The View From The Hotel

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8 Days to Go!: The View

One thing I've kinda started to think about recently is what our rooms are going to be like at the YWCA. In particular, there is about a 50/50 chance that we're going to have a killer view of BC Place. It'll depend on what side of the building we get placed on, and if we're up high enough to clear adjacent buildings. If we're lucky, this is what the view is like from the 11th Floor:

How cool would it be to get that view of the main stadium of an Olympic Games? Here's hoping anyways!

We also finally off-loaded our last tickets yesterday. We had to move them for slightly below face value, given that they were for the Women's Switzerland-Slovakia game, but overall I'm pretty sure we've come out ahead a little. We've definitely at least broken even...and I suppose that's all you can ask for!

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More Olympic Gear!

Christmas has come and gone and left Scott and I with a bunch of Olympic gear!!

Scott received: a Canada scarf, a CTV "Believe" Shirt

I received: a Canada scarf, a Canada toque, a zip up Vancouver jacket, an Olympic Bear, a Figure Skate keychain and best of all, my parents gave me the funds for the flights and the train tickets! (thank you Mom and Dad!)

I look a little excited, don't I? :) This picture was taken with Scott's new camera for the games, we're testing it out beforehand to learn the settings.

In other Olympic news, Scott was sent an email from our hotel in Whistler today! Within this email, there's information about where to go while we're there and what to do, it's really interesting and getting us hyped up!

So exciting! I can't wait!! :)

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National Post: How to go to the Vancouver Olympics for $999

So today in the National Post, there is a story on how to goto the Olympics on a budget. I think its pretty funny, becaue its almost exactly the way we're doing things for Jen and Beth.

Included in their recommendations are:

• Flying into Seattle from Buffalo or Detriot
• Then travelling via public transport to Vancouver
• Staying at a hostel

Pretty neat to know that we're apparently just a step ahead of the press, and that we're doing things 'right'. HA!

Anyways, check out the National Post article here...

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One Year Anniversary

Hard to believe that its been an entire year since I first started blogging our trip.  When we first started talking about doing this trip last summer, February 2010 seemed forever away.

Now the Opening Ceremonies are less than 3 months away. I'm so pumped.

Over the last year, we've accomplished alot. With that in mind, allow me to take you down memory road, and look back on the year that was.

_________________________________________________________________________

November '08
Blog Opening
Sumbittal of Phase I ticket Requests

December '08
First Credit Card Charges
Phase I Tickets Lottery Results
Phase I Exclusive Access Period

January '09
Sorted Out Phase I Money


February '09
VANOC Modifies Olympic Hockey Schedule
One Year to the Games

March '09
Booked the YWCA Hotel


April '09
Booked Our Flights
Added CAN-SWE Women's Hockey Game


May '09
Prepped for Phase II


June '09
Phase II Ticket Sales
Ticket Designs and Official Poster Unveiled


July '09
Curling Draw Announced
Purchased Official Poster



August '09
Team Canada Olympic Orientation Camp


September '09
Visited SLC while on work trip
Got Hockey Jersey/Other Gear for Birthday

October '09
Beth and Jen added to Trip
Olympic Flame Lit in Greece
Seat Assignment Results
Medals Unveiled
Official Olympic Cloting Line Unveiled

November '09
Booked Flights/Hotels for Jen and Beth
Phase III Tickets
Coal Harbour Olympic Rings Unveiled
100 Days to Go Mark
'Road to the Roar' Trials
Booked Aava Hotel in Whistler
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As you can see, both by the above list and the number of posts for November, this blog has gotten alot more active over the last six weeks or so. I expect that trend to only intensify as we keep getting closer-and-closer to the games.

76 More Days.....

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Whistler Mountain - Aava Hotel

I know I literally JUST posted about Whistler, but Scott and I were watching a video on the CTV website about the Olympics coming to Whistler and guess what... the hotel we are staying at is featured in the video! What's super neat is that this video is from today and the manager actually says "we only have 4 rooms left during the Olympics". Well now he can make that 3 since we booked there TODAY! So strange!!

Here's that video, it does have some hotel room shots in it!!:

CTV Whistler Mountain Video

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Whistler in 20 Pictures or Less

Now that Scott has booked our hotel in Whistler (yeay!) it's official and I can be excited about it! So while I was at work, "working", I got looking around the internets and came across many beautiful pictures of Whistler! So many in fact, that Scott said the only way I was allowed to post all of them in the blog was if he could make them into a slideshow. Ahem...

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Whistler Here We Come!

I don’t know how we keep doing it, but we keep lucking out.

The latest episode…finding a hotel in Whistler for one night, and at a reasonable price. This late in the game, it’s a miracle to find ANY availability, let alone what we were able to turn up.

Via Travelocity, I was able to get us one night at the Aava Whistler Hotel for the somewhat reasonable price of $260 + tax. That’s still a lot, but considering I was only able to find 2 other rooms, and they were $550 and $650 respectively…I’ll take it and run!

Now it’s 100% that we will be going up on the 23rd, see the bobsled, have a few drinks, stay over, before snowboarding/skiing on the 24th! I can’t wait to just get into Whistler at all, let alone have a chance to get up on the mountain and see bobsled. Just another one of the million things that I’m looking forward to!

Beth says this picture gives her the tinglys!

The best part about this hotel find is that its right in the middle of everything….just like the YWCA is in Vancouver.

Whistler has 6 different Live! Sites going on during the games. Activities are as follows:

Village Common
• Whistler Live! studio headquarters
• Interviews & commentary
• Digital media arts
• 360-degree viewable studio

Skiers Plaza
• CTV sport broadcast
• Nightly Fire & Ice
• DJs
• Street performers
• Mountain canvas art show

Mountain Square
• CTV sport broadcast studio
• 22 hours/day

Village Square
• CTV sport broadcast
• Live music
• Digital arts
• Street performers

Town Plaza
• CTV sport broadcast
• Live music
• Digital arts
• Street performers

Whistler Medals Plaza
• Nightly Victory Ceremonies including national & international headlining concerts
• Paralympic Closing Ceremonies

Mapped out below, you can see how close we are to the action:

View Whistler 2010 in a larger map

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Beth and Jen - More Flights, More Trains, More Hotels

So….I remember a magical time……one of unicorns and lollipops and cotton candy clouds….a land where I had already sorted out all the flights and hotels and transportation and tickets for this trip……oh, it was ever so grand…

Well the dream died last night…. Thanks a lot Jen and Beth! Jerks….the both of you….

With Jen having officially gotten the time off work, it was time to start booking things for her and Beth!

In order to keep things cost efficient, Jen and Beth are going to be doing the ‘roundabout’ Buffalo-->Seattlle-->Vancouver route. It certainly takes longer than flying direct from Toronto to Vancouver, but it’s also a whole heck of a lot less expensive.

Anyways, here are the details….

Coming In
Saturday, February 20th
Fly from Buffalo to Seattle, via Chicago
Depart 4:05 PM, Arrive 9:48
Spend the night in Seattle

Sunday, Feburary 21st
Take the train from Seattle to Vancouver
Depart 7:40 AM, Arrive 11:40 AM

Going Home
Sunday, February 28th
Take the train from Vancouver to Seattle
Depart 7:45 PM, Arrive 12:10 AM

Monday, March 1st
Fly from Seattle to Buffalo, via Philidelphia
Depart 8:45 AM, Arrive 9:43 PM

All told, we were able to get them there and back for about $450…which is a little less than half of what Pam and I are paying to fly direct….so there are significant savings. We still have more details to work out, like 100% if they are going to stay at the YWCA, a hotel for Seattle, and more tickets….but all in good time….

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Welcome Aboard!

It’s been in the works for a little while now, as you can see from Beth’s posts….but I’d like to give an ‘official’ welcome to Beth and Jen on our little trip!

They’ll be coming out starting the 21st, and staying through the end of the games more or less. Tickets and flights are still to be sorted out, as is really lodging…but we’ll find a way…

I’m also glad to actually have other posters on the blog as well…makes my nerdiness somewhat less apparent when I’m not the only one…

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Google Streetview

So Google Streetview has finally come to Canada. As useful as this is in everyday life/work, one of the things I've been using it for the most is taking a bit of a virtual tour of Vancouver. Below are some of the more relevant items in regards to our trip:

Our Hotel

Here is our Hotel at 733 Beatty Street. During the games, Beatty St. will be a closed off pedestrian area for most of the day. Not sure what they'll be filling the street with instead of cars, but I'm sure its going to be a lively area. On the Streetview, you can spin it around 180° and see how close we are to BC Place. I'd really love it if we ended up getting a room that overlooked the stadium!

Canada Hockey Place and BC Place

Default view here is of GM Place, to be renamed Canada Hockey Place during the games, as seen from the Georgia Viaduct. This is one of my favourite views I've come across, as it highlights just how close we are going to be to everything from the hotel. From the default view, you can swing 90° to the right, to see BC Place, and 180° to see our hotel. It’s the brown building with the smokestack partially obstructing it about 250 metres off. Similar to Beatty Street, the Georgia Viaduct will be closed off during the games.

BC Place is of course home to the Opening/Closing Ceremonies and the nightly Victory Ceremonies. One neat thing to see here are the numerous cranes operating around the building, working on upgrades to the roof in support of the Ceremonies.

I'm really glad that we've got the Day 10 Victory Ceremony ticket, just so that we have a chance to actually get inside the Main Olympic Stadium.

UBC Thunderbird Arena

This one is a little weird for me. Having attended a Canadian University for 5 years, I know what to expect from a Campus, and from a Campus Athletics Centre. It’s got to be a little weird for UBC to actually house an official Olympic venue. Nevertheless, above is a view of the UBC Thunderbird Arena, which is the secondary hockey venue. I'm really looking forward to the Canada v. Sweden women's hockey game there, as with such an intimate atmosphere, I bet the place will be rockin'.

Pacific Coliseum

Home to Figure Skating and Short-Track Speedskating, we will only make it over to the Pacific Coliseum once during our trip. Out in suburbia a bit when compared to the other venues, it has apparently gotten a complete facelift from what is shown here. Above that, I'm sure that all of these street-views will look very different during the games with all the building wraps, banners, adverts etc that are sure to be in place.

Richmond Olympic Oval

The so-called 'Crown-Jewel' of the games, the Richmond Olympic Oval is the #1 venue that I wanted to see while out there. We only get there once, and not until Day 16, but it'll totally be worth the wait. I'm really hoping to get out there well in advance of the event itself so that we can spend some time just wandering around the building, both inside and out. One thing I've noticed on the streetview however is how much of an industrial area the Oval is in. The large open field directly to the west of the Oval is particularly ugly. Hopefully things will be 'spruced up' a bit between the timing of this photo and the games.

Vancouver Olympic Centre

This is a great view of the Vancouver Olympic Centre, home to Curling. As you can see, they are still working on the finishing touches here in this photo, but I'm sure the venue will be amazing come the games. I'm still not sure how all that direct sunlight works from a practical point of view, but it should make for a great building.

Whistler

Unfortunately, the Whistler venues are all just out of the reach of the Street view coverage areas, so instead, here is a view of the Whistler Village. Post-Bobsled on Day 12, I think we're definitely going to have to hit up for a bar down here. I'm sure the place is amazing in the winter normally, let alone during the games.

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Hotel = Booked, Flights = Expensive - Part III

Well...had a change of heart. We're going to fly direct both ways to Vancouver from Toronto. Booked the return flight for $448 each last night, flying out at 12:30 on March 1st. Once you figure the 'total cost' of going through Seattle, and the extra day off work it costs, and all the hassle....its just worth the extra $200 or so to fly direct.

So, with that...we're totally booked up! Tickets, flights, hotels...the whole deal. The final price tag for me:

Flight There - $448
Hotel - $1,118.35
Tickets - $1,406
Flight Home - $448

Grand Total: $3420.35

No wonder I have a steep credit card bill! At least though, I know I'll have this paid off long before I actually go on the trip. It'll be really nice to know that everything is all already bought and paid for when we're out there!

The only thing really left on the table is to get our tickets all finalized. Phase II tickets go on sale June 6th, so hopefully we'll be able to pick up a bit of a 'bonus' there....get ahold of one more event or something. And eventually, we still have to sell off or swap the crappy hockey tickets that we ended up with.

Either way, things are certainly rounding into form.

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Hotel = Booked, Flights = Expensive - Part II

Ok, so NOW its official...we're booked into the YWCA for the Olympics. There was a bit of a delay as our reservation had to be 'confirmed', but just this morning I sent in our final application form. Total cost for Pam and I came to $2236.69, half of which we have to put down now ($1118.35) and the other half in September.

In terms of flights, on Friday I booked our way out there. We're going to still take a direct flight out, rather than go through Seattle, primarily because the latter option would require us to take an extra day off work. The Seattle-Vancouver train leaves at 7:00 AM each day, so there is no way to get on that train except to be in Seattle the night before. The cost for just the way out there is $448.

Its just as well really, I prefer Air Canada over the American carriers.....and there is something to be said for the atmosphere that will be on that flight from Toronto to Vancouver the morning of the Opening Ceremonies.

We leave Pearson at 8:00 AM, and get into Vancouver for 10:14 AM. A quick shot up the Canada Line...and we'll be at the hotel!

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Hotel = Booked, Flights = Expensive

Kinda came out of nowhere, but we are going to be booking a hotel tomorrow! We're going to be residents of the YWCA Hotel, which has an amazing location and is coming pretty cheap.

Located spitting distance away from GM Place, I'm really surprised that we're getting this place for only $118 a night for Pam and I.

That will come in at $1184 each. Pretty solid for an 18 night stay.

Central Location Much?

So Pam and I will accept our offer tomorrow. Ben and Andrea have also 'applied' to stay there, and I don't see why they wouldn't be able to get a place as well.

The only downside to the place is that you share a bathroom with an adjacent room. However, if Ben and Andrea get in, we should be able to get our rooms assigned so that we're beside each other.

Anyways, in terms of flights...Air Canada wants $880 for a return flight from Toronto-Vancouver. By contrast, Buffalo-Seattle comes in at $240. The train from Seattle-Vancouver costs $60 return. So at almost 75% off, it might just be worth the extra hassle of getting to and from Buffalo.

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One Year Countdown...

Well as of today, there is less than one year to go till the Olympics. Kinda weird to think that in 365 days, Pammers and I will already be out there, gearing up for our first event....Women's Hockey - Canada vs. Slovakia.

We're currently starting to feel out what the marketplace is like in terms of places to stay. I'm going to be putting in an application for the YWCA across the street from GM Place, and apparently Ben has a line on a house we might be able to get. I'd really prefer to do the whole house thing I think, but having other plans is never a bad thing.

One year out, there has been a lot of talk about the 'Own The Podium' program, and what Canada's chances are of topping the medal podium out there. Although Canada has been totally kicking ass on the World Cup this winter (30 Medals this past weekend alone) I think that actually beating EVERYONE might be a little ambitious. Though, just today Canada swept the podium in Men's Aerials for the 2nd time this year....so who knows what is possible?

Now this is obviously a long shot, but what'd be just this side of amazing is, that with the Men's Gold Medal game being on the last day of the Games, if Canada went into the games tied with someone for the overall lead....needing the Win and Gold Medal to put us at the top. Canada winning gold in hockey AND getting the overall medal lead all at once?

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