Whistler, B.C. — After skiing down Whistler Mountain's 5,280 feet of vertical fun, I glanced at the summit and wondered why this massive, snow-topped peak had been rejected as a Winter Olympics host at least three times since the 1960s.

Always a bridesmaid but wait.

Once Whistler teamed up with the city of Vancouver, 85 miles away, the International Olympic Committee gave the mountain and its neighboring city the nod to host the 21st Winter Olympics and Paralympics from Feb. 12 to 28.

The quality of the skiing and snowboarding on Whistler, a resort that nearly every ski and snowboarding magazine in North America ranks among the world's best, is not an issue.

But you don't have to be a powder hound to enjoy Whistler and Vancouver. Whether it's before, during or after the Games, this Canadian double act will delight visitors.

The Great White North has much to offer. Here's a spot guide for visitors I gleaned on two visits this year (one winter, one fall) to Vancouver and Whistler.

SEE THE CITY

The new Canada Line rapid transit system from Vancouver International Airport to downtown Vancouver opened in August and is efficient, economical and easy to use.

No need for a rental car, either. At Whistler, pedestrians can easily navigate the faux European village at the base of the mountain along a red brick walkway.

Downtown Vancouver, meanwhile, is about 68 square miles and rich in transportation options. From the rail line's waterfront station, I jumped on a "hop on, hop off" trolley ($35 for a day pass) to the southern tip of Stanley Park, where I rented a bicycle (about $20 for half a day). I followed the smooth, flat seawall bike path for several miles to the Hornby Street pier and caught a cute, multicolored aquabus ($3) across False Creek to Granville Island.

By taking public transit, you can pick up local insight. Bob Hunt, a gregarious trolley driver, told me where to get a great brewery tour (Granville Island Brewing) and where to spot the Olympic rings (on a barge in the middle of Coal Harbour) and see traditional First Nation totem poles (Brockton Point at the east end of Stanley Park).

To get to Whistler from Vancouver, you take the Sea to Sky Highway, a twisting, scenic, 85-mile stretch of road. I recommend jumping on one of several charter buses so you can enjoy the views of Howe Sound, Anvil Island and the Stawamus Chief, a massive granite dome with the profile of an Indian chief, bordering the highway. During the two-week Olympics, the road will be closed to everyone except fans with tickets and residents.

COLORFUL MARKET

The display cases at the Granville Island public market pop with color, like a rose garden. The copper of freshly baked breads. The greens of vegetables and fruits. The reds and silvers of seafood. And of course, the dark browns of coffee beans. (Caffeine addicts need not look far in Vancouver to find a coffee shop.)

Getting onto Granville Island is half the fun. SUV-size aquabuses take visitors from the mainland to Granville Island.

If you're visiting with children, the market could be your first stop. Stock up on picnic food at the market, and take a bus to Stanley Park, a well-manicured 1,000-acre playground that's home to several flower gardens and a grove of totem poles, each with a different story to tell.

While in Stanley Park, stop by the Vancouver Aquarium, where you'll see two young ghostly white beluga whales that seem to float like spirits across the dark blue waters.

FINDING THE BUZZ

For dining, head to Yaletown, a former warehouse district remade as a haven for loft-dwelling yuppies and upscale eateries, such as the Blue Water Caf[0xe9], Bacchus at the Wedgewood Hotel and Goldfish Pacific Kitchen.

If you want to save money and dine with the locals, check out Hon's Wun-Tun House on Robson Street, a noisy, crowded eatery where you can munch on a plate of potstickers for about $4.

Granville Street from Nelson Street to Robson Street throbs every weekend night with partygoers, bouncing from nightclub to nightclub — including the Tonic Nightclub, a three-story riot of pulsating music, strobe lights, disco balls and booze.

The shopping hub of downtown Vancouver is along Robson Street, between Jervis and Burrard streets. But expect only the usual chain stores.

GREAT OUTDOORS

After stuffing my face with potstickers at Hon's Wun-Tun House, I tried to work off the calories on a bicycle ride along what locals call the seawall, a smooth, flat bike and jogging path that encircles most of downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park. My ride was frequently interrupted by great photo opportunities: the towering Lion's Gate Bridge, the statue of "Girl in a Wetsuit" along the shore of Vancouver Harbour and the inukshuk at English Bay Beach, a massive stone landmark that has been adopted as the symbol of the Vancouver Olympics.

On the way to Whistler, along Highway 99, stop to check out the 1,100-foot whitewater cascade of Shannon Falls, the fifth-highest waterfall in the world. It's just a short hike along a dirt trail from a small parking lot to the base of the falls.

A few miles north of the falls, stop at the tiny community of Brackendale, one of the largest gathering spots of eagles in North America. In 1994, the town set the world record for most eagles in one spot: 3,769.

America's national symbols gather along the Squamish River to feast on spawning salmon between mid-November and mid-February. Even in early November, I spotted an eagle soaring over the river, a majestic silhouette against the cloudy skies.

VERTICAL DROP

CondJ Nast Traveler, Outside and Skiing magazines have ranked Whistler among the best in North America for its humongous vertical drop (second in the world only to Revelstoke Mountain, also in British Columbia) and one of the longest ski seasons in North America.

From early November to late May, the mountain gets an average of 33 feet of snow.

More than 100 trails and 4,757 acres of skiable terrain cover Whistler alone. The recently added Peak2Peak gondola, the world's longest, connects Whistler to the adjacent Blackcomb peak, adding to your ski menu 100 or so more trails plus 3,414 acres of skiable area — more than you can get at Vail, Colo., and Sun Valley, Idaho, combined.

That may sound intimidating to novice skiers. But even an intermediate skier with a strong sense of self-preservation can get down the mountain from almost any lift by a moderately safe route.

Locals say the altitude and the proximity to the sea make the snow here extra fluffy — although it felt cold and hard to me when I performed my usual face plants on one of my runs.

Another option: Fitzsimmons Canyon, a scenic forested valley between Whistler and Blackcomb, is ideal for snowshoers. In the canyon, the sun slices between the branches of 600-year-old trees, as thick as cathedral columns, and glistens off the snow-frosted leaves. The only sound is the crunch of snowshoes.

EXIT NOTE

If you're tight on time, here are some places to miss or not miss:

• Steam clock. In Vancouver's Gastown, tourists flock to the historic steam clock, a street-side clock that emits toots and blasts every hour on the hour. It's somewhat charming but not worth the trek for a scene reminiscent of watching a teapot boiling.

• Eastside. Be careful you don't stumble into the Eastside neighborhoods north of Chinatown and east of Gastown, where crime, drug dealing and gang violence are a problem. I got lost in that area one night and wished I had worn my running shoes.

• Zipline tour. The first leap off a wooden platform, perched more than 1,000 feet above a surging creek, can be daunting. But the ensuing rush is worth it. Take one of several zipline tours offered at the base of Whistler mountain and you'll marvel at the views of the woods in Fitzsimmons Canyon and scream like a lunatic when you fly 60 mph over Fitzsimmons Creek, suspended from a half-inch steel cable.

• Cloud 9. Cloud 9 is a rotating restaurant on the 42nd floor of the Empire Landmark Hotel on Robson Street. It takes the restaurant about 80 minutes to rotate a full 360 degrees. Enjoy a glass of wine and soak in the glimmering city lights, cruise ships pulling out of Vancouver Harbour, tour buses circling Stanley Park and charter boats cutting white trails across English Bay.