Alaska - Post Cruise in Vancouver - We take to the skies!

As we started to drive to our next stop of the tour, Sea to Sky Gondola, the winds picked up and it started to drizzle. Our guide questioned whether they'd even be running the gondola but we all agreed to at least head there and see before making any changes to the plans. Once at the facility, we browsed the gift shop while our guide called in to double check that the gondola was running. Of course the gift shop stays open even if the whole premise of the place isn't running! He came back with the news that it was still operating and directed us toward the gondolas. 

I seem to recall we had to pay for our tickets, it wasn't included in the tour rate. Here's the current list of hours and rates based on whether you visit on a weekday or weekend and what age you are.

The word gondola can have two different meanings depending on your location. In my cruise travel experiences, I've been to Venice (aka that other trip I never bothered to write up yet) and ridden in their small boat shaped similar to a canoe on the canals steered with a long pole by a narrating and serenading gondolier. Here in Vancouver, a gondola is a capsule with bench seats and glass walls that rides up and down a mountain side via a cable.

The venue does offer assistance to anyone needing help entering or exiting the gondola and has level ground for rolling walkers or a wheelchair in and out. Depending on the size of your group seems to be the rule for how crowded your gondola will be. It can hold anywhere from 1 to 6 people seated on the benches. If you're not a fan of heights or enclosed spaces, this may be an issue for you. At least they don't fill each capsule with the next 14-16 people in line like they do at the London Eye. 

The Sea to Sky Gondola attraction can be a great stop to spend an hour or two while visiting Vancouver. You get a cool ride up and down the mountain with beautiful aerial views. At the summit is multiple restaurants whether you're looking for a quick bite and some coffee or more of a sit down meal. With your body refueled, you can pick the adventure that fits your comfort level. Take in the wonders of nature on a slower pace walking or hiking a variety of trails that leave from the restaurant's doors. If thrills are what you seek, opt for the suspension bridge or what they call the Squamish Via Ferrata which has you safely tethered to fixed cables while you climb a series of ladder like rungs built into the side of the mountain in addition to the suspension bridges. I've climbed many a hill and hiked in my day but checking out the experience for this on their website makes me think it should be called Squeamish instead. The fact that they picture little kids celebrating reaching the top on their website makes me feel old.

Off we went to board a gondola with just us inside. Here's what the one in front of us looked like from the outside.

Much like a ski lift, the gondolas operate as part of a loop. You board on one side to head up the mountain and you get out on the other side once you've come back down. The higher we got in the gondola, the heavier it started to rain. With the rain came the wind and several times we felt our little capsule rocking back and forth. The higher in elevation we reached, the more the mist and fog obscured our views. It made for an uncomfortable and unnerving ride when the rocking was combined with the limited visibility. 

No the window wasn't dirty - just a sign of things to come as we got high enough to see the pavilion roof covering where you enter and exit the gondolas at the bottom.

Our view straight out at the horizon as we continued to climb:

We would reach periodic clearings where the clouds would part enough for us to see the mountainside:

Hmm, I thought we left the glaciers back in Alaska. Oh, no that's the fog hanging out over the town we just rose above:

We were soon at an altitude where we could see clearly but the fog was above and below us. It was quite the sight to see each gondola pod appear from the vapor.

Our guide gave us a couple hours to explore alone and get some lunch with the offer to have the gift shop owner call him should we decide to leave earlier than that. You could have easily enjoyed a couple hours at the top but our weather today prevented us from even seeing the trail outside the doors much less walk it. We took the time to grab a burger and fries from a cafeteria style restaurant and relax at one of the multiple long picnic tables inside Summit Lodge. After some browsing at the shops up there as well, we opted to head back down fearing that the weather might get worse. Thankfully once we reached ground level, the rain had eased off. 

Back in the SUV we go as we travel from the high skies to the low underground.