Top of the World
Elevation: 2,080m
Words by: Jessica Vliegenthart "The Roll Model"
Photos by: Mary Putnam
Sliding into home base with my third and final post about the great time we had up at Sun Peaks - this time with added children!
Given that our youngest is only 2, and we’ve been home for a year, we really haven’t done much with the kids other than camping. We haven’t been out to restaurants, we haven't done any traveling, we haven’t been visiting places with exciting new things they’ve never seen, so I was pumped to bring them up to Sun Peaks to play tourist (even though we’re regulars every weekend!)
The day started like it normally does, with Child #1 in his lesson and Child #2 having a go on the magic carpet and platter. As you can see from the smiles all around, we love this. Child #1 gets to stretch his wings on the chairlift and Child #2 gets a couple hours with mom and dad to herself!
When Child #2 tuckers out, Jon usually goes for a solo rip or to find Child #1, and she and I play around the village until the lesson is done. We come up with all sorts of games, but saying hello to all the village puppies is always very popular.
This is a pretty normal Saturday for us, so the kids were super pumped when we didn’t pack them up to drive home at the end of the day. Sleeping at Sun Peaks? Oh boy, get ready. We showed them our room at the Sun Peaks Grand and when their excitement had them literally bouncing off the walls (literally, sheesh, sorry neighbour guests) we headed back out for more adventure. First up, skating.
New this year at Sun Peaks is the huge roof over the open air rink. Can you even believe what a crazy nice place it is? Skating is still very much a work in progress for our little fam, but the kids loved the feeling of being on smooth, zamboni-perfect ice (they’ve only ever been on outdoor/pond rinks). And as we showed up around 4pm, the sun was just moving into Golden Hour….it was so so lovely. Definitely bring your skates when you go for a stay as this is a simple, fun activity for the whole family.
After a great skate, we got the kids boots back on and headed back towards the bottom of the lifts where the team from Sun Peaks Stables was waiting for us. As a Certified Horse Girl, I had been looking forward to this ALL weekend. How cool is it that we get picked up a few feet away from where we normally get on the lift? Brace yourself for many horse pictures (sorry not sorryyyyy)
My kids were PUMPED that they were getting to do this. My daughter loved the big horses (and now asks to “Go find the white and black horses?” every time we’re up) and my son was fascinated by the sleigh that can “turn into a car when it hits the road!” Yep, the sleigh has wheels that lower down when a bare road needs to be crossed - just about blew his mind.
The ride was both longer than I expected and super scenic. I was very impressed with the team’s ability to navigate both the path through the main village as well as the narrow forest trails, and we had a lot of fun with the kids looking for lingering Christmas decorations on the balconies of the homes and condos we passed. I very much recommend this as a great, unique way to get a tour of the Village of Sun Peaks. In terms of access, it’s definitely a “bring a pal who can hoist you up” event. The sleigh is high and it’s not a transfer I could make, but I was ok getting a lift as I’m just a wee bit horse obsessed. Can’t stop me from hanging out with them if you tried!
Following the sleigh ride we headed back to The Grand for a quick bite at Mantles in the hotel. No pics of this as I’m sure many parents with two kids under 6 can appreciate. Jon and I were more concerned with getting the kids fed without one (or both) of them completely melting down as it had been a long, fun day outside.
One thing that is super delightful about staying right in the village with small kids is you park your car for the weekend and forget about it. Everything is walkable - no need to deal with carseats! It was really refreshing to be able to go from one thing to the next by just wandering over - no transportation logistics required!
After passing out, we hit the pools and hot tub for the early morning slot (like all other parents of small children) and then while the kids enjoyed their waffles at Mantles, I treated myself to my favourite: a breakfast crepe from Tod Mountain Cafe.
Guys.
Can we talk about this crepe for a minute? It’s a crepe (which, yes please) but then FILLED WITH BREAKFAST THINGS. Ohhhhhh boy. Maybe you’ve had something like this before, but before this year I sure hadn’t, and it’s my new favourite thing. Also, Pro Tip for Covid Times: You can order online ahead and then just wander over, pick them up, and head back to your room to eat! BRILLIANT.
My kids are of the age where playing in deep snow is just as magical as skiing (maybe more), so after breakfast we suited up and just went outside to play. They had a blast climbing “snow mountains”, digging tunnels, playing on the big Sun Peaks chairs and generally running around like the zany littles they are. We had one last surprise in store for them - something that had them vibrating with joy - a stop in at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
All in all, we had a blast with the kiddos. It was a great weekend with so much to do, for all ages AND abilities. We enjoyed ourselves so much we booked a couple more weekends before the season finishes - it’s so close to home, yet also the perfect distance away for our little family. After a weekend outside, we come home tired, happy, and feeling refreshed (and our kids sleep hard - the BEST).
We can’t wait to go back!
Continue reading about The Roll Model's visit.