I’m floating around the lake behind my house on a giant ‘floatie’. It is a blow-up island with i-pod speakers and a cooler that hangs in the middle. My husband is wearing his floppy beach hat and every once in awhile starts the engine to push us back up the lake as the wind keeps pushing us into the reeds. Three Canadian Geese float beside us. It is about 30 degrees celcius, and this is a perfect Whistler summer day.

The Whistler Mountineer goes by, the tourists in the outdoor car waving at us floating only 10 yards away…I wonder what they think of our house, clearly visible up the ridge, our little mountain lake and the two of us floating by the main railroad tracks? This train passes our house twice a day, on its trip from Vancouver to Whistler and then back. It goes all over the province all all kinds of British Columbia ‘experience’ trips, including golf and winery tours.

When the Whistler Mountaineer first pulled into the brand new Whistler station a few years ago, there was some skepticism from locals that they would be able to make a go of it. For one thing, passenger rail in British Columbia and Canada in general had seen some tough times. The “Whistler Stop” just behind our house on the tracks is one place that locals used to stand to flag down a passing train to catch a ride. The passenger shelter is still there but unused; the days of the “Whistler Stop” in Whistler are gone. The biggest barrier was price early on. However, the Rocky Mountaineer started offering ‘locals’ some good deals. We sent my parents for their 45th Wedding Anniversary, and as it turned out it was their last trip together. They both raved about the views, the spectacular canyons and old growth forest that we sometimes take forgranted.

Tourists can experience the amazing 3.5 hour return trip to Whistler and back for $219 CDN. Worth every penny…and the company also offers trips where you take the train in and fly back to Vancouver by floatplane. That trip is a bit more, but still not priced out of reach for a unique experience. Check out their golf and winery packages in their ‘Gold Leaf’ Themed experiences, and trips around the province as the Rocky Mountaineer at www.whistlermountaineer.com. And when on your train trip to Whistler, look for the two very tanned locals (one with a floppy hat), floating on a big blue island in a little mountain lake beside the tracks.