joyadvtr

This sounds cool !
Trains between Vancouver & Whistler (The Whistler Mountaineer)
1-800-585-3031
Beginning May 2006, you can take a three hour train trip from Vancouver to Whistler. This train service, available daily from May until the middle October 2006, travels from Vancouver to Whistler each morning, and from Whistler to Vancouver each afternoon. Continental breakfast is served on the morning trip and High Tea is served in the afternoon.
The train follows the coast along Howe Sound as far as Squamish. You'll see mountains, rivers, lakes, Shannon Falls, Mt. Garibaldi and Porteau Cove en route. Once you reach Squamish, the route leaves the ocean and follows the Cheakamus Canyon past Brandywine Falls to Whistler.
You can book the Whistler Mountaineer by calling 1-585-3031.
http://www.bcpassport.com/transportation/trains.html

tuckerdc

Interesting train info!

Weasel - Thanks for the additional info. We'll def plan on that drive. We won't be there, however, til mid-July. Sounds like having a sweater or jacket handy for this drive, overall, will be a good idea, eh?

Seeing BC has been on 'my list' for so long now, I'm really excited about this trip. And being able to spend some time seeing just a wee bit of the interior (since we'll be seeing lots of coast on our cruise), is icing on the cake.

weasel

Manning Park is at quite an elevation so a jacket is necessary. On the way to Manning on the Hope/Princeton highway. Stop at the hope/princeton slide. The magnatude of the rock slide and how it changed the valley is really amazing

JC98

Can you see salmons at the Capilano Salmon Hatchery toward the end of May? Worth making a trip out there to see the salmons? I've been to the suspension bridge already.

Thanks.

weasel

Hi jc98. No I wouldn't bother going to the hatchery unless they were planning a release. The best salmon viewing IMO is inthe fall the adams river run or even the creek in my back yard after a good rain in Oct. is spectacular. If you go up to Whistler though I would reccommend going to the Squamish river at Brackendale to watch the hundreds of bald eagles fish in the river

JC98

Thanks, weasel, for the strong recommendation. I'll definitely go to Whistler one day (a Sat.). Will check out that river to see bald eagles. Anything else? We're interested in good sceneries, hiking. Maybe snowshoeing too. Where can we snowshoe?

Thanks.

littlemountain

For your restaurant question, I'd suggest searching "Lumiere" in the "British Columbia" postings -- it's one of the best restaurants in Vancouver and should accordingly throw up many of the threads on which the best restaurants in Vancouver are discussed (by me, among others).

tuckerdc

Just wanted to give an update on that Fraser Canyon drive. Would recommend it as a way to get a look at BC interior.

We arrived by VIA Rail early in the morning; cabbed it to Canada Place to pick up the car. Detoured to Steveston for a little 'local color' (and lunch at Dave's Fish and Chips, recommended by the National Car counter guy. It was ok, not great.) Cute little seaport/fish cannery town.

Then on the road to the Manning Park Lodge for the night. (Very family-oriented, pool, etc.)With a stop to see the Hope Slide, as suggested. Fascinating.

The next morning (forgetting, darn it! to do the suggested Alpine Meadow detour), we backtracked over Hwy. 3 to Hope and then went north along the river, stopping at Hell's Canyon and turning around at Lytton. Enjoyed the journey and the scenery (tho the Canadian road system could do with a few more marked scenic pull-outs).

Spent the second night at a marvelous B&B: Christopher's

http://www.christopherswoodlands.com/

A fantastic garden setting; spacious, thoughtfully appointed room with private deck and entrance; and a charming hostess who provides a scrumptious, served in your room breakfast (example: carafe of juice, lots of coffee, huge bowl of berries/fruit, perfectly cooked eggs benedict, and blueberry scones). Highly, highly recommended!

The B&B was right off Hwy. 7, and easy to find. We lucked into an excellent fine dining restaurant (Rowena's) about five minutes away, though a lively and much more casual bar/restaurant was right at the turn-off for Christopher's.

All in all, a lovely two day BC excursion that would never have been possible without the help of Fodorites!

Sam_Salmon

&quot;<i> If you go up to Whistler though I would reccommend going to the Squamish river at Brackendale to watch the hundreds of bald eagles fish in the river</i>&quot;
True enough in <b>December</b> but there are few Eagles resident there in summer-no more than any other place in BC certainly.

Marko

Some real gems in this thread, duly noted !