Hotel Hopping At Whistler

Before driving down to Squamish, we check out of the Westin and move next door to the Hilton Whistler. A pleasant surprise: Our room is already ready and it turns out to be a double-upgrade. No, it's not a suite but it's a lovely room up on the seventh floor.

We enjoy good views from the balcony, including a nearly full moon on an unexpectedly clear evening closing in on the longest day of the year.

We decide to splurge and go out for dinner tonight. There are a lot of choices as we wander through Whistler Village, including some that we know are ridiculously expensive. Somebody recommends the 21 Steps, so we decide to give it a try.

Their menu features quite a range of dishes and two ongoing special offers. One can choose three "small plates" from the left side of the menu for a prix fixe of $25. An alternative choice is one "small plate" from the left side of the menu, one "large plate" from the right side, and one dessert from the dessert menu for $35. We go all out. Kathy chooses steamed mussels in a Thai sauce while Brian goes for scallops with masala. We both choose the baby back ribs as our "large plate." Then the dessert menu - oh my... Kathy goes for a blueberry crumble and Brian settles on a large Brownie, both topped with ice cream. Kathy can hardly eat more than a bite before pronouncing herself full. Brian manfully struggles on before surrendering. Even dessert is left to still feed two people.

The atmosphere is very Whistler-like, once you literally walk up the 21 steps to enter the restaurant, the service is professional, and, most important, the food was first rate. It's only after we return to our room that we find that both Trip Advisor and the New York Times / Frommers, among others, concur.

Not that our stomachs needed any reassurance. An expensive meal by our standards, but good value, and the end of a good day.