May 04, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Sightseeing Tours
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The
Whistler Mountaineer has just launched a fantastic new rail service to/from Whistler this week. I was really, really lucky to be on the inaugural train. The journey takes about three hours each way. I've driven the Sea to Sky Highway to
Whistler many, many times, so for me, the train experience was very cool. You can still see the scenic highway from some of the stretches of track. But I thought the best part was travelling through the areas which you can't see by car. There's a section that goes through the Cheakamus Canyon. They actually slow the train down to give everyone a really good look at the rapids and cliffs. Further north, you overlook the top of Brandywine Falls. There are two levels of service on the train -- Glacier Dome and Coast Classic. The Glacier Dome is the premium service and includes hot, plated meals and a more panoramic rail car. The Coast Classic service has large windows and offers chilled meals. For
BC residents only, there is a special $99 round trip introductory rate if you book before June 30th.
December 29, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Sightseeing Tours
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It's true - driving to
Whistler can get a bit scary, especially with construction and agressive drivers on the road. I especially don't like driving late at night or early in the morning when I feel as though I am not following the road, but the lights on the car in front of me instead. So last time I needed to head north, which happened to be late at night with working construction, I decided to let
Greyhound drive for me. For $35.50 (round-trip from downtown Vancouver) I spent 2 1/2 hours at the front of the bus. Since it was dark outside I wasn't able to see too much so I tried to sleep, but a very chatty fellow sat down beside me and filled our time with his stories of working on an organic farm in "P Town" (Pemberton), growing up and hiking in the "Stoke" (
Revelstoke) and coming into Vancouver to get the essentials for living on a farm (gumboots and raincoats). I have spent way too many hours on buses in Thailand, Vietnam, Portugal, Honduras and Guatemala and I have to say that this was the cleanest, quietest bus I have ever travelled on - complete with late night bed-time stories!
October 19, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Sightseeing Tours
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“How do I get to the village?” I asked the hotel Concierge.
“Just walk along the courtyard onto the Meadow Path, turn right at Fitzsimmons Trail, cross over the covered bridge, enter Rebagliati Park, around the BMX Track, through the Skate Park, and cross the street into the Town Centre.”
Cool!
Whistler really is a walkers, hikers, riders, bike haven! I paused at a
Whistler Trail map, which are all over the place, to check that I was heading in the right direction. I counted seven types of trails throughout the valley: Wide XC Trail, Crush Gravel Trail, Single Track Mountain Bike Trail, Nature/Walking Trail, Valley Trail, Paved Road and Golf Cart Trail.
It was just me and my shoes so I mainly stayed on the Walking Trail. The air hung somewhere between post-summer and pre-ski season and I was glad I brought a toque (wool hat).
At the Skate Park and BMX Track I got a chance to watch a few of the local Extreme athletes do their tricks. Needless to say, I was happy to just be watching.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to rent a bike to explore a bit more, but I highly recommend checking out the valley trails when you head to Whistler.