NoNames Xmas Vacation (A Little Bit Of Everywhere)

[NoName]

Day 19 – Continued……………………..





We realised that we still had a few hours left before we needed to head out to the airport so decided to duck up to Harlem for an early lunch. Hopped on the train and four or five stops later we were off and walking through the streets.








Three blocks over was our lunch venue Sylvia’s. I had been here by myself previously and reviewed it at the time. Unsure what the reason was (covid taken a toll, lack of staff, something else??) but it seemed a little different this time. The food was just as good as I remembered but it wasn’t busy and the interior (and certain parts of the exterior) seemed like they had been a little neglected in the 4.5 years since I had been. As I said though, the food was still great and it was great to see the other two experience and enjoy it just as I had done.



Fried chicken and waffles for Mrs NoName & I (we had one each)



Fried chicken and mac and cheese for NoName Jnr

 

[NoName]

Day 19 – Continued……………………




Its fair to say we ordered too much so when we were done we were really done. Walked over to the neared subway station and headed back towards the hotel. Decided to hop off one stop early and walk through the park. It was a great idea for one final memory of New York City.





We entered the park near Strawberry Fields – John Lennon memorial






Got back to the hotel to find that we had really jammed something in to every moment of our last day because as soon as we got there it was time to grab the bags and get a taxi to JFK. The doorman quickly found us a driver and we were loaded in and off.

A bit over an hour later and we were pulling up to terminal 4, unloading the bags and going to find the check in desks. In the line, deposited the luggage and off to security. Seemed to take ages to get through. The queue lines seemed totally shambolic actually, a couple of times I took the wrong turn and I wasn’t the only one. Staff seemed oblivious. Anyway, eventually we got through security and went off to wait at the gate for our flight to Calgary.


JFK-YYC
WS1681
B737
12A, 12B, 12C


The boarding call came right on time and we hopped aboard and took our seats. Unfortunately that was about the only thing that ran on time as we ended up sitting on the tarmac for 90 minutes after departure time. Fun! Eventually we did take off and the 5+ hr flight was underway.



Despite the cramped conditions it was a pleasant enough flight. Staff came around offering a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage which was actually more than I had expected to receive. Alcohol and food were also sold however as usual we declined. We passed the time playing games, reading and for a while I surfed the internet. Before descent there was another drink offered and again this was appreciated.

We landed at YYC and with it being after 8pm we were keen to get to the hotel as soon as possible. Straight to immigration and wow, this was a great experience. So quick and efficient. Entered our details into the self serve machine which then spat out a ticket. Took it to a person at the exit who asked one or two very basic questions then waived us through. It must have been 10 minutes from the door opening to being at the luggage carousel. That’s where the speediness stopped though. Bags took an hour to come out. Once we did have them though we were outside waiting for the hotel shuttle.



10 minutes later it was there and 5 minutes after that we had arrived at the Hampton Inn Calgary Airport North.

Booked this hotel myself through the Hilton website. Its just your typical basic hotel with rooms clean and tidy with nothing special added. Breakfast was included and although very basic was definitely welcomed. Price for a standard room with 2 queen beds was CA$127.99 including tax. For what we were looking for it was perfect. It was late by the time we arrived, after 10 from memory, so as soon as we freshened up it was time to call it a night.

Hotel exterior (photo taken the next morning):

 

[NoName]

Day 20





Hopped up, prepared the room for departure and made our way downstairs for a quick breakfast. As mentioned, this was included and although basic it was perfectly fine. Just had some toast and juice before retrieving the bags from upstairs and completing the check out formalities. On the shuttle back to the airport where the bus to Banff was departing. We found the desk for Banff Airporter, gave them our bags and sat waiting to the call to board. That came at 9:45am and we climbed aboard. Not sure how many other companies run services to Banff (guessing there would be plenty) but I had found them through a simple google search and they had good reviews. Cost for the return ticket for 2x Adults + 1x Child was CA$423.78 including tax.

At 10am the bus was off and the two hour ride to Banff was underway. It didn’t take long for us to be out of Calgary and then wow! The scenery is quite amazing!







There isn’t really much to say about the bus ride other than It was uneventful. We pretty much spent the whole time looking out the window. Soon enough we were coming into the town of Banff and the bus went around dropping people at their various hotels. We got to ours (well across the road anyway), grabbed the bags and went to check in to Peaks Hotel & Suites. The hotel is quite modern and located conveniently a couple of blocks back from the main street in downtown Banff. Total cost for 4 nights in a Junior 2 queen bed studio was C$1,149 which was pretty good I thought. Being just after 12pm, the room wasn’t quite ready so we left our bags and went for a walk around town.

 

[NoName]

Day 20 – Continued…………





We spent the next few hours taking in downtown Banff. This place was beautiful! A lovely little town set amongst an incredible mountain backdrop. Everywhere we looked we were blown away with what we saw. We walked up and down the main streets, grabbed some lunch, shopped and generally had a great time getting acquainted with where we were.

 

[NoName]

Day 20 – Continued………………..







The text came through to Mrs NoName that our room was ready so after a quick stop at a supermarket around the corner, we went back to get our keys and have a break before dinner. An hour or so later and we were ready to go again so took off around the corner to our restaurant for the evening – Magpie & Stump. This was just a bar with Mexican restaurant attached. Pretty casual.




NoName Jnr went for a pretty stock standard chicken strips and chips which of course is not Mexican at all but given his fussiness it was good to have something he would at least eat. For us we shared tacos and fajitas.






Food was not bad but didn’t blow us away. We were pretty full so it met that aim which was something. Made the short walk back to the hotel, had a hot chocolate from the complimentary hot drink machine in the lobby and then relaxed in the room before bed.

 

[NoName]

Day 21





Up and going. No breakfast included here so just smashed a couple of McMuffins at the Maccas a few blocks away before heading on our way. Jumped on one of the local bus routes up to the Banff Gondola. The gondola goes to the top of Sulphur Mountain which is a prominent tourist attraction. Cost was CA$136.50 for a family ticket which I have to say seemed outrageous given that all it got you was a trip to the top and back. Still, it was going to provide some incredible views so we bit the bullet and climbed on.




Got to the top and went out to the observation deck for more views. Amazing!



There was a path outside which led up to the actual summit of the mountain so of course we had to walk up there. It had been around -10c at the base of the mountain and now up the top it was much colder again. Bitterly cold! We got about ¾ the way along the path to the summit when the others decided to turn around and go back to the warmth of inside. Face and fingers in particular had very little feeling. I kept going to the top though.

Time for some lunch so we went to the Sky Bistro. This was a nice venue inside the observation deck building. We took our time here enjoying the scenery as well as the food.

Pasta for Mrs NoName which was excellent



I went for the burger which wasn’t bad but not great either.



NoName Jnr just had some chips but no photos of that. Price was fairly steep from memory but after the CA$100+ cost just to get up here we had expected that. A couple more photos outside and then we were back on the gondola down to the bottom.

 

[craven morehead]

Great photos this has been, and continues to be an awesome TR

 

[NoName]

Day 21 – Continued…………………….





Made the short walk of 200m or so across to the Upper Banff Hot Springs for a dip. This was an interesting experience with the outside temperature being somewhere around the -10 level but the water being like a hot bath. We paid the entry, went to get changed and in we went. We spent an hour or so mainly just relaxing in the water. Found it got a bit uncomfortable with the warmth so I would stand up quite often to cool down again. It was obvious that this was a very popular tourist attraction as the whole pool area was packed with people. No space to swim laps that’s for sure!

We hopped out and got changed then it was over to the nearby bus stop for the quick ride back into town. It was near enough to dinner time so we decided to duck into a nearby restaurant for a fill up. A quick consultation with google maps led us to Peak Café on the main street which is an Asian restaurant serving a whole manner of different food from Chinese to Japanese to Vietnamese to Korean. That possibly should have been a giveaway of what was to come but we stuck with it anyway. Pho for Mrs NoName and a beef fried rice for NoName Jnr & I to share. Food was edible is about as good as it can be described. The bubble tea we had to share was not good. Overall there is no chance we would return here and frankly its mind-boggling how it could possibly have a 4.2 out of 5 rating on google. No photos taken.

We got back to the hotel and NoName Jnr was keen to go for a swim. The pool was located at the Banff Park Lodge across the road as both properties are owned by the same interests. It was a bit of fun making the 50 metre walk outside in swim clothes. Pool was indoors, had a couple of hot tubs and was generally a pretty good space.

He splashed around for a while and played with some other kids before we decided to head back across the road and call it a night.

 

[Kangarucci]

Great TR!
Thank you for taking the time to write it up.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the read.

 

[NoName]

Day 22





Banff day 3 and we were going on a full day tour of Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway. This promised to be a great day and it was – the scenery throughout was really something else. I had booked around a month prior through viator. The tour operator was Beyond Banff and cost for 2xAdult + 1xChild was came in at $606.81. While not cheap, it was worth every cent IMO. Throughout the day we visited a number of different spots which provided excellent experiences that we won’t forget.

After being picked up at our hotel and going around to pick up the other people on the tour, our first stop was Bow Falls which is actually a fairly short, easy walk from downtown Banff.




A fairly short drive out of Banff and Lake Minnewanka was next stop.

 

[NoName]

Day 22 - Continued…….




Next we drove 45 minutes down the highway to Lake Louise. This was probably the highlight of the day. We had about an hour to look around the lake as well as the chateau. This was incredible.



Stunning mountains overlooking the frozen lake.

The magnificent Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.



People skating and playing hockey.

Ice sculptures.

 

[NoName]

Day 22 - Continued…….





We stopped at nearby shops for lunch. Ramen for MrsNoName which she was disappointed with. NoName Jnr and I chose to go to café next door where he had his by now standard chicken tenders & chips while I went for the burger. Both were tasty and well priced.




We continued on with the tour stopping at more spots for photo opportunities.




The final stop for the day was Peyto Lake. This required a 10 minute walk up a snowy trail to the lookout spot. It was well worth it!

Beautiful path through the trees!

Peyto Lake – stunning!

Mrs NoName taking it all in!



Late afternoon came and unfortunately that meant that it was time to return to Banff. The same 45 minute drive in reverse and we were dropped off back at our hotel. Excellent door to door service. As is pretty obvious, this tour was excellent. I would thoroughly recommend Beyond Banff if you’re ever in the area and considering something similar. Could not have been happier.

NoName Jnr was itching for another dip in the pool so after a quick detour to McDonalds for dinner we came back, got changed and headed over. He dragged me in this time albeit only briefly. About a hour later and we were done for the night. Back across the road, quick hot chocolate and into bed.

 

[NoName]

Day 23





Last full day in Banff and we had a fairly leisurely start to the day. About 10 or so we got going out the door and down to the bus stop. We had high tea booked at the Fairmont Chateau Banff Springs! NoName Jnr had discovered high tea about 6 months earlier and loved it. Moreso the chocolates and cakes than the savoury items of course. The bus took us out there pretty quickly and we began to have a look around.

We made our way up to the Rundle Bar and were greeted warmly and taken to our seats. This was an elegant area to dine with views out the windows to the scenery below. We ordered each of our teas which were brought out quickly ad then followed by the high tea trays. This was nicely done. Well presented and tasted good. Cost was C$100 per adult + C$42 per child. Expensive but a lovely experience all the same.






After we were finished we went out to the back of the hotel for a quick look at the views.

 

[NoName]

Day 23 - Continued……..





Since it wasn’t very far, we decided to ditch the bus and walk back to town. The natural surroundings made for pleasant walk.





After a brief break in the hotel we were up and out again. A short walk over to the train station where we were going to take the bus up to one of the nearby ski resorts to take a look.

One of the locals out and about:



Ice skating in front of the train station:



We hopped on the bus for the 15 minute ride up to Mt Norquay. We arrived early to have a look around before the main activity – tubing. We’d bought tickets to the night session from 5-7pm. Tickets normally go for CA$42 for adults & CA$28 for kids 4-12 however due to a malfunction with the magic carpet lift used to take people to the top of the tubing park they were offering half price since this meant having to walk to the top each time. The website had said they expected the lift to be fixed by today so we took a chance on the half priced tickets and hoped they were right. As it turned out they were.

Walked around a bit prior to our session giving NoName Jnr a look at what a ski resort looks like prior to getting to Whistler in a couple of days.



5pm came around and we headed back over to the tube park. This was great fun. The three of us went up and down non-stop for the entire session. Really loved it! I would definitely recommend trying this, it’s a real thrill coming down the slope, spinning around in the tube. I would have said the regular full price was on the expensive side however getting it for half price was great value.



NoName Jnr loving it!

Both of them going down together!

Once the session was done we jumped back on the bus back to town and 15 minutes later we were in the room. Grabbed some subway for dinner, had another quick swim across the road and then it was to bed for the final time in Banff.

 

[NoName]

Day 24





The bus back to YYC was scheduled for 11:30am so we didn’t do a whole lot prior. Lazed around the room before finishing off the remaining food we had bought from the supermarket and packed the luggage. Checked out and made our way across the road to wait for the bus. It was there around 11:15 and we hopped on ready for the ride back. Stopped at a couple of places to pick up more passengers and then it was on to the airport. 90 minutes later and we were there. Quickly off, and found the WS check in desks. Well not desks, but self serve terminals. Easy to use although Mrs NoName did get a message to see the service desk. The staff standing around the terminals insisted that we didn’t need to do that because we already had mobile boarding passes. Odd.

Through security and airside where we found our gate without any problems. We hung around for around an hour doing absolutely nothing until finally it was time to board the flight to YVR.


YYC-YVR
WS119
B737
10A, 10B, 10C


Standard flight with nothing out of the ordinary occurring. We took our seats and were off basically on time. Flight was only 90 minutes so more or less up and down however they still managed a quick drink service. Just a coke, wasn’t interested in paying for anything harder. Seats were comfortable enough but pretty cramped. It was bearable for such a short trip though so no complaints.



Landed on time, off the plane to collect the bags. A lot quicker than in YYC a few days earlier so a win there already. Into a taxi and through the streets towards downtown Vancouver.



Before long we were pulling up at our hotel – Hyatt Regency Vancouver. I chose this hotel because the bus to Whistler departed right next to it. Literally outside one of the entrances. With an early start tomorrow this was the perfect option. Price for the room was very reasonable I thought – double room with two double beds for CA$242 on a Saturday night. Room was nice. Good size, neat and tidy. Perfect for our purposes.

Nice view




We took off through the streets towards a dinner venue that had been recommended to us by one of Mrs NoName’s old school friends who now lives here. She was keen for Ramen so he directed us to Marutama Ramen in Robsen St. It was a 15 minutes from the hotel but worth the walk. Spicy ramen for Mrs NoName & I while NoName Jnr just had some gyoza.



We made our way back to the hotel. Stopped at Milk Bar which we had spotted earlier and decided to introduce NoName Jnr to the cereal milk ice cream. He had the chocolate version which tastes like coco pops and of course he loved it.



With the dessert out of the way and the sweet tooths satisfied we were ready to call it a night. Back to the room and into bed. Ready to tick off a long-time bucket list item the next day.

 

[NoName]

Day 25





We were up pretty early, packed up, grabbed a quick breakfast at the McDonalds next door before going to check out. Down the back stairs and into the street outside to away our bus to Whistler.

There was already quite a crowd of people there so we knew we were in the right spot. We had booked the 8am bus with YVR Skylynx. There are multiple different companies that offer transfers, but this was chosen basically because it was the first that came up when I searched and the price seemed very reasonable. CA$105 including taxes for 2xAdults + 1xChild round trip. Service was excellent so I would absolutely recommend them.

Everyone piled on the bus and then we were off out of the city and down the highway. Just under 2hrs later we were pulling in to Whistler Creekside Village to drop some people off. Not our stop but we were close! Five minutes or so later and we were hopping off at Whistler Village. We took the bags from the luggage hold of the bus and began looking for the hotel. We weren’t familiar with the area so started off a little disoriented but eventually found our way to Crystal Lodge. The hotel was chosen primarily for its location around 100m from the Whistler ski lifts. Hotel prices in the area are high however we thought this was pretty reasonable with the 5 night stay in a Deluxe Queen Studio room was CA$2,186 including tax booked in February 2022.

As we expected, our room wasn’t ready yet so we left the bags with reception and went to get acquainted with the village. We wandered outside and wow! This place is amazing! We walked through the village, found a place for Mrs NoName to book a massage for the next day and then on to Blackcomb Village with is a 5-10 minute walk away.

Whistler Village:





On the way to Blackcomb




Blackcomb Base:



Fairmont Chateau Whistler:



We got to Blackcomb and found a place to eat. Portobello is a casual dining venue located on the ground floor of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler building. They do various different types of food – soups, pastries, made to order sandwiches etc. They also have a couple of bars. NoName Jnr went for a gourmet hotdog which it has to be said looked very good. I shared a pork roll with Mrs NoName and it was very good. Food, although expensive was great and we would come back again for sure.

 

[NoName]

Day 25 - Continued……..




After lunch we went back over to Whistler Village for more of a look around. Made our way to the Olympic rings.





There was a small hill with play area where kids and families were having fun. We found a spare sled and enjoyed ourselves sliding down.





Snowing in Whistler Village!

By now we had received the news that our room was ready so we went back and grabbed the key. The hotel is situated on the upper levels of a building with various different shops and restaurants below. The rooms are on either side of a long hallway spanning the entire length of the building. Our room was a good size with 2 queen beds, neat and tidy, modern looking. Exactly what we needed.

I had reserved a few items of ski clothing for NoName Jnr and I through a company called Whistler Winter Wear. We needed proper ski gloves, goggles and a ski jacket for me and they were the only company I could find that provided this sort of stuff. Other places did skis and helmets etc but not what we needed here. The booking was made around 6 weeks prior to our arrival and the email I received asked to call or text them once we arrived to organise a time to drop the gear to us. Once we get to our room I did exactly that, with limited success. When I say limited I mean that I spent an hour texting and calling before being able to get on to anyone. No replies to my texts and only an eventual answer to my call. When I did get onto someone they appeared to in a chaotic state and were unable to tell me exactly when they would deliver the items and that they would call me back to confirm. Fine, we will go do the other things we had planned while I wait for the call.

Went downstairs to the ski hire shop in the same building to get fitted for our skis. Premium Mountain had been recommended by the hotel as they offered a discount to hotel guests. Reviews suggested they were excellent and that proved accurate. NoName Jnr and I were fitted out quickly and professionally. Their staff did a thorough job fitting us and ensuring we had the right equipment. Definitely recommend. Price was CA$522 after 15% discount for skis, boots, helmet & damage waiver for the two of us for 4 days.

NoName Jnr ready to go!

By now it was 7pm and with no call back from Whistler Winter Wear and with ski lessons scheduled for 8am the next morning I had no choice but to purchase the items we had intended to hire. We ended up buying the goggles and gloves from Premium Mountain and my ski jacket from another nearby shop. A very disappointing outcome although we will ski again so will get more use from the items. Side note: I ended up receiving a call from Whistler Winter Wear in the middle of dinner just after 8pm informing me they were waiting in my hotel lobby with the gear. Even more disappointing was the incredulous attitude I got from the owner when I called out their total lack of customer service. There was no apology or remorse and I was basically told that it was my fault for what happened. I can’t stress more strongly – DO NOT USE WHISTLER WINTER WEAR!

We were meeting up with a couple of Mrs NoName’s friends who lived in Seattle. When they heard we were visiting they decided to join us. First stop dinner. Nothing fancy tonight, we just wanted in to Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub. Pretty self explanatory – its an Irish pub. Located close by at the base of the lifts. We got a table and ordered what was a pretty standard pub meal. We were all too busy catching up so no photos unfortunately. It was enjoyable though, food nice, atmosphere pretty good. I would return.

Dinner was done and so were we for the evening. Big day of skiing coming up so wanted to get a good rest. Back to the room and into bed although the excitement meant that it took a while to get to sleep.

 

[NoName]

Day 26




Today was the day I had been waiting for. I had been skiing a few times as a teenager and loved it but for some reason had not been since. During this time many years ago I had read about Whistler and was amazed at how big the mountains were compared to those I had been to in Australia. I had been captivated and skiing there had become a bucket list item for me. Finally, it was about to happen! We got up, had some breakfast, got dressed into our gear and headed out.

NoName Jnr & I were going to be skiing 4 days so I began the process of working out which ticketing option was going to be the way to go. It was no easy feat with various different ways of purchasing the tickets. Eventually I worked out that the best option would be to buy through Epic Pass. From what I can work out (and I’m sure regular skiers on the forum will be able to correct me if wrong) they own, manage or act as agents (couldn’t entirely work out which) for various different ski resorts in North America and around the world and offer various different ticketing options. It seemed to me that buying a 4 day epic pass with restricted dates was the cheapest option for us. We weren’t going to be there during any restricted periods so this was the obvious way to save a little extra. We could have used this to ski any of their north American resorts if we had have chosen. Additionally the Epic Rewards program attached to the pass gave us 20% off ski lessons and on-mountain dining. For the last few months I had been tossing up whether or not to have lessons. I hadn’t skied since 1996 but I reasoned that maybe my skills would still be there. In the end I decided that a group lesson on day 1 would be worth doing. And so I booked.

Total costs for NoName Jnr & I was:

4-day Restricted Epic Pass for 1 Adult + 1 Child: US$543
3-day child group ski lesson: CA$702
1-day adult group ski lesson: CA$239

Off we go!



There was an hour between the start of NoName Jnr’s lesson and the start of mine so I decided I would see whether I still had it. There was no line at all for the chairlift (most people went up the gondola right next to it) so I went up with the plan of skiing back down an easy trail. Well, much to Mrs NoName’s surprise I was back 20 minutes later having had no issues whatsoever. 26 years since the last time I skied and yes, I can confirm it is like riding a bike! We grabbed a hot chocolate together and then I went off for my lesson. Not much to say here other than it was a great day with a nice instructor and nice group of people. It was expensive but worth it for my first day back.




Back up the chairlift:

Lunch at the Roundhouse Lodge. The group stopped for maybe half an hour to eat at the cafeteria style options. Went for a bacon cheeseburger which was an eye-watering C$21+. My discount brought it down to around C$18 but still outrageous for this. Tasted good though.





The lesson continued for another couple of hours as we skied around a few more of the trails. Seemed my skills were coming back nicely and I was pretty comfortable.

 

[NoName]

Day 26 - Continued…….




Come 3pm the first day was done and after picking NoName Jnr up we made our way back to the room. Fair to say I haven’t been that sore in a while. Got changed and went out to the pool deck for a spa. Lovely setting.





Dinner time rolled around and we met up with our friends again and walked to the venue for the evening – Hy’s Steakhouse. This is a fairly upmarket steakhouse, nice venue, food excellent. We were shown to our table and began to peruse the menu. In the end we decided to share family style and ordered the bone-in rib, rack of lamb & beef wellington along with sides of mash potato, onion rings, mushrooms & cauliflower gratin. Children had some kind of chicken and chips from memory. Added a couple of bottles of red to improve things further. This meal was excellent! Everything tasted fantastic and was very filling. We walked out very satisfied! Total came to approx. C$600 including tax and tip. Thoroughly recommend this place if you are looking for steak in Whistler.





With that done we wandered back through the village to our hotels and called it a night. Very stiff and sore and with more skiing to come I certainly needed a good night’s sleep.

 

[LadyC]

How did NoName Jnr find his ski lessons? Has he taken to skiing? We bought MasterC's ski gear from Aldi. Very good value and was fine for our skiing at Park City and Vail.