Bring the entire family for a whole new way to explore California ... riding electric pedal railbikes.

Sign us up! What a fun and unique way to engage with nature. Alongside the towering California redwoods, you have an opportunity to pedal a railbike along the world-famous Redwood Route. Prefer to take it easy? Not a problem. You have the option of letting the electric-powered railbikes do the work for you.

"Sit back, breathe deep, and discover an entirely new way to explore California aboard our custom-built, two-person electric railbikes," writes The Skunk Train Railbikes.

There's no need to steer the railbikes as they sit directly on the railroad tracks. You're free to gaze "at the wonder of this untouched stretch of the natural world, spotting blue herons, osprey, an occasional lounging turtle, perhaps a playful river otter, a deer munching on the foliage, and during peak berry season maybe even a bear."

You'll even have the opportunity to stop for a leisure layover at Glen Blair Junction to stretch your legs, enjoy a picnic, and venture on foot deeper into the redwoods.

Each railbike rents for $250 and holds two people. (We checked, and there's no discount for a single rider.) Grab a friend and your camera to experience breathtaking views as you pedal your way across California.

The Skunk Train

Since 1885, the Redwood Route has carried passengers and cargo through the dense collection of redwoods of Mendocino County in California. A self-propelled rail car was introduced, propelled by gasoline and crude oil. The combination of the fumes produced such a strong odor that oldtimers joked that you could "smell the trains before you could see them."

"These single unit, self-propelled motorcars had gasoline-powered engines for power and pot-bellied stoves burning crude oil to keep the passengers warm," writes The "Skunk".

In August 1996, a group of local investors bought the railroad and, for the first time, ran the railroad independently as its own company, the Mendocino Railway. To this day, the Mendocino Railway runs The Skunk Train.

Have you ridden the pedal railbikes? Tell us what you thought in the comments.