Monday, December 28, 2015

An Adventure-Filled Winter Wonderland: Sea To Sky Gondola

What says "B.C." to me?  Nature's adventure-filled playground with breath-taking views.  Over the holidays we love to do one extra special excursion and this year's location was spectacular! The boys and I drove to Squamish to experience some of the sights that beautiful B.C. is famous for on the Sea to Sky Gondola.

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

The twelve minute gondola ride (which was Koen's highlight) gave us an amazing view of Howe Sound. It is open year-long and we will definitely have to go back to experience hiking in the alpine beauty during the summer.

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Once up at the top, we did a loop. We started at the Spirit Viewing Platform and then walked along the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge. I'm glad I had just two kids with me because it was a bit slippery and I'm afraid of heights.

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

We then walked along the Spirit Trail which is about ten minutes long and does not require snowshoes (note that you can rent snowshoes there or bring your own up!)  It was perfect for my boys as it was completely safe and they could let off excess energy by throwing snowballs, shaking snow off of trees onto themselves, and falling into the snow banks.

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

We had passes to go to the Tube Park which is a definite "must do" if you have kids over 42" tall. The pass is just $5 a person and the ride down had me screaming more than once. 

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

 You need to slide down and walk up so be prepared for that (and possibly pulling your six-year-old son's tube up too!) There is a sweet cliff-top viewing deck where you can watch all of the action.Tubing was the highlight for Kai.

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

All of the attendants that we ran into were so friendly and helpful, I truly appreciated their service!

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

We took a break to enjoy some lunch at the Summit Restaurant. Koen loved his crepes off the kid's menu and licked his plate clean. Kai and I shared a tomato bisque soup and hamburger – super yummy food! The view from inside the Summit Lodge is unbelievable and there are places to eat if you bring in your own food. There's also a train table and activity area for young kids to play at.


Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

We decided to do one more loop over the suspension bridge before heading back home.

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish BC

I have been wanting a mother-son(s) adventure day for a while and this was better than I ever imagined! A family pass is $95.95 but you can also purchase tickets online to save money (kids five and under are free.) If you live in B.C., a trip up the gondola would be highly recommended – I'm so glad we finally did it! Also, if you have a friend or relative visiting, what better way is there to show them B.C.'s beauty?

Have you been up the Sea to Sky Gondola? What season did you go?

Love,
Louise
A great adventure activity in the winter and summer near Squamish, BC.

PS Here's a video Gary put together of our fun morning!



**Disclaimer: We were provided with tickets to the Sea to Sky Gondola for this review and opinions are our own.  Seriously though, we LOVED it! **

5 comments:

  1. It looks like you had 'picture perfect' conditions to be there today and your pictures were great!

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    1. It was gorgeous and should be all week! I hope more people get to experience it like this :)

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  2. Anonymous1:50 PM

    So beautiful! It really makes me miss Canada. I'm hoping to head there next time I am home :)

    Lynn W.

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    1. Great idea, Lynn! Just a touch different than Australia!

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  3. Wow - so beautiful!!

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