Situated only 25 minutes North of Whistler, Pemberton is a world apart. It is a quiet valley surrounded by the most magnificent mountains you will ever see. Nestled within lie two challenging, championship golf courses, many quaint B & B’s, and a well serviced town of 3,000 with the purest drinking water on the planet.

Pemberton tourism is not only increasing but is doing so quickly and sensibly. A far cry from when it was named after Joseph Despard Pemberton, a land surveyor of the Hudson Bay Company back in the 1850s. Back then the gold rush was just getting underway as news of discoveries reached San Francisco. Some of the miners followed the route from Vancouver up the Harrison River and Lake and into Lillooet Lake. Seeing the beauty of Pemberton, they settled in the area of Mount Currie.

Here are five very exciting activities waiting for your arrival:

Trail rides. Delight in a slow gait up through the magnificent cedar and pine forest, emerging above the tree-line where you will marvel at the beauty of the gorgeous array of wild flowers. View the wild and magnificent Coast Mountain Range stretching out before you for miles in every direction. Take a breather alongside a pristine mountain lake where your guide provides you with a stick to your gut lunch. Your friendly horse will take you home safely.

Jet-boat rides. The specially designed jet-boats are incredibly stable craft. They are able to carry their passengers safely over the roughest of white water. No propellers to foul, the propulsion system is simply a very high capacity pump which creates a jet of water to push the boat through the water. Excellent for river cruising. Variety is the keyword with Pemberton Adventure ranch river tours. From the fairly quite Green and Lillooet rivers to the gold rusher action of the lower Lillooet rapids there is excitement for every taste.

Mountain snowmobiling in the Whistler area is a whole new deal. First of all the area is unbelievably huge. Mountains rise up to over 8,000 feet. Glaciers can be 1,000 feet thick with an annual snowfall of over 30 feet. And the beauty of it is you have an amazing choice of areas to explore. You could snowmobile for an entire winter and never hit the same area twice. Mountain snowmobiling is such fun. You have the urge to tell anyone who will listen about your fantastic adventure.

Glider Soaring. Imagine yourself seated in the cockpit of this glider as your experienced pilot guides you to within mere feet of the ruggedly spectacular mountains of the coast range. See the ski slopes of Whistler, the fertile Pemberton Valley and the emerald green glacial lakes dotting the landscape. Ride the thermals like the Bald Eagles do as you soar over the majestic mountains and valleys unfolding before your eyes. No engine noise to disturb your thoughts, only the stillness of the scene keeps you in the reality of the moment.

River Rafting Whistler waterways is a lot of great fun. When the snow melts in the mountains and the rivers flow fast it’s time to don the helmets and floatation devices and climb aboard. It’s called rafting or whitewater rafting but it all means that it’s a recreational activity using a rubber raft to navigate a river or lake. No matter how you may try to describe it, it all comes down to a fantastic ride and a lot of Great Fun!

About the author:
Joe and Irma Mac Millan have enjoyed the Whistler Mountain and valley area of British Columbia for many years. They have camped, hiked and skied the mountains and fished and kayaked the rivers and lakes. Their website Whistler-Outdoors.com/ is a must visit for anyone considering a trip to Whistler as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They invite one and all to take a look.

What makes a golf course good may not necessarily mean it is beautiful, but it sure helps to have the perfect location. Play these five courses in Whistler Pemberton and you will be certain you have found Nirvana.

If British Columbia is a golfers Paradise, then Whistler golf clubs will get you to where heaven begins. It is a destination known around the world for its spectacular mountains, unsurpassed skiing, limitless outdoor adventures, charming alpine village and now its golf.

This picturesque valley, surrounded by immense, snow-covered peaks, pristine lakes and glacier-fed streams, is home to five of Canada’s top 100 golf courses. Your Whistler golf vacation will be played on these spectacular courses these gentlemen, Palmer, Nicklaus, Trent Jones Jr., and Robert Cupp have created. Masterpieces in this unequalled setting.

Everyone knows the amazing story of Jack Nicklaus. Apart from his on course accomplishments, his reputation as the worlds best course designer speaks for itself. With over 300 courses built world wide, Nicklaus North at Whistler is a jewel. With snow capped peaks in the distance, clean, clear air to breathe and a setting fit for royalty, Nicklaus North offers forgiving fairways and captivating greens at every turn in this incredible 18 hole layout.

Whistler Golf and Country Club owes its life to The King, Arnold Palmer. Every professional golfer today owes a debt of gratitude to Palmer. His amazing golf game and his ability to raise the financial stakes reflected in million dollar purses, have elevated him to the well deserved title, The King. Incredible views, signature Palmer design and risk/reward fairways and greens. These things aside, it is the friendly attitude that surrounds you, from the cart boy to the starter to the servers at the bar, you’ll quickly notice that Whistler Golf and Country Club is truly different.

Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club. Is this pairing class, or what? Links Magazine calls it “mountain golf at it’s finest”. It has been rated four and a half stars by Golf Digest. Opened in 1993 the championship par 72, 18 hole layout shows Mr. Jones skill as a course designer to be exemplary as he allowed nature to dictate the path without any commercial influences. Creeks, lakes, granite outcrops and huge Douglas firs all come into play. With elevation changes of four hundred feet, and the most magnificent scenery known to man, your score will be long forgotten before the memory of this scenic beauty fades from memory.

Pemberton’s Big Sky Golf and Country Club is awe inspiring. Bob Cupp was chosen to build it. Who is he, you may ask? Well, he was senior designer for Jack Nicklaus for fifteen years before setting out on his own. In designing Big Sky, he incorporated an emerald green river, seven lakes and rollicking creeks into one fascinating course. Pemberton Valley will add strokes to your handicap with it’s stupendous backdrop of snow capped mountains. It will be hard for you to stay focused while navigating this beauty.

Pemberton Valley Golf and Country Club. This semi private course may look like a push over but don’t be fooled. Like Big Sky, it’s tough to keep your mind on the game with the scenery coming into play on every turn, let alone hole. Sixty four hundred yards from the blue’s it is a great challenge. The bent grass greens are beautiful. The locals call the front nine, The Warm Up. The back nine, with it’s narrow fairways and target golf requirement will have you shaking your head as it is tougher than it looks.

About the author:
Joe and Irma Mac Millan have enjoyed the Whistler Mountain and valley area of British Columbia for many years. They have camped, hiked and skied the mountains and fished and kayaked the rivers and lakes. Their website http://www.whistler-outdoors.com/ is a must visit for anyone considering a trip to Whistler as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They invite one and all to take a look.