Departing Vancouver, British Columbia aboard The Whistler Mountaineer train, we bid farewell to life’s frantic pace.  Goodbye laptops, cell phones, BlackBerries, and  life’s frantic pace.

Hello mesmerizing scenery, delicious food, and friendly  service. Aboard “The World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train,” our only task is relaxing in plush seats, and chatting with people from all over the world.

Within minutes, we’re sharing life stories with Lyn and Greg Edwards from Perth, Australia. Lynn’s a retired personal chef and Greg is an electrical engineer at a gold mine. Over fresh fruit, cheese omelets, Canadian bacon, and rosemary potatoes, the Edwards regale us with tales of giant lizards sunning in their back yard and Lynn’s mouthwatering recipes. Greg hunts kangaroos near their home, and raves about Lynn’s tasty “roo stew.”  She generously gives me her recipe so I can make it at home too.

“Where will I find fresh kangaroo?” I ask Lyn. “Just log on to Aussiekangaroo.com and they’ll ship it right out,” she laughs. Who in Mount Pleasant will come to dinner if I make roo stew?

After our tasty breakfast, we settle down for the peaceful three-hour ride to Whistler, British Columbia.  We’re lulled by the train’s gentle “click clack click clack”. The countryside outside dome glass windows is enchanting, with terraced flower gardens adorning cliffside homes. A dramatic granite monolith comes into view, “The Stawamus Chief,” where intrepid rock climbers defy gravity.

“Eagles on the left,” calls out Trena Hickey, our onboard hostess. “Welcome to Brackendale, home to 3,000 bald eagles.”  The sky darkens into a mosaic of yellow beaks and 6-foot wings. Cameras capture the surprising nature encounter.

Our Whistler Mountaineer trains climbs 2,000 feet through gorgeous coastal mountains. Cheakamus Canyon, a sheer rock wall, drops dramatically into a green ribbon river.

 “Wish I was riding those whitewater rapids,” sighs one adventurous guest. “Glad I’m up here enjoying the view, warm and dry,” enthuses another.

Too soon, we arrive in Whistler, the “Number One Ski Resort in North America,” currently prepping for their 2010 spotlight in the Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Rocky Mountaineer staff direct us to buses transporting passengers for dinner and overnight at nearby hotels. The Train Station sign says: “Welcome to Whistler-Where Your Adventure Continues.”

New Cultural Center

We’re eager to visit the new Squamish  Lil’Wat Cultural Center, an architectural masterpiece overlooking Whistler’s renowned mountains. Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations people greet us at the door for a tour of their art, history, textiles, canoe making, and foods.

“Our ancestors were skilled fishers and hunters,” a Lil’wat Nation guide explains, “Today, we continue our profound and harmonious relationship with the land and wildlife. Bears make their homes in Lil’wat territory, and in our art, stories, and carvings, they’re very important to us. We also believe that salmon are supernatural beings, who come every year to give their flesh to our people and the bears. Our reverence for these magnificent animals is ancient.”

We learn how a magnificent canoe is carved from a single giant cedar log, how cedar bark is woven into beautiful baskets, and how ceremonial masks play a part in both celebrations and everyday life. Our Squamish and Lil’wat hosts sing poignant songs, sharing legends of the land where two Nations have lived since time immemorial.

Whistler to Quesnel

Early next morning, we meet yesterday’s passengers on the Whistler Mountaineer train for our daylong ride into Quesnel, B.C. There’s plenty of excitement onboard.

“Bear on our right,” calls out Greg. “Get the photo!”  Wildlife lovers leap from their smoked salmon and scrambled eggs breakfast to photograph a bear cub dashing across the field. “He’s adorable!” one woman calls out. “Can we take him home?”

“No, but you can buy “Fraser,” the stuffed bear from our Gift and Souvenir catalogue,” our onboard hostess replies.  “Our company donates part of the sales to The Pacific Salmon Foundation, which protects and rebuilds wild Pacific salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest.”

We learn that Rocky Mountaineer Vacations operates within the Fraser River watershed, one of the world’s greatest salmon river systems. Each year, seven different Pacific salmon species return to their birth rivers, migrating up the Fraser and its tributaries to spawn. Millions of salmon fight their way upstream to  lay eggs, and then become food for black bears and humans.  Their life cycle is dramatic and magnificent.

“We’re now approaching Green Lake,” our hostess announces over the loud speaker. “The beautiful milky green color is because this glacier-fed lake is full of finely ground rock particles, called rock flour. The particles are so fine, they remain suspended in the lake, and absorb all light except the range from jade green to turquoise blue.”

Mother Nature is dazzling.

Throughout the day, the train staff entertains us with facts on the passing scene. In the town of Lillooet, we learn that 15,000 gold seekers triggered a gold rush in 1863, mining $7 million worth of gold in Cayoosh Creek. As the Whistler Mountaineer crosses the 800-foot long, 190-foot high Fraser River Bridge, we discover this 30-mile climb to Hill Top is the longest average 2.2 percent rail grade in North America.

With this stunning scenery, reading is impossible. Pristine waterfalls, a 1000-foot deep Painted Chasm, towering lodgepole pine and white spruce forests home to moose, deer and black bears…all we can say is “wow”.

Click clack click clack. A hush falls over the train car.

Only the announcement “Lunch is served downstairs in the dining car,” interrupts our appreciation. Views in the dining car are captivating, along with the elegant white table linens and fresh flowers in cozy booths. Warren tucks into baked chicken with garlic mashed potatoes; I enjoy prawns on penne pasta. We share lunch with our new Australian friends, who admit this is their first holiday in many years. “Too busy with work, the house and raising our children,” they confess.  Over four glasses of British Columbia’s Sumac Ridge Pinot Grigio, we propose a toast:

“From this day forward, let’s all spend more time with new friends, and knock your socks off adventures.”

Sipping wine, transported by the beauty, we fall into contented silence. “I’ve got so many beautiful photos, its just too gob smacking for words,” sighs Lyn.

Click clack click clack.

When you go

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations is lauded as “The World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train.” The British Columbia-based family owned Armstrong Group is the owner/operator of the Rocky Mountaineer train, Whistler Mountaineer train, and Gray Line West motor coach operations. The company has hosted over one million guests from around the world, offering luxury vacation packages and train travel to Vancouver, Whistler, Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and other destinations.

Working with the Pacific Salmon Foundation, The Armstrong Group has committed financial support for a wide range of programs for the preservation and restoration of salmon stocks in British Columbia.

For information and reservations, call 1-800-665-7245. Web: rockymountaineer.com. or  whistlermountaineer.com

c2008 Sharon Spence Lieb and Warren Lieb