"Well worth traveling 6,000 miles to fly in a Beaver!" quipped my across-the- aisle seat mate from New York City as our floatplane skidded along the placid surface of Green Lake. Mike Quinn, owner and pilot of Whistler Air Services, agreed as he took us upward into the sapphire heavens and announced we were going to get a "beautiful view of God's masterpieces."
On days like this one I'm really grateful I chose travel writing as a profession. I imagine that I could be sitting in an office all day, every day, staring at a carpeted cubical wall. Instead I'm working while I tour Whistler, one of my favorite outdoor destinations for both winter and summer activities.
To get acquainted with the mountainous surroundings--Whistler sits in a large verdant valley crowned by snow-capped peaks in British Columbia--I decided to get aerial on this visit and see the big panoramic picture.
We flew over the Alpine terrain of ice and rock, glacial
remnants of the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago. The shadow of our plane followed us, silhouetted on the glaring snow below as we climbed toward the razor sharp shoulders of Mount Garibaldi. Along a ridge top were fresh tracks of a mountain goat. We peered into glass-blue fathomless crevasses as we swooped down low over the face of Warren Glacier. This trip is not for the queasy-stomach people. Our pilot soared and
swooped like Sky King.
On land again, I savored a hearty, grounding breakfast at Chef Bernard's Café (which has the best breakfast in town). Now it was time for exercise.
The Mountain Bike Park, right outside the Pan Pacific Lodge where I stayed, has a world cup downhill course. I hired a guide because there are a plethora of trails to choose from and I didn't want to find myself on the equivalent of a black diamond run. Scott suited me up in protective gear (think Michelin Tire Man) and gave me a lesson on weight transference and other handy tips to make sure I didn't fly over the handlebars. Oh, the sacrifices I make for my readers!
Wild Writing Women Magazine | Getaways by Lisa Alpine
There are 25 trails for all different skill levels, a total 200 kilometers of single track. Scott said there are, "lots of trails for high end riders and free riders who like the big jumps." I emphatically told him, "I am not a free rider. No big jumps for me." I was much more
interested in seeing a bear on my downhill run than a bump or a stump to jump.
Some 50 bears make their home on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Michael Allen, black bear researcher and guide for Bear Viewing and Mountain Ecology Tours, filled me in on the details of bear life. He and his compatriots have even planted huckleberry bushes up on the mountain so the bears don't come down to the village and stroll around looking for snacks.
Whistler is designed like a small village and the architecture is so perfect and uniform in a
Tyrolean way I expected Snow White to rollerblade past, followed by Goofy on a mountain bike. The first paved road to Whistler came in 1975 and cars are not allowed in the village. Before that it was just a fishing camp!
Dusty and slightly achy from my mountain bike foray, I craved a massage and a sauna. I limped over to the Westin Resort and Spa, sweated myself silly, and then had a divine Chinese Tui Na massage from Kendra Starr.
Since, after all, I am a travel writer, I wanted to learn as much as possible while here in British Columbia. And indeed, I learned something new at the Bearfoot Bistro. Did you know that Napoleon would only go into battle if his attempt at opening a
bottle of champagne with a saber succeeded without shattering it? News to me.
André Saint-Jacques, the owner and sommelier, told us this. We raptly watched as he demonstrated in his wine cellar. My friends and I followed him down a spiral staircase on the promise of a glass of bubbly. It was dank and dim with dusty bottles from floor to ceiling. André lit a taper and chose a 1929
Clos de Vougeot. He explained Napoleon's method. He simply said, "It's all in the wrist," and ran the saber blade up and down the bottle seam three times and then whack! He thumped the
bottle's neck at an angle with the blade and the top fell off cleanly. Not even a pop. It tasted divine.
This spectacle was followed by an exquisite five-course tasting menu featuring ingredients "from our local farms, wilds and waters." Their bar is also unique, with willowy champagne flutes
arranged on banks of ice, lit from below. Truly classy! André has an artist's eye that extends from the ice bar to the handsome décor in the dining room. Make your reservations way ahead of time
Wild Writing Women Magazine | Getaways by Lisa Alpine
for this delightful dining experience and make sure to ask for a tour of the cellar.
The next morning, fresh air was in order. After finding a village café open at sunrise, I walked the paths through ancient cedar groves up to Lost Lake. A beaver waddled across the path, and then snuffly bear noises emanated from the huckleberry shrubs. I started power walking. Marmots popped up like jack-in-the- boxes from the granite boulders edging the lake. Fish broke the water's calm. A bald eagle wheeled overhead. Once again,
another tough day at the office.
IF YOU GO
All rates are in Canadian dollars.
Where to stay:
My favorite hotel is the Pan Pacific. It is posh but not pricey and located right at the base of the ski runs. Room rates can start as low as CAD $115 for a studio. Special packages offered on their website include a Two-Day / Three-Night Ski Package for CAD $279 a night for:
● Accommodations in a studio valley-view suite (upgrade to a one- or two-bedroom
suite at a surcharge)
● Two adult, two-day Whistler/Blackcomb ski passes
● Breakfast for two daily in the Dubh Linn Gate Restaurant
For other special offers visit www.whistler.panpacific.com or call 800-327 8585.
Whistler's Official Central Reservations offers accommodation packages online at www. hotdealsatwhistler.com
Air and ground transportation:
Air Canada flies direct to Vancouver daily. Visit www.aircanada.com or call 888-247-2262. This can be a no-car vacation. Everything is within walking distance in Whistler and if it isn't, they will pick you up. Busses leave for Whistler from the airport and downtown Vancouver regularly. It is a 75-mile, two-hour drive on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway.
Wild Writing Women Magazine | Getaways by Lisa Alpine
To find out about all your transportation options from Vancouver airport to Whistler, go to www.mywhistler.com/getting_here/trans_sched/providers.asp
Activities and dining:
Whistler Air Services: The 30-minute Majestic Glacier Tour costs CAD $99. Other longer
tours include a dinner and more for CAD $129 and up. Call 888-806-2299 or visit www. whistlerair.ca
Whistler Mountain Bike Park: For bikers 10 years old and up. Bike rental starts at CAD
$30 and guided tours with bike rental and lift passes start at CAD $40. Call 866-218-9690 or visit www.whistler-blackcomb.com/bike
Westin Resort & Avello Spa: A variety of massage treatments range in price from CAD $90-$140. Call 877-935-3444 or visit www.whistlerspa.com
Bearfoot Bistro: Call 604-932-3433 or visit www.bearfootbistro.com
Bear Viewing and Mountain Ecology Tours: Tours cost CAD $169. All tour proceeds
are invested in environmental education. Call 866-218-9690 or visit www.whistler- blackcomb.com/hike/bears.asp
Tourist Information:
For information, planning and reservations, visit www.mywhistler.com or call 1-800- WHISTLER.
Tourism British Columbia invites travelers to order its two free BC Escapes guides, by calling 1-800 HELLO BC (435-5622) or visiting www.HelloBC.com
Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©
Miller to Go: Touring the Lunatic Asylum
Cathleen Miller's Writing: Your Passport to Life
xMiller To Go...
xxxTouring the Lunatic Asylum
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You must respect a government so judicious that it doesn't extract income tax from its writers. Being here in Ireland I get the feeling that their native scribes are indeed their national heroes, much as athletes are in America. And while some of the most famous like George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde have infamously turned their pens on the British, most have spent their entire literary careers trying to make sense of their homeland, the country Shaw referred to as "the world's largest open-air lunatic asylum."
Ha'penny Bridge
Across the Liffey River in Dublin
For a deeper understanding of Eire's authors, nothing can match a visit to the nation that bred them, especially its capital -- wandering the lanes of Dublin, strolling around Merrion Square to see the childhood home of Oscar Wilde, or visiting the stately campus of Trinity College, where for hundreds of years literary giants from Jonathan Swift to Samuel Beckett have attended classes. While at Trinity, you can even see the Book of Kells, a ninth-century work considered the greatest Anglo- Saxon illuminated manuscript ever produced. For bibliophilic bliss, see the college's Long Room in the Old Library, a 200-foot-long chamber containing over 200,000 volumes.
For further literary exploration of the city James Joyce referred to as, "dear dirty dumpling," you can visit the museum devoted to him on Great George's Street. Or tour the sites associated with other Dubliners: at St. Patrick's Cathedral, pay homage at the tomb of the satirist Swift, who was a dean of the church. South of the Liffey River, you can visit the humble birthplace of playwright George Bernard Shaw, one of Ireland's three Noble Laureates.
However, two experiences offer an overall feel for the
literary Dublin: the Dublin Writers Museum and the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl.
Located in a Georgian townhouse on Parnell Square, the Writers Museum takes you through the history of Ireland's dead authors (possible inclusion giving the living ones something to look forward to). The exhibits include letters,
Miller to Go: Touring the Lunatic Asylum
Memorabilia at the Writers Museum
manuscripts, first edition books, portraits and other memorabilia such as Brendan Behan's old typewriter, the one legendarily thrown through the window of a pub in a fit of temper. These artifacts provide a behind-the-scenes look at the artists' lives, such as a letter written by Richard
Brinsley Sheridan pleading with his creditors. Composed two centuries ago, this document proves that some things haven't changed much in the writer's life.
The museum also provides surprising information on
women authors who haven't made it into the commonplace canon of literary studies in America. Maria Egdeworth, born in 1767, is credited with writing the first Irish novel and influencing the work of Sir Walter Scott. Lady Gregory (also known as Augusta Persse) penned 40 plays, and she joined with Yeats to launch the Irish Literary Revival. Together they founded the Abbey Theatre and supported dozens of aspiring writers.
Interestingly enough, there always seems to be a connection between the history of any Irish writer and a pub. This fact is what prompted the creation of the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, a rollicking tour of the city's public houses that have a literary connection -- and that would seem to be most of them. Dramatically presented by two actors, the evening's narrative was like watching a play with a constantly changing set. As we did, you can visit Davy Byrnes pub, familiar to readers of Joyce's Ullyses.
In December we spent more time at another Joyce hangout, McDaids, because the interior has retained its authentic atmosphere.
The Joyce Hangout
The space is odd, with the ceiling seeming taller than the room is long, as if one were drinking in an uprighted shoebox. The soaring arched windows provided an occasional glimpse of humanity
beyond the pub, as Grafton Street shoppers passed by with holiday packages. Inside, the lovely walnut bar festooned with garlands and the miniature Christmas tree made the establishment feel like home -- which it appeared to be for many.
McDaids is one of the oldest pubs in Dublin, an establishment that's seen plenty of writers pony up to the bar in its history,
particularly during the 1940s and 50s when it was the scene of the avant garde Irish literary set. They came for the craic and the inspiration -- it's rumored that McDaids regulars have been the basis for numerous fictional characters. It was also the local of the
Miller to Go: Touring the Lunatic Asylum
rambunctious Brendan Behan, who must have roused some concern entering with his typewriter.
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More information on these Dublin destinations:
http://www.writersmuseum.com/ http://www.dublinpubcrawl.com/
Going to London?
Visiting Dublin via London? Read Miller's review of Daunt Books, "a terrific shop of new and used tomes, located in London's fashionable Marylebone district..." and stay in one of the hotels she reviewed in her column, Literary London.
Wild Writing Women® is a registered trademark of the Wild Writing Women, LLC. Copyright 2003-2008©