Dateline: Victoria, BC

Most great cities of the world have a feature that defines them, that's unmistakable. For instance, if you were unlucky enough to be kidnapped by a Warrior Princess, bound and blindfolded, and then delivered to some unknown metropolis, a quick glimpse of the Eiffel Tower or Golden Gate would tell you immediately where you were (should you want to escape). Most of these distinctive landmarks are manmade, of course, but some cities are naturally blessed --- the Sugarloaf in Rio, or the harbour in Hong Kong. But the result's the same.

In newer cities, finding a defining feature can be a problem, though. Everyone's getting a revitalized downtown, or exciting new waterfront, or modernized transit system. Hey, there's nothing particularly original about a renovated opera house or expanded science museum any more. I mean, Winnipeg's probably got 'em too. And, for all I know, so has Medicine Hat.

So, when it comes to discovering something unique about the City of Victoria, you have to look further than the regular stuff, like the Inner Harbour, Beacon Hill Park or Buchart Gardens. Folks, we are hunting for a one-of-a-kind, nothing-quite-like-it-anywhere-else attraction, and let me tell you, in a city that only started seriously in 1858 (when all those Californians arrived for the Gold Rush), we have a problem.

Or do we? Hidden in BC's capital city is just such a treat. I speak, of course, of that wonderfully rolling railroad, the Galloping Goose Trail. Built on a 100km of old right-of-way, the Goose (as it's locally known) offers the Victoria visitor as wide a range of experiences as you could wish for. Walk it, bike it, horse ride it, wheelchair it, or, since most of the near sections are paved, rollerblade it. Want city? Want suburb? Want rural? It's all there.

Trestle bridge on the Goose.

OK, first the basics .. trains don't like hills, remember? This is good news, because it means the Goose is flat. Or very nearly flat. Where the land suddenly dips away, rebuilt railway trestles jump from edge to edge. Elsewhere, deep cuttings slice through hills, and before you know it, you've burst out of the burbs into the wilderness, far from the madding crowd. Roll past empty lakes, traverse grassy hills, follow a river up a narrow gorge! The Galloping Goose Trail Dedicated in 1989, the Goose offers over 100 km of trail. Starting at the Johnson Street bridge in the downtown, it splits after a few kilometres, with one arm heading north (the Cordwood Express) to Sidney and the BC Ferry terminal, while the other arm goes west (the Goose) past Esquimalt Lagoon, Sooke Inlet and on to the old goldrush burg of Leechtown. Where to connect? That depends on your mood. Here are four favourites … and each has a different feel. If you're starting in the downtown, begin at the Johnson Street bridge and walk as far as the Selkirk trestle across the Gorge. West of Victoria, pick up the trail at the Luxton Fairgrounds as it leaves civilization, passing cliff-edged Matheson Lake, before skirting Sooke Inlet, with its panoramic views. Or start near Sooke (on Hwy #14), and climb gently (really!) up the Sooke River Valley, past the Potholes (a popular summer swimming hole), next to a sculptured limestone riverbed, arriving at deserted Leechtown, site of the 1868 gold strike. Another favourite is on the old Cordwood Express line. Head north of Victoria (instead of west), starting at Mattick's Farm (a trendy shopping centre near Cordova Bay). Cycle through farms, past Heritage Acres (worth stopping to see the historical artifacts) and on to Sidney-by-the-Sea. The first half of the ride is rural, the second alongside the sea. What could be better? If you go: Maps of the Goose are available at Tourist Information Centres, on the ferries and at airports. Or check it out on numerous sites on the internet. For bike and rollerblade rentals, try Victoria-BC or Sports Rent. The Galloping Goose CNR started operating the Vancouver Island line in 1917. In the 1920s a gas-powered railcar known as the Galloping Goose hauled passengers between Sooke and Victoria. The Cordwood Express The Victoria & Sidney Line began in 1894, carrying cut wood from the forested peninsula to Victoria, and returning finished goods to the dock at Sidney for transport to the rapidly expanding City of Vancouver on the mainland.