VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The hosts of the Winter Olympics need a few things to

make the event memorable, to ensure the Games are worthy of their status as a world-class

spectacle. Vancouver, which opens the 2010 edition Feb. 12, is well on its way:

Excitement. Folks from Vancouver, and the visitors already arriving, are chattering

at every chance. From banners at the intersections to the clamor for red Team Canada mittens,

it's obvious the Games are coming.

A remarkable environment. The license plates read "Beautiful British Columbia" for a

reason. The Sea-to-Sky Highway carries travelers on a jaw-dropping journey from the serenity

of Vancouver's waterfront to the majesty of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

Games. With home-grown hopefuls and well-known medal winners, the Vancouver Olympics

will be filled with top athletic events, including the most anticipated hockey tournament of

all time.

Winter. Um, well ...

It's obvious from the moment planes touch down something is amiss. There are no lingering

snow piles along the runway, no plows waiting for work. The baggage handlers wear baseball

caps and windbreakers rather than winter hats and parkas in the 45-degree weather.

The grass makes the climate obvious. It's colorful and vibrant, a deep green that Buffalo

sees in mid-June. Visitors traveling east to Burnaby or over to West Vancouver view playing

fields lined with white chalk — and students in shorts at their soccer games.

Soccer, needless to say, is not part of the Winter Olympics. Skiing is, which makes things

tricky. Cypress Mountain, the closest ski area to downtown and host of the snowboard and

freestyle skiing competitions, is bare at the bottom. Few expect that to change.

"We are planning that we will not have snow," said Cathy Priestner Allinger, executive vice

president of sport and games operations for the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC).

The committee decided to use bales of hay to build a base and have topped that with snow

trucked from the upper elevations of the mountain.

"With the current amount of snow on the mountain and the snow saving measures that have

been taken, VANOC will be able to create a world-class venue for our snowboard events," said

Marcel Looze, snowboard race director for the International Ski Federation.

Snow falls naturally and often 75 miles north in Whistler, where events including downhill

skiing, bobsledding and ski-jumping will take place. It has a 115-inch base and new

accumulation each night.

The Games get their heartbeat in this winter wonderland. The "wow" factor on the drive

brews the excitement. Mountains that soar to the sky rise from the calm bay, with a winding

road giving scenic views at each turn.

Resort towns, by nature, are designed as fun-filled getaways. Whistler is one of the

leaders. The village of 10,000 residents swells to 35,000 during holidays, and shop owners are

readying their wares to accommodate the 60,000 expected for the Games.

Restaurants in the enchanting marketplace are building patios to welcome the visitors, some

of whom have already arrived with flags of Great Britain and Sweden flung over their

shoulders. They have the option of long-lasting parties or activities such as snowshoe tours,

horseback riding and, of course, skiing during breaks from the Games.

The Vancouver area has an ample supply of leisure activities as well. Stanley Park, a lush

1,000-acre green space at the edge of downtown, provides views of the skyline along its bike

and walking trails. Seaplanes lift off and splash down on the inlet nearby, with tours

available.

Distinct neighborhoods dot the city, from pub-filled Gastown to the public market on

Granville Island to the trendy restaurants in Yaletown. They are in close proximity to each

other, allowing visitors to travel easily between areas and sporting venues. The metro area is

populated (2.1 million) but compact (2,877 square miles), trailing only New York and San

Francisco among North American cities in population density.

"The other events were so far outside the city [in Turin, Italy, in 2006]," said Swedish

hockey player Daniel Sedin, who because of travel distances was able to see only one other

sport (curling) during his previous Games appearance. "In Vancouver, guys that want to go see

other sports have a good chance of seeing them. Skiing will be far away, but everything else

will be close by."

Also nearby are two things Games organizers won't be trumpeting in their pamphlets:

homelessness and drug use. Vancouver has a homeless and panhandling problem that permeates the

city, with an estimated 3,000 living on the streets.

Vancouver also is lenient about drug use. The aroma of marijuana wafts through many

neighborhoods, and the city is also the controversial home to North America's first supervised

drug injection site.

"Our officers show an exceptional amount of discretion with respect to people smoking

marijuana, and that will continue [during the Olympics]," Constable Lindsey Houghton, a

spokesman for the Vancouver Police Department, told the Canadian Press.

The majority of citizens, though, are more eager to light up the day with a smile.

Volunteers have readily signed on to help, with people in bright green jackets handing out

directions in the airport or pointing visitors toward fine restaurants. Streets are also being

closed as the roadways turn into art galleries and concert venues.

"There's a big park right in front of my complex, and there's tons of tents going up for

entertainment," Team Canada and Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo said. "There's a

lot of preparation going on, and everywhere you go in the city it seems they're doing

something for the Olympics. It's a great time to be in Vancouver."

Vancouver certainly is ready for the Winter Games, even if winter isn't ready for

Vancouver.