Revelstoke is out. Golden is in. But before we move on, here are several things I noticed about Revelstoke compared to the last time I was there in 2015.
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It is clear that the city and resort have gotten significantly more popular (mind you, when we came in 2015 the weather was suboptimal).
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The city has been investing in great wayfinding signage ( separate post here ).
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Monster luxury homes have been built around the resort and across the valley. I don't recall seeing these, or at least this many, on my last trip.
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A modest single-family house in the city now lists for around $1 million .
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Anecdotally, I can also say that I spoke to a number of people on the lifts who had moved from Toronto and other big cities in order to "retire" or "spend the winters" in Revelstoke.
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The city and the resort were very busy over the weekend. The resort could probably use some more lifts and/or gondolas during these peak periods.
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The après spots on the mountain were full. And there are fantastic restaurants downtown, a number of which are quite fancy. Think $50-60 entrées.
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I noticed more Australians living/working in the city.
I'm sure that the locals would rather that Revelstoke remain more under the radar. But that's not what is happening. It's quickly becoming a global destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other outdoor activities.
I left feeling very bullish on its future.