Surprise, we went to Canada!
Due to time constraints and poor packing skills, I failed to mention to you guys that Jarden and I jetted away to Vancouver/Squamish/Whistler for the new year. It was a quick 4 days jam-packed with zip lining, snowmobiling, bungee jumping, and more! It was also our first time to Canada, and our 11th country!
We arrived in Vancouver on Dec. 31st at 7am, and we quickly drove to Squamish for our first stop at the Sea to Sky Gondola. Squamish is about a 1 hour drive north of Vancouver, smack dab between Vancouver and Whistler. The drive along the sea to sky highway is absolutely beautiful, and we quickly fell in love with the snow capped mountains and pines.
The Sea to Sky Gondola is a year-round gondola that takes you up to the top of a gorgeous mountain peak. It’s been a very white winter this year, so at the top we were able to snowshoe and go tubing, while others took up their skis/snowboards. The smooth 10 minute ride up also gave some beautiful sights of the surrounding area. The gondola had blankets inside for use, which was much appreciated as we were shivering from the freezing 20 degrees fahrenheit temperature we were in.
Once at the top we snapped away on our cameras at the various viewing platforms and sky pilot suspension bridge. The views were absolutely incredible; one of the most beautiful landscapes we’ve ever seen! Since the gondola is open year-round, I would love to go up in the summer and see the views in a different season. There’s also a cafe at the top where you can run in and hide from the cold next to the fireplace with a hot chocolate. Us Hawaiians were having a real different winter for sure!
Afterwards we rented snowshoes from the gift shop and trudged our way through the powdery snow. We didn’t go that far and probably didn’t need the snowshoes for such a short distance, but they’re great if you really venture off and hike the full length of the actual set trails.
Along the way there are little selfie type setups which was super cute. After hiking for a bit we ended up at the tubing park, which is an additional $5 to ride for the whole day, but it’s totally worth it! It was actually more thrilling than I anticipated; pretty fast and a decent run down the small slope.
The Sea to Sky Gondola was just the introduction to Canada that we dreamed of. I sound like a broken record, but I can’t stress how beautiful it was from the top of the mountain! Jarden never ‘played’ in snow before, and the last time I did was over 10 years ago, so we had a blast. You can spend a decent amount of time up on the mountain with the cafe and various activities, and even longer I’m sure in the summer with how awesome the hiking trails must be. Sea to Sky Gondola is a must-do in the Squamish area!
For more information on the Sea to Sky Gondola, visit here!
Check out Sea to Sky Gondola on Facebook, Instagram, and Trip Advisor!
Sea to Sky Gondola
36800 BC-99
Squamish, BC V0N 3G0
1-604-892-2550
Thank you to Sea to Sky Gondola for hosting our visit/activities. All opinions/photos are our own.
Thank you to Sea to Sky Gondola for providing us with complimentary tickets. All opinions are our own.
Sea to Sky Gondola
Great pictures! We’re happy to hear you had such a lovely time and enjoyed the beautiful landscape as much as we do 🙂 Thank you for visiting, and share your experience with your friends and family!