Uncle Paul takes us to Whistler

Owen decided to remain on home time and woke up at 330am. After some finessing we were able to get him back to sleep, on me, until 7.  Crisis averted.  I decided to log my first of hopefully many runs this trip by jogging the seawall around Stanley Park (route).  The route from the hotel and around the park offer great views of the Vancouver skyline, Burrard Inlet, Vancouver harbour and English bay.  It was a quiet run seeing very few others on the outer edge of the park. As I didn't actually go in to Stanley Park it'll be nice to head back with the family.

Some pics I took during my run.

Lions Gate bridge

While I was out running Julie decided to let Owen try out the hotel tub.

After getting cleaned up we met up with my uncle Paul who drove in from Langley to spend some time with us.  As neither of us had eaten we grabbed some delicious breakfast at the hotel cafe Giovane.  Some great breakfast sandwiches guaranteed we'll be back.
 
Originally thinking he would take us through Stanley Park, my uncle decided to take us up to Cypress Mountain over in West Vancouver for some great city views.  The slopes were a mix of bare and snow covered but where snow still remained it was a few feet deep.

On the way down the mountain we took a brief trek down the Sea to Sky corridor (highway 99) to catch the stunning scenery.  After a few kilometers we decided to continue on all the way to Whistler.  The drive along was worth it alone as the views are amazing but visiting Whistler was originally on our list and got cut.  So we were thrilled to get a chance to include it on this trip.

Arriving in Whistler we meandered around the shops with the hordes of other tourists and seasonal workers.  The sun was shining and despite all areas of the mountains being closed we still saw many in full snow gear clearly coming down somewhere.  To contrast that sight, mountain bikers were flying down at an alarming pace. With the perfect weather we hit a patio for some drinks and lunch.

Playing in the village.

Owen hanging out with uncle Paul

Owen loves Mommy's enthusiasm

We were glad to spend the day and catch up with uncle Paul as we don't get to see him often enough.  It was especially nice for Owen to meet him.

 Owen napped most of the way back to the hotel which was slightly concerning as we got back around 5pm.  Fortunately he still went back down for the night at 7. We hired a babysitter through a nanny service for the next 3 nights knowing that Owen is such a good sleeper.   Sarah showed up promptly for her tough gig of 'watching tv' until 11.

We caught up with Mike and Colleen and headed over to Gastown for dinner.  Without much research we walked until we found a place that looked busy enough to be a sure bet. Chill Winston was just that place.  We sampled a variety of brews and I stole the last kangaroo steak the place had to offer for the night -- sorry Mike.