Trip to Squamish, BC

My dad is celebrating his birthday this year, so my siblings and I planned a trip to Squamish, BC. Every summer, my dad requests that we go "camping" and have a BBQ. He really wants to grill meat.

Day 1: Shannon Falls and Sea to Sky Gondola

Jomar and I woke up early to prepare for the trip. First, we grabbed breakfast at the nearby Tim Hortons location; when we were finished, my mom called to let me know they were leaving from Richmond to pick us up. So we hurriedly walked back home to change and bring down our stuff.

We stopped by McDonald's in North Vancouver, so they could have breakfast. Then, off we go!

Shannon Falls

We're enjoying our road trip and love the view along the Sea to Sky Highway. After 50 minutes, we found ourselves at the Shannon Falls Provincial Park entrance. We did the 5-minute walk to the base of the falls and attempted to take as many photos as we could before the buses of tourists arrived.

Jomar and I at Shannon Falls

We also stopped by the souvenir shop. I got stickers for my planner and purchased a bucket hat for my mom and a shirt for my dad.

Sea to Sky Gondola

Two minutes from Shannon Falls is the Sea to Sky Gondola. We arrived before 10:30 AM, and there were few cars parked. We took the 8-minute gondola ride to the summit and were rewarded with a fantastic view of Howe Sound and the mountains.

View of Howe Sound from the Sea to Sky Gondola

Views of the mountain from the Sea to Sky Gondola

Views of the mountains inside the gondola

Apparently, my mom, youngest sister, and only brother have a mild fear of heights. They were so tensed on the way up that we all ended up laughing and giggling. It's all good.

At the top, we crossed the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and walked the Spirit Trail (400 meters) and Panorama Trail (1.6 km).

Before crossing the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge

Tripod and camera timer made this picture possible. View from the Spirit Trail

Halfway through the Panorama Trail is the Chief Overlook Viewing Platform. It provided majestic views of the mountains and Howe Sound.

View from the Chief Overlook Viewing Platform

View from the Chief Overlook Viewing Platform

After the trek, we grabbed lunch at the Sky Pilot BBQ. Then, we started our gondola ride going down. 

Lunch with a view!

This time, we stopped in the middle because the winds were quite strong. My mom was panicking. Our gondola was swaying with the wind. Thankfully, we arrived safely down.

Night at an Airbnb

After Sea to Sky Gondola, we drove to the Save-on-Foods in Downtown Squamish to buy cake, candles, chips, soda, and other things we might need for our dinner at the Airbnb.

My sister loves using Airbnb, and the one she rented had a kitchen, living room, three bedrooms, and 2.5 bathrooms. In addition, there's a patio outside with a grill and a firepit.

While my mom and dad took a nap, Jomar, me, my sister, and only brother walked to nearby Fisherman's Park along the Squamish River.

View of Squamish River from Fisherman's Park

Then at around 6:00 PM, my dad started grilling the liempo (pork belly) and hotdogs, which they had bought marinated already. They also have packed cooked chicken adobo and brown rice. We enjoyed our dinner outside. The grilled pork belly was so nostalgic. My siblings and I were reminiscing how we would spend the weekend at our Lolo Tiyo's house and eat this same food.

Happy birthday, Pa!

We set up for a bonfire at around 9:00 PM (dusk) and tried s'mores outside for the first time. It was a lot of fun.

Bonfire and S'mores

Finally, Jomar and I were able to use the astrophotography feature in our Google Pixel 6 Pro camera app.

This picture was taken using the Astrophotography feature of the Google Pixel 6 Pro camera app.

Day 2: Whistler, BC and Alice Lake

I woke up at 5:00 in the morning and quickly took a shower to ensure everybody had enough time in the bathroom.

At 8:00 AM, we left the Airbnb to have breakfast at The Crabapple Cafe, then we started our long drive to Whistler.

Whistler

Our first stop is to pray at the Catholic Church of Whistler (also called the Our Lady of the Mountains).

Catholic Church of Whistler (Our Lady of the Mountains)

Then, we drove to Whistler Village. Jomar and I walked around separately from the family to enjoy time together.

View from Whistler Village

View from the Upper Village

We had ice cream from COWS, purchased slippers from the Whistler Hardware store, and hung out near Fitzsimmons Creek.

Alice Lake Provincial Park

The family was still feeling full from our heavy breakfast, so we decided not to have lunch at Whistler and drove to Alice Lake Provincial Park. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the picnic area. 

View of Alice Lake near the kayak rental place.

View from the first swimming spot.

View from the walking trail.

View from the second swimming spot.

My siblings rented kayaks and had a wonderful time and exercise around the lake. Jomar and I walked the perimeter of the lake and were able to explore different areas. As a result, we now have a better idea of where the "best spot" is located.

Jomar took this photo of me while we were walking around Alice Lake.

Dinner by Squamish River

After having fun at Alice Lake, we returned to the Airbnb so my siblings could change and take a quick shower. Then, we had dinner at The WaterShed grill. They're the only river-side restaurant in Squamish.

Squamish River facing north

Squamish River facing south

Day 3: Going Home

On our last day, I woke up at around 6:00 AM and my sister, brother, and mom were already wide awake. I took a quick shower, and we loaded our things into the car. We left at a quarter before 8 in the morning.

Jomar and I had a breakfast date at White Spot (I didn't even know they serve breakfast!). Then, we drove home.

My brother took this photo of Jomar and me at the parking lot in Downtown Squamish.

We arrived at our apartment an hour before Mass, so we unpacked and rested before walking to church.

Then, we grabbed lunch at a nearby sushi restaurant because I craved sushi. That's the end of our trip.