I have been wondering the same thing! Certainly there are masses of tourists in town already, although strangely quiet (so far) on the traffic front - must be that all of the Vancouverites have left town!
Do you guys have tickets to any events, or are you planning to visit any of the 'non-sports' activities?
Due to being one of the hosting communities (Cypress Mountain) West Vancouver has entertainment at the community centre every day from Wednesday, when the torch comes through, to the end of the Olympics. Lots of fun, but no parking for the duration which makes our going to the gym difficult.
YES!! We have a condo in Whistler for 5 days, tickets to 2 alpine skiing events (I am a huge fan of this in general), and 1 medal ceremony. We're driving up and bringing our skis and will be skiing 2 days and I already have plans to stalk the Olympic skiers (I know which runs they are training on) . They say the mountain will be empty--who brings their skis to the Olympics?--so I'm really looking forward to uncrowded Whistler runs as well. We'll be watching one event that we don't have tickets for from the hill on skis. I've been counting down the days for this for a year and a half, and am SO THRILLED we actually got tickets and lodging (lodging was hardest). I wonder how crazy it will be--will we be able to get into our favorite brewpub at all, I wonder?
Christy, Did you know that there is a checkpoint on the sea to sky highway during the Olympics?
quote:
If you choose to drive, please make sure you have organized a Sea to Sky Checkpoint permit beforehand. A traffic checkpoint will be in place at the Alice Lake turnoff on the Sea to Sky Highway between the hours of 6 am and 6 pm between February 11 and 28, 2010. For more information visit www.travelsmart2010.ca.
Yes. We have a travel permit from our condo. Everyone who has booked accomodations that come with a parking space can request a travel permit from the hotel/condo. Residents get 2 permits as well.
The VANOC folks and the media have made a huge deal out of the fact that there is no public parking at any venue, that all the lots in Whistler are closed, and that you can't drive on the Sea to Sky past Alice Lake without a permit between 6 am and 6 pm (outside of that, anyone actually can drive up).
We're coming from Seattle. We ski Whistler once or twice a year anyway and so have done the drive many times, though it will be interesting to see what the border waits are like. I'll be watching the border cams and wait times online in the days prior to our trip to see if it's best to go further east than our usual route (the truck crossing at Blaine).
Our Slow Travel friends AnnM & Scott drove up from Seattle this weekend. They used the truck crossing and came straight through with no wait at all - when did you last cross the border with NO wait???
It is a bit like the traffic chaos predicted for Vancouver, so far the roads are incredibly quiet. Either Vanoc has done an amazing job in preparing people to make alternate arrangements for travel - or we are all going to be hit big time later this week.
Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day - Vancouver at its best. Today is grey again. I really want the world to see the beauty of Vancouver in the sunshine, which will make them all want to visit.
I'm not surprised at the no wait this weekend. Hotel rates were sky-high after Feb. 1st (and in many cases already full of Olypmics officials), so most "normal" people are probably already avoiding trips to Vancouver and Whistler. But, the Olympics haven't started yet, so you're not getting the onslaught of visitors trying to get to events. I sure don't expect no border wait as of next weekend! I can't believe the number of people coming up from WA State IN THEIR CARS just to see a single event. I have no idea where they think they are going to park.
What I am finding is that I have yet to run into the traffic and transit horrors that were forecast. I wish I hadn't bothered worrying about that. Not to say that some people haven't had very long waits at certain times, because that has happened, but it's not as much a disruption to everyday life as was predicted.
Back in '84 when the Summer games were held in Los Angeles, we were all worried about crowds, traffic jams, etc. And yet, during the period of the games, it was as you describe, almost eerily quiet and easy to get around town. I think in our case a lot of people left town on vacation, and those with venue tickets just went to and fro. Enjoy your experience. I'm happy to be watching on tv.
That seems to happen a lot, but only because everyone heeds the warnings. Atlanta was like that during the Olympics. Geez, even I-5 construction last summer in Seattle was like that. But if everyone ignored transportation officials to not drive, it WOULD be a nightmare, and you never know if people will or won't.
Hi Sheena; Lunch would be great!; and perhaps with Janie too? Let's wait till all the "O" madness has died down! I have to say; there is such a buzz in the city I can't believe it; and the weather has been spectacular! I haven't been to any events; but we had a walk round downtown last Sat. and it was lots of fun to see everyone enjoying themselves. My friend was a Torch-Bearer; and that was great to see close up.
Terry and I went downtown late yesterday afternoon. It was MAD. We went to Robson Square, skipped the da Vinci exhibit at the Art Gallery because there was a three hour queue. Cheered the crazy people who waiting for hours to ride a 30 second zip line - well to be more accurate we cheered them once they were on the line - not those waiting in line.
I have never seen so many people in red! I think that even tourists must be wearing Canadian Olympic gear.
People were just so happy. There were tons of families with little children, but I didn't see a single unhappy child. We sat for a while by the forest of lanterns - 2,010 lanterns drawn by children from Taiwan and Canada. There were slightly elevated wooden platforms around the lantern trees - and I am pretty sure that the installers did not anticipate the fun that everyone would have jumping on these platforms making very loud drum like noises. A little bit like small children finding the packing box more fun than the gift it contained!
Many street entertainers - some official and some not so! We watched a little jazz group and the elderly woman dancing alone in front of the group. Every so often a couple of young people would walk up to her and join her dance.
We had a fabulous dinner at the Italian Kitchen on Alberni - a few well known faces eating there and the people on the next table asked whether we were hockey fans because Mattias Ohlund had been at our table right before us.
On the way home we saw the Olympic caldron illuminated - it is way more impressive than it looks in photographs. Really beautiful with the ocean as a backdrop.
I am not good at crowds, so I doubt that we will go down again, but I am glad we went. Who could not get a warm buzz from seeing so many people enjoying themselves.
We did take some photographs - I'll post a couple tomorrow.
Shelagh, Janie or I will give you a call towards the end of the month to set a date.
Hi All, My daughter and family drove up to Vancouver for the day last Saturday and had no problem crossing the border either way. They had a fantastic time taking in all the fun atmosphere. They parked in Richmond and took the SkyTrain in to Vancouver and walked around the waterfront, Robson Square and Chinatown.
I wish I had next weekend free to do the same. I'm loving watching the events on TV. Scott and I wear our red Canadian mittens during all the hockey games with Canada competing. Even when against the U.S.! Thanks Sheena!
Posts: 992 | Location: North of Seattle | Registered: 28 February 2003
Thanks for supporting us with your mittens, Ann and Scott!!!! (You and Oprah. ) The thought is now that we won't win the hockey; but you never know!!! Come up and have lunch when we all get together?! I don't know how far the drive would be for you?
. They say the mountain will be empty--who brings their skis to the Olympics?--so I'm really looking forward to uncrowded Whistler runs as well. We'll be watching one event that we don't have tickets for from the hill on skis. I've been counting down the days for this for a year and a half, and am SO THRILLED we actually got tickets and lodging (lodging was hardest). I wonder how crazy it will be--will we be able to get into our favorite brewpub at all, I wonder?
I really want the world to see the beauty of Vancouver in the sunshine, which will make them all want to visit.
