NoNames Xmas Vacation (A Little Bit Of Everywhere)

[NoName]

How did NoName Jnr find his ski lessons? Has he taken to skiing? We bought MasterC's ski gear from Aldi. Very good value and was fine for our skiing at Park City and Vail.

He loved skiing. Picked it up not too bad, able to do the basics and go down some of the easier trails. Looking forward to going again so he can improve some more.

 

[NoName]

Day 27





Woke up feeling much better than I had the afternoon before. Was still a bit sore but nothing like I had expected. I was ready for day 2 of skiing. Dropped NoName Jnr at his lesson and took off up the gondola. Blackcomb Mountain today. Not a whole lot to say other than I had a great day skiing around by myself seeing as much as I could. Spent the morning up on Blackcomb.

Up the Catskinner Express:

7th Heaven – an appropriate name!

Around lunch time I took a ride on the Peak-2-Peak gondola across to Whistler. This is a tourist attraction in its own right being one of the longest span gondolas in the world, it travels between the two mountains.

 

[NoName]

Day 27 - Continued…….






After another overpriced burger I skied over to a section of the mountain I hadn’t seen yesterday.

While all this was going on Mrs NoName had enjoyed a massage at the spa at the Pan Pacific Hotel. No photos but she did indicate that she was happy with her tine here. Massage was good and she would recommend. I spent the rest of the afternoon skiing around before making my way back down to the village. Repeated the routine of yesterday with a dip in the hotel hot tub and then got ready for dinner. Tonight’s venue was Ohyama Ramen. Met our friends again and made the short walk over. This was just your standard Japanese/ramen restaurant. A spicy ramen each for Mrs NoName & I, chicken katsu curry for NoName Jnr and some gyoza to share.



Overall we were satisfied with the meal. It wasn’t anything spectacular but it was nice enough and filled us up. We finished up and walked back through the village to the hotel. In to bed, ready for the next day.

 

[NoName]

Day 28





Woke up feeling even better than yesterday which was quite the surprised. It appears that the body was handling it better at the days went on. Breakfast in our room again, followed by the ski school drop off and then I was off again. Back up Whistler this time as I wanted to tick off my goal for the week which was to ski from Whistler Peak to the Creekside Village which is the longest trail on either mountain at several kilometres long. Made my way up to the top of the gondola, then skied over and onto the Peak Express to go to the top.




The top!

I took off down the Peak To Creek trail, wow it is steep!

Got down the upper section and found that the lower tail was still closed so took a detour on a couple of other trails to the bottom.





Eventually the Creekside Village was in sight!

 

[NoName]

Day 28 - Continued…….





And then I was down! I had made it! Grabbed a drink of water at the base and then I was on the lifts back to the top. Grabbed another overpriced burger for lunch then skied around for a while longer enjoying more of the beautiful mountain.

Headed back down the mountain a little early to see how NoName Jnr was going. Managed to find him in the kids ski school area doing well.

Then down to the village to catch up with some other friends for a beer. Went to Garibaldi Lift Co which is a popular apres spot above the Whistler Gondola station in the village. Enjoyed some nibbles and beers which was nice. No photos unfortunately but it is a nice spot and would definitely come back again next time.

Collected NoName Jnr from his lesson then went back to the hotel for the usual swim and spa before dinner. Our friends had returned to Seattle so we were on our own tonight. Just went to The Old Spaghetti Factory which is located in the same building as our hotel. Its just a standard chain restaurant specialising in Italian food. While it was nice and convenient thats probably where the positive ended. Food was pretty average. Bland would be a good description. Their menu was a bit confusing (to us at least) but in the end we worked out that everyone gets an entrée, dessert and drink with their meal. Honestly, all I can remember about this meal was that we had garlic bread, ice cream for dessert and I had spaghetti & meatballs for my main. It was that unmemorable. The price was reasonable though I will give them that and as a family venue its not bad. YMMV

Stomachs were full by the end and we then called it a night. Last day of skiing tomorrow and we were keen to make the most of it.

 

[NoName]

Day 29





Woke up to find that the weather had turned and the beautiful skies of the last few days had been replaced with clouds and a mild snow storm. It wasn’t going to be the most pleasant day but it was our last day skiing so we were going to go up anyway. NoName Jnr had finished his lessons and was keen to come with me today. He’d actually been bugging me the last couple of weeks saying he didn’t want lessons and just wanted to ski with me. Not sure how he thought that would work given he had never done it before.

After we had our usual in-room breakfast we got ready and ventured out. Up to the gondola mid-station to the learner slopes where he had had his lessons. We went up the magic carpets and chairlift there so he could show me what he could do. He managed these trails pretty well.

After this he was keen to go to the top of the gondola so we took off up there before trying another green trail together. He was ok but I think the combination of slightly steeper runs and the poor snow conditions due to the weather made it harder for him. He fell over a lot although seemed to still be having fun. Eventually we got to the bottom of one of the lifts, grabbed a hot chocolate and then came back up to meet Mrs NoName for lunch.

Mrs NoName had come up on a sightseeing pass. Not a great day for it unfortunately but she still enjoyed herself. After yet another expensive burger we all went outside and hopped on the Peak 2 Peak gondola over to Blackcomb.





Once we got there Mrs NoName continued down the Blackcomb gondola to the base where she would wait for us. We were going to ski down together one last time. It was a long trail down, took us maybe an hour but we got there and NoName Jnr seemed to have more success over here as well which was nice.

Finally we arrived back down to the village where we met Mrs NoName. The two of them went off back to the room while I ducked back up to the top of Blackcomb for one last ride down. An hour later and I was down again having thoroughly enjoyed it. Enjoyed the whole four days on the mountain actually and can’t wait to do more.

 

[NoName]

Day 29 - Continued……..




Hot tub again, brief rest then out for dinner. Tonight we were off to The Keg Steakhouse + Bar. This was a nice place to eat for our last night in Whistler. Not cheap but not hugely expensive either, food was enjoyable, service excellent.



Prime rib for Mrs NoName - this was excellent!



Ribs for me. These were also very good but have to say I was jealous of the steak.



Once done we were off for a final evening stroll through the village. Popped in to Rocky Mountain Chocolate for an ice cream on the way back to the room. Yes, even in sub-zero temperatures it is still ice cream time!





Went for a bit more of a walk in the village to digest the food. Found a nice bookstore which took everyone’s interest.




Soon after we were back in the room and into bed. Sad to be leaving tomorrow but satisfied that we had had a great time.

 

[craven morehead]

Day 29





Woke up to find that the weather had turned and the beautiful skies of the last few days had been replaced with clouds and a mild snow storm. It wasn’t going to be the most pleasant day but it was our last day skiing so we were going to go up anyway. NoName Jnr had finished his lessons and was keen to come with me today. He’d actually been bugging me the last couple of weeks saying he didn’t want lessons and just wanted to ski with me. Not sure how he thought that would work given he had never done it before.

After we had our usual in-room breakfast we got ready and ventured out. Up to the gondola mid-station to the learner slopes where he had had his lessons. We went up the magic carpets and chairlift there so he could show me what he could do. He managed these trails pretty well.

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After this he was keen to go to the top of the gondola so we took off up there before trying another green trail together. He was ok but I think the combination of slightly steeper runs and the poor snow conditions due to the weather made it harder for him. He fell over a lot although seemed to still be having fun. Eventually we got to the bottom of one of the lifts, grabbed a hot chocolate and then came back up to meet Mrs NoName for lunch.

Mrs NoName had come up on a sightseeing pass. Not a great day for it unfortunately but she still enjoyed herself. After yet another expensive burger we all went outside and hopped on the Peak 2 Peak gondola over to Blackcomb.

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Once we got there Mrs NoName continued down the Blackcomb gondola to the base where she would wait for us. We were going to ski down together one last time. It was a long trail down, took us maybe an hour but we got there and NoName Jnr seemed to have more success over here as well which was nice.

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Finally we arrived back down to the village where we met Mrs NoName. The two of them went off back to the room while I ducked back up to the top of Blackcomb for one last ride down. An hour later and I was down again having thoroughly enjoyed it. Enjoyed the whole four days on the mountain actually and can’t wait to do more.

What a fantastic opportunity to spend some quality time with your lad bloody awesome!

 

[NoName]

Day 30





Our final morning in Whistler was spent packing up, checking out and then going for a final walk around the village taking in what had been an amazing location! Weather was similar to the day before so somewhat happy not to be going up the mountain.



Went over to the same ramen place at the other night for an early lunch. Basically the same experience – enjoyable, food not too bad.

Then the time came to leave. Grabbed our luggage from the hotel and made the short walk back to the bus pickup spot. Loaded it in underneath and boarded for the 2hr ride back to Vancouver.

So the Whistler verdict – amazing! I had wanted to visit and ski here for more than 25 years and when it finally happened it was even better than I had imagine. The place has everything for skiers and non-skiers alike. We are already planning a return trip for the same time in 2025 and cant wait. Thoroughly recommend!

An uneventful couple of hours and we were unloading from the bus in Vancouver at the same spot we got on 6 days earlier. Not staying at the Hyatt this time though. I had chosen the Fairmont which was only two blocks away so a nice easy walk. A Fairmont Room w/Two Queen Beds came to C$555 for 2 nights which was pretty good compared to surrounding hotels. The hotel was pretty good, great location, excellent service, friendly staff, big rooms, however I’d say they (our room anyway) could do with a refresh. That didn’t matter though, we were satisfied with what we got and where we were as a base for 36 hours of tourist time.

Lobby area was elegant:




Checking out the view:




Once we were settled in we got changed and headed back out. We were off to meet another one of Mrs NoName’s friends for dinner. Took a walk down Robson St in the opposite direction to last week and eventually reached Dinesty Dumpling House which offers chinese cuisine (surprise surprise). Her friend had chosen this place and like last time, his recommendation was spot on. We ordered several different dished to share – dumplings, pork buns, chicken etc etc– and they were all pretty good. After having had several bad Asian food experiences in Canada it was nice to get something at the other end of the spectrum. Mrs NoName’s friend jumped up and grabbed the bill so can’t provide any guide to the cost however their menu is also on the link above.



Once done we went for a drive to see some of the city. Also stopped for ice cream nearby which was a hit with NoName Jnr before going for a walk around the area with them.



The view from Stanley Park





The time began to get away so we decided to call it a night. We had plans to meet up again the next night which was nice of them to do. Got back to the hotel and quickly into bed.

 

[NoName]

Day 31





Woke up early and NoName Jnr was keen to head straight down to the concierge desk. When we checked in he had been given a card with about 10 different tasks to complete – have a good sleep, go through the revolving door, find the big mailbox etc. He had taken this on with a keenness not often seen and had quite quickly completed the all. His good night sleep was the last to tick off and so when he woke we had to immediately go down to claim his reward.

Got down there and the man at the desk had a good look at his card before stamping it complete. The reward – a choice of chocolate bar from a box. He was thrilled!




Gave the arteries another workout and had more maccas for breakfast before heading off on our adventures for the day. Walked through the city towards the Burrand St Bridge where we hopped on the ferry to Granville Island. Ferry ws a short hop across the river and cost a few dollars each.




Google maps describes Granville Island as an artistic hub with a vibrant market and this would be an accurate description. Started off having a look through the public market and their various stalls offering meats, seafood, cheese, flowers etc. Enjoyed this and would have loved to have been in a position to buy some of the produce.

 

[NoName]

Day 31 - Continued…….




Continued walking around the island enjoying the morning. There were lots of other shops offering an array of eclectic wares.







Managed to find the Kids Market which was enjoyable for NoName Jnr.

 

[NoName]

Day 31 - Continued…….




Back on the ferry to where we had come from and then we continued the walk along the shoreline to English Bay. The views (and weather) were beautiful.






One of the many Inukshuk statues found around this part of the world:




Our walk continued up through the streets back in the direction of our hotel.





Eventually we reached Tendon Kohaku which is a Japanese restaurant specialising in tempura and had been recommended to us by some people we met in Banff. It was a latish lunch so we were ready to eat. Grabbed a table and got to ordering and the eating. Food came as a kind of set menu with different types of tempura served with a choice of rice or noodles and other additional options. This was pretty good and reasonably priced we thought so ended up leaving satisfied.

 

[NoName]

Day 31 - Continued………




Back to the hotel where we went for a quick swim. Rested for an hour or so before we headed down to be picked up by Mrs NoName’s friends again. They were taking us for dinner and to show us around some more. Dinner was at Shiok Singapore Cuisine which is a Singaporean restaurant run by an immigrant couple. They offered many dishes that you would typically find if you were in Singapore and I have to say they were quite authentic. I think having actual Singaporean’s sourcing the ingredients and preparing the dishes helps. Between us we had Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rice and Laksa with everyone being pretty happy.



Once done we jumped back in the car and went for one last bit of sightseeing. Stopped at Gastown for a walk around.



Gastown Steam Clock:

When that was done it was time to say goodbye to our friends and call it a night. They very kindly dropped us back at the hotel which was appreciated. Upstairs to pack everything up ready to go the next morning and then into bed.

 

[NoName]

Day 32





We were up and checking out pretty early as we wanted to get down to the bus station with plenty of time for our ride to Seattle. I had booked through Amtrak initially wanting to take the train but the train times didn’t suit so we ended up on a bus leaving Pacific Central Station at 9am. Cost for the 3 of us was C$85 which I thought was a good price. We were able to get a taxi quicky thanks to the hotel doorman and then 10 minutes later we were at the station. Walked in, found a seat and waited for our bus to be called.




About 8:45am it was called and we all went outside to show documents and board. We were off on time for what would prove to be a very uneventful ride. Got to the US border where we went through the routine of marching into the immigration building, having passports/visas checked and the luggage scanned. Mrs NoName was worried that we might be delayed again after the NYC incident but no such problems. We were through fairly quicky and back onto the bus. On we went and then around 4 hours after we left Vancouver we were pulling in to King St Station in Seattle.




Hopped in to one of the taxis sitting outside the station for the 20 minute ride to Mrs NoName’s friends place. This was the same friends who drove up to Whistler and they were kind enough to offer their spare room for the last couple of nights of our trip. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing until they got home and continued socialising with them for the rest of the evening. Enjoyed our first home cooked meal for a while, had a few drinks and then hit the hay.

 

[NoName]

Day 33






Our only full day in Seattle and as it was a public holiday we were being joined by our friends for a visit to the Museum Of Flight. I’m sure many on this forum have been here before and loved it. We had similar thoughts. Interesting place with various different exhibits from military aircraft to space travel to civilian plane. It was a great day out with plenty to look at to keep us interested. US$26 each for the adults + US$18 for the children although we did get a small with out friends AAA membership.

We took a pretty slow pace around and ended up being there most of the day.

 

[NoName]

Day 33 - Continued………





Highlight definitely the aviation pavilion with the various different planes on display.



Air Force One





The first 747!





We all really enjoyed the museum. Our friends had been meaning to come for quite a while but in the two years they have been in Seattle had yet to make it. So nice to be able to help them get out there! Once we were done it was back to their place for another home cooked meal and a few drinks.




Hard to beat home cooked!



It was our last night in Seattle and also the last night of the trip so a little sadness there. We did most of the packing before getting some sleep. Big day of travelling tomorrow.

 

[NoName]

Day 34





Awoke for our last morning away and finished the last of the packing. Got changed, had some breakfast before hopping in the car to SEA. We were very kindly offered a lift which we happily accepted. Half an hour later we were pulling up at the terminal. We said our goodbyes and headed inside to check our bags. Asked if they could check our bags all the way through to BNE but as we were on two separate itineraries the answer was no. All good. Once done there we were through security and airside. We had plenty of time until boarding so had a look around the terminal, grabbed an iced coffee, visited a record store etc. Nothing exciting, just mindless time passing really. Eventually we made our way to the gate in time for boarding.

This flight was booked quite late in the piece in early August, which I suppose, being 5 months out is pretty early for non-award travelling non-members of this forum. Anyway, it was booked after we finalised having Seattle on the itinerary and we needed a way to get back to LAX for the flight home. I was originally just going to book Y given its only a 2.5hr flight but then I realised there would be an additional checked bag fee at the airport. The >US$100 cost of checking 3 bags tipped it for me and so we booked F which included free checked bags. Total cost was 27,600 QFF points plus approx US$6 per PAX.



SEA-LAX
AA3121
ERJ175
1A, 1D, 1F



Boarded with the rest of group 1 and quickly took our seats at the front of the bus. The F configure was 1-2 so the lucky person in 1A (Me ) had no one next to them. Offered a pre-departure beverage choice of water of orange juice. Went for the water.

Plenty of legroom here and it was nice to be able to stretch out.



Up and on our way to LAX pretty much on time. F cabin service started pretty quickly with drinks to begin. Went for a bourbon and coke which was quickly brought out. The others just went for something lighter – coke and juice. Next came the meal which I have to say was more than I had expected to be served. Was given this box with a few different options – chicken, peas, watermelon and a chocolate energy bar. The chicken in particular was very nice and I was more than happy to help NoName Jnr finish his serving as well.




The flight continued pleasantly. Rubbish cleared and offered another drink which I said yes to. Was actually offered another throughout the flight and I would have had 3 or 4 of them. Again, better service than I had expected. Eventually we made our descent in to LAX and before too long we were touching down.

All up a great flight. I know domestic US crews can get bad reviews and my prior experiences would have agreed with that. However credit where its due, this crew was excellent. They were efficient, attentive and proactive. Really good.

We were parked at regional terminal so needed to take the shuttle bus back to T5. Added some extra time but since we had plenty of time to spare it wasn’t an issue. Hopped off and went to collect the bags which appeared pretty quicky, then made the landside walk around to Tom Bradley hoping that we would be able to drop the bags right away. Well, we got to the QF desks at 4:30pm(told you we had plenty of time to spare) right as early check in was closing. Bummer! Told that regular check in would open at 5pm so not a big deal. It did seem odd that the check in desks would close for only 30 minutes. Why not just keep them open?

Anyway, the time passed pretty quickly and as we were first in the J queue, once reopened we were quickly taken care of. Back to the transit security entrance downstairs to avoid the lineup at regular security. Staff initially didn’t want to let us through for some reason but relented when I said we were going to a lounge in T4. Quickly through and we were on our way.

 

[NoName]

Day 34 – Continued…………






Through the corridors of the terminal connector and a few minutes later we were at the entrance to the AA Flagship lounge in T4. Stop 1 on our lounging journey this evening.



Piper Heidsieck station at the entrance was a nice way to start.



We grabbed a seat then had something to eat and drink. A couple more bourbons for me and a champagne or two for Mrs NoName as well as couple of plates from the self serve buffet. Options were plentiful. Had some bbq chicken which hit the spot.









I’ve visited this lounge a few times now and other than the first time in 2016 which was prior to a renovation, I have been pretty impressed. It’s a reasonable size, plenty of seating options, nice décor and the food options seem to be pretty good. I was happy to spend some time here and I would be happy to do so again.

 

[NoName]

Day 34 – Continued………..





Having spent a couple of hours here the time came for us to move closer to our gate back at Tom Bradley. Being right next door though I thought it would be remiss of me not to pop in to the T4 Admirals Club and report back. Didn’t think much of it to be honest. Seemed a smaller place with fairly limited food options on offer. I also couldn’t see any self service drinks, just a staffed bar which in my previous experiences has meant an expected tip. Options at the bar did look ok though.





With that out of the way we made the walk back through the terminal connector and towards the QF J Lounge. Arrived at the entrance to a warm welcome. Pretty crowded here as you would expect with several QF and One World flights departing at night.



Repeated the routine of the previous lounge by finding a seat and having something to eat. Again, some nice food options here.





At some point I decided to have a couple of drinks at the bar. I like this setup. Took a seat and had a couple more bourbons over the next hour.





Really enjoy this lounge. Again, have been here a few times now and always been impressed. Nice and large with plenty of different spaces for relaxation and work if you need to. Good food options and the bar is a real winner for me. Looking forward to the next visit.

 

[NoName]

Day 34 – Continued……….





The time eventually came to leave so we took off downstairs to join the masses.



Wow! Lots of people at the gate and resembled a bit of chaos it has to be said. Seemed like there were lines everywhere with people not entirely knowing where to go. We entered a line which looked far too long to be for J but it turned out to be correct. This was the first flight booked over 11 months ago when we were still hoping the trip would finally go ahead. Mother NoName, who is WP, had called up for us to try to have some seats released and thankfully she was successful. 3xJ LAX-SYD-BNE for 108,400pts + $309 per PAX.



LAX-SYD
QF12
A380
24A, 24E, 25A



The boarding call came and on we went. Found our seats and quickly settled in.



Felt like home already!



Grabbed a champagne PDB and enquired about a set of PJs. Got an apologetic look and was told a story about only enough for the outbound from SYD being loaded so they didn’t have any. Annoying since we had packed our sets from EK earlier in the trip in the checked luggage with the expectation of receiving them on board tonight. This annoyance became even greater when taking a trip to the bathroom and noticing that everyone in the front J cabin had been given them. The story we were told indicated there weren’t PJs for ANYONE. Why the lie from the cabin crew about there being none? Why not tell the truth that due to not loading enough they have run out? Or better still, given there were so few, why not just not give them to anyone instead of a small portion of the PAX?

Anyway, we were soon up in the air and officially on the way home.

Meal service was underway fairly quickly after we got in the air. Menu below, appear to have missed the wine list though sorry:




I went for the steak which was pretty good. Cooked nicely with plenty of sauce. Added a glass of red because why not?



Mrs NoName, being the steak fan that she is had the same and was also happy with it. NoName Jnr gave the food as miss as he’d had enough in the lounges.

We both had the cheese to finish and it was pretty standard. Not bad but certainly nothing like what we had on EK a few weeks earlier.

It was close to midnight LA time so definitely time for some sleep. For NoName Jnr anyway. We had his bed made up and he was pretty quick to go out.



Watched a movie of some sort, forgotten all details of it by now though so can’t have been too good. Then it was my turn to get some sleep. Nodded off for several hours before being woken by NoName Jnr. He gets travel sickness sometimes and this was one of those times. Spent a few hours with him making sure he was ok, wandered up to the lounge at the front. Nice refresh but still seems like a bit of a wasted space. Obviously not going to be used much on an overnight flight like this but does anyone even go here during the day? Anyway, we sat there for maybe an hour before going back to our seats.

Breakfast rolled around so of course we ate. Standard bacon and eggs for me, fruit & yogurt with a tea and apple juice to wash it down. Not bad.



Again, Mrs NoName went for more or less the same. Think she may have added a croissant as well. Similar reviews to me.

Soon enough we were ready for descent and not long after we were touching down in SYD. It was good to be back on home soil!