves, in that case a resort is certainly the way to go. Of the ones i've visited, Leogang/Saalbach probably has the most family friendly trails.

kazlx said:
I hate the ocean. And sand.
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This is incomprehensible to most central Europeans, who slave away the entire year just to visit some horrible, overcrowded beach once or twice to lie passively in the sand. Northern Italy is incredible though and it just so happens that the mountains with the best trails i've ridden on the continent are flanked by the Mediterranean,
which usually helps convince the non riding womanfolk to come along.
 
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kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
canadmos said:
Awesome sounding trip.

So, did you find your passport after you came back? :busted:
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Haha nope, but I'm sure it will pop up at some point. Just glad I was able to work it out, since otherwise I'm pretty sure my wife would have stabbed me in my sleep.
 
kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
I think many on this board would be the same. IMO, the water isn't very nice and on days where you'd want to go, there's a million people and no parking. It's just not even worth the hassle. My brother is a big surfer and I've gone a couple times with him. I hate it. Freezing cold water at 5am isn't my cup of tea. I prefer riding bikes.
 
manhattanprjkt83

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,659
1,237
Nilbog
Nice! I went to Whistler first in 2006, I have not gone a year without being there since...Crazy how much the place has changed over the years (trail wise).
 
kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
Yea, I first went two years ago and regret not doing it sooner, being that I have wanted to go since I started back into mountain biking in 2005. I'll be there probably at least once every year as long as I can.
 
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