We had to double-time our drive from Egmont to Langdale once we exited the water taxi from Camp Malibu. It was a drive fraught with construction work and people out for scenic drives, but somehow we made it to the car ferry with time enough to spare.
Once Bessie left the car ferry, we only had a short drive to Whistler. The Sea to Sky highway showed off dazzling snowy peaks rising high above the inlets northeast of Vancouver. It was a beautiful introduction to everything we would see throughout Canada. 
We reached our hotel, located in Whistler Village, for a late lunch. From where we sat, we could watch mountain bikers come down the steep, rutted, dirt-covered ski slopes to the chair lifts, below. 

Although it was getting pretty late in the day, we decided to take the gondola to the top of the mountain where the Olympics were held, and from there to the Peak to Peak gondola, the longest unsupported cable ride in the world. 

Claire, Elizabeth and Peter loved watching the mountain bikers on the way up, and were blown away by the panoramic views of the Canadian Rockies and Whistler, below, and the HEIGHT from which we could see everything. Andrew had a bit of agoraphobia, but the views were truly spectacular. 

Like the seals at Malibu, our children cannot resist swimming, regardless of temperature. With rain coming in and the temperature dropping to 50 degrees, they still insisted on going to the hotel’s outdoor pool. Knowing they needed exercise and play, we obliged. 

The kids worked up a great appetite for dinner and went reluctantly to bed. After a quick repack the next morning and a promise to come back to Whistler for a longer visit, we were on the way to Revelstoke, BC. 

A town known mostly for its skiing, Revelstoke helped us break up the long drive to Banff/Canmore. There, we had the unusual experience of having to ask for directions to the lodge where we were staying. With no cell service in Canada, we relied heavily on free wifi where we could find it, and sometimes it wasn’t easy to come by. 

Revelstoke is a picturesque village, and, once we found it, we were happy to see that the place we stayed was more condominium than hotel, allowing our little tribe some much needed personal space. Some pool time, a meal around a table NOT in a restaurant, and the beautiful views of the Canadian Rockies made Revelstoke a real winner. 

We have eaten in too many restaurants to count on this trip, and while we’ve been fortunate to find mostly healthy options for everyone, sitting among strangers for every meal takes its toll. 

In Nashville, we try to eat almost every dinner together as a family, and while it’s often a challenge for Andrew to make it home in time, he usually does. So, it’s been a little strange to have our normally boisterous kids confined to restaurant booths and coloring on kids menus for every single meal, and for what’s usually a special time for our family to be such a public affair. In Revelstoke, we realized just how much we’d missed the intimacy of family dinner, beyond the familiarity of Towles’ cooking and the comfort of home. 

Given the awesomeness of our accommodation and our overall comfort there, we briefly considered extending our stay in Revelstoke by a day, but once we arrived in Canmore, just east of Banff, we were glad we didn’t. There was so much to explore, and we only had 3 days to do it.