This weekend we took the 2025 Volvo XC90 PHEV Ultra up to Whistler for the weekend. This was the second and last weekend of Whistler’s food and drink festival Cornucopia. We left in the evening to catch their Friday signature tasting event and came back Sunday morning to allow ourselves a day to rest before work and school on Monday.
We had the XC60 last week and couldn’t help but compare the two. The immediate difference is the sizing. The XC90 had a larger frame with back seat and trunk to match. There was plenty of room to transport our carry-on luggage and large puffy coats for the colder mountain weather.
Sadly, we left after the sun had set so missed out on the would-be majestic sea to sky view. With little street light, we were thankful for the powerful headlights of the Volvo, illuminating our way as we navigated all the curves this highway is known for. A fun drive normally, but we were hoping to use the driver assist to ease our drive time, however this was not a possibility given how winding the road was. You needed a straight stretch and this was all s-curves. It least we were able to charge the hybrid battery for future cost saving.
We had 1.5 hours to enjoy the XC90’s massaging seats with 5 options and 5 strength settings. Fine tuned with customizable seats and lumbar that included back and side adjustment for a firmer hug.
We spent the drive time talking without music playing and was surprised by how quiet the cabin was. All we heard was the rolling of the tires over payment. Much like the air purifying system that kept us comfortable for the duration of this lengthly drive.
We got to our destination safely and checked into Pan Pacific Mountainside for our 2 night stay. Their overnight parking stalls are tight and it was a struggle to find one that fit out slightly larger city SUV.
We stayed in a lower level studio suite, a familiar sight and experience as I have stayed here all the previous times I have attended Cornucopia. It is within walking distance to the Whistler Convention Centre, where majority of the events are held.
There is plenty of sprawling space so that we could enjoy our accommodation in between events.
There is a fully functioning and furnished kitchen, with dining table. We didn’t really get a chance to cook anything, but had we there was a range with pots and pans, an oven for baking, and even a full knife block to utilize. For quicker meals there is a microwave and toaster. Plus a full fridge to store any supplies or leftovers in. There was also tea with a kettle for boiled water and a coffee maker for your morning caffeine fix.
No bottled water because the tap water is fresh and drinkable straight from the tap. There is a plastic pitcher to fill and chill in the fridge.
My partner was impressed by the water pressure of the shower. It had an adjustable shower head that he described as massaging his scalp and rinsing his face clean. So satisfying that he immediately ordered his own from Amazon.
I enjoyed the rosemary and mint scented Aveda products. A bottle of shampoo, one of conditioner, and body wash bolted on to the wall. There is a bottle of hand lotion on the vanity and a soap bar by the facet. I understand the cost savings and plastic reduction of having refillable products, but do miss being able to take home miniature bottles of toiletries as a keepsake of your hotel stay.
The bed is a pull down Murphy bed. It helps to offer more studio sprawling room; and is nice to tuck away when you cook, so that the scent of food doesn’t cling onto your clean sheets. But it is not comfortable. I found myself tossing and turning all night, not being able to gather more than 1-2 hours of sleep at a time. Between the mattress that is sunken, the noise of those walking the halls, and the rumble of the street outside this was one of the worst sleeps.
It was nice to have the smaller two person balcony as a way to check the weather. But it didn’t offer much of a view and gave us additional noise from the drive by delivery truck traffic.
The living room centres around the mounted television that tilts and adjusts, so that you can watch it from either the couch or the bed. There is a spacious fabric couch, comfortable leather armchair, and coffee table with reading material; all surrounding a cozy fireplace. The latter meant for ambiance and heating.
We kept the suite cozy given that it actually snowed this weekend. Whereas we were concerned about getting home, the locals were excited to have the onset of ski and snowboarding season starting sooner.
The snow was continuous, but it did not stick, with rain washing most of it away the subsequent day. There was enough of it to have me purchasing a new Super Puff coat. Ironically this is where I purchase my first and original white one, at this same Whistler TNA. I did this two years go, when I last attended Cornucopia. However, although I recently dry cleaned it I cannot find it. My guess is that it was stolen out of my underground storage unit, but why that over my bike, snowboard and gear, or archery set? Regardless I needed this investment in warmth and comfort and found the splurge well spent. I got the taupe one, but it did not come with buttons like my white one did. It did well to keep me dry and warm from the weather. And the hooded cap protected my face from the snow blowing into my face.
We attended 4 events covering one of their signature tastings, a wine seminar, a drink crafting workshop, and a cooking show on the main culinary stage. The review and write up of each in their own post. We did not have much downtime as they were in an hour and 30 minute intervals with 1-2 hours in between each.
Friday night we attended the Night Market Signature event that gave us a variety of tastes from around the world. Small bites and the international wines, beers, and spirits to self pair with them. There was plenty to eat and drink and then some. Full recap of this in its own post.
Saturday morning we cleverly snacked on a leftover burger we brought to our hotel from home, as our morning started with a wine tasting at 11am. Seven glasses, each with 3OZ pours, and we finished them all. Luckily we had the aid of olive oil and sea salted crackers to tide us over. More on this event in a separate post.
In between sessions we grabbed a quick meal at Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub, located at the lobby of our Pan Pacific hotel. A stop out of convenience. We originally wanted steak, but there was no worthy restaurant that didn’t open until 5pm. So we found ourselves here and ordering a hamburger instead.
The Peak Burger was 6oz of all natural 63 Acres beef patty topped with aged white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickled onion, roast garlic mayo, and bbq sauce. A decent burger, the ingredients came across fresh, but this was nothing all that special or that needed repeating.
All burgers are served with fries with the option to upgrade. We payed $3.25 more to make them rosemary fries and didn’t think it was worth it. A sprinkle of toasted herb and cheese that does not adhere to the chewy potato sticks. The bacon chive mayo does add more flavour as a creamy garlicky aioli dip. Although, I still prefer the classic ketchup, especially as it offered some acidity to the burger as its side.
We also ordered a cup of their Clam Chowder, a hearty mix that combines Arctic clams, Yukon Gold potatoes, bacon and fresh herbs. We ordered a bowl, but only now realize that it did not come with the Irish soda bread that the menu lists. This was a thick stew: salty, fishy, and extremely satisfying. No complaints, we ate it all quick.
I was curious of the Spice Bag when I read that it is “Commonly sold at Chinese takeaways in Ireland – but they are serving it in a bowl”. But sadly this was just a poutine, but without gravy or cheese. Crispy chips, fried chicken, peppers, onions, parsley, and jalepenos tossed with Chinese spices and a curry dip on the side. There was too much flavour and a-lot going on. Spices on a similar vein, but not all that complimentary. The five spice battled the curry, the fried chicken was heavily dusted in cumin. The red peppers became a sore thumb, and the potato could only carry so much of it all. It was too salty to have without a beer, but our next event would be a cocktail crafting workshop, so we wanted to give our livers a rest in-between.
Not the best meal, or the one I would have liked, given all the other options only available in Whistler. It gave us the food fuel we needed to head into another 90 minutes of drinking as we tasted 6 whiskeys/bourbons and then made them into 2 different cocktails. More on that in a later post.
And our last Cornucopia event was a culinary showcase with Chef Quang Dang featuring his modern take on traditional Vietnamese dishes. A unique way to enjoy a 4 course dinner with wine pairings. That too will be detailed in a separate post.
For the rest of the night we were snowed in, with the white stuff falling steadily all throughout the day. We were worried about getting home the next day, luckily the snow turned wet and much of it melted. Either way the 2025 Volvo XC90 PHEV Ultra would have been able to handle it with steadfast breaks and a sturdy suspension. We also stored plenty of battery life for a free ride home, getting there speedily and safely; and with more than half of our 680km tank. This is after a week’s worth of commuting and the drive to and from Whistler.
But before that we stopped by The Village for a unique brunch. Flute and Fromage is Whistler’s newest artisan cheese shop, known for their curated selection of lesser seen and hard to find cheeses, plus all the accoutrement to help craft an impressive charcuterie spread. More about their unique offerings and this highly recommended experience in its own post to come.
With that, we closed our weekend of eating and drinking in Whistler, tired and ready for some rest.
