Ringing in the New Year, Whistler style!

So New Year's Eve brought some very welcome blue skies and sunshine! 

We had an amazing drive up the Sea to Sky Highway checking out the awesome views all around us! 

When we arrived at Whistler, there wasn't quite as much snow as the last time we were there but still plenty to make it as beautiful as it always is!

Of course, I was on the hunt for icicles again and I was not disappointed!

We made the trip up with our friends, Nicole and Brandon and their little girl Cambree.  They hail from Arizona and so the -5 temperatures that day took them by surprise!

I like to think we're used to it by now since we've been trying to head up there so often!

When you're in Olympic Plaza, you can't pass up posing in a bobsleigh!

Some more serious looking icicles!

Isn't Whistler just picture perfect?

A quick hot chocolate stop warmed us up a little! 

Cambree was loving the snow!

and as the sun began to set, the mountains started to look even more amazing!

We have had a lot of recommendations to try the burgers at Splitz and so there was really only one option for dinner for us!

It even says it on the sign - home of Whistler's best burger!

We were able to see them hand rolling the patties...

and we also struck gold and found the best milkshakes in B.C! These were seriously amazing, so thick that it was hard to get the milkshake through the straw - just the way I love them! By opted for triple brownie flavour whilst I couldn't pass up on cookies and cream! 

All it took to keep Cambree happy was a jar of salt! no jokes, she loves that stuff!

and the burgers? well I'm going to say they're the best we've had since we've been in Vancouver! So Splitz got the thumbs up all round! It was also fun to be served by a fellow Brit and when we asked where he was from he told us St.Albans! (which is the town next to where I grew up).  He even knew some of the same people I know, what a small world it is!

 

We stumbled across this Maple Syrup Taffy stand! 

Here the little worker is busy smoothing out the pail of crushed ice.

The hot taffy liquid mixture gets poured on the ice and you roll it up...

until it's a maple treat on a stick! Brandon and Nicole were impressed! 

A short while later and Brandon was less than impressed with our ride in the gondola! since he's not too fond of heights! 

We had a little peek at the snow tubing going on! It looked pretty awesome, that is defo on our to do list for our next time there! 

At the time we were there, Nicole was pretty heavily pregnant...and this week this cute little family of 3 turned into a family of 4! 

We headed over to check out the ice skating...

complete with disco ball and everything! 

The last time we ice skated on NYE was at the Natural History Museum in London 3 years ago so we were happy to discover our skating skills were still in tact! 

We caught another Fire and Ice show too...

complete with front flipping snowboarders...

and backflipping skiers! 

and of course no NYE celebration is complete without some fireworks!

Some being the operative word! Whistler's firework display left a little to be desired, especially considering the amazing firework displays we've experienced in London in the past! 

but although they weren't able to let off more than one firework at once, it was certainly a magical experience ringing in the end of 2012 on snowy covered mountains!

It was definitely a night to remember!