Beginning to Plan Vacations

 

you probably all know how much I love love love the Mediterranean Coast of Italy.

but I haven't concentrated so much on my similar love

of the beautiful Pacific Northwest & Canada.

one of my girlfriends and I are about to make reservations for a

TRAIN TRIP through the beautiful Canadian Rockies.

for the summertime.

there is a particular train line we've chosen.

Experiencing the majesty of the Canadian Rockies firsthand should be on everyone’s must-do travel list. 

Rocky Mountaineer, a family-owned luxury rail company that has operated for the past three decades, may just be the best way to see them. The company offers three rail routes that connect Vancouver to the mountain towns of Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, and its extraordinary daylight-only journeys include countless highlights, some of which cannot be reached or seen by car.

From pristine, glacial runoffs to jagged cliffs and beautiful mountain passes, each route offers exquisite views, as well as a sense of adventure that is impossible to replicate.

This is North America at its finest, the way the pioneers saw it. This is the Canadian Rocky Mountains in their most raw, elemental form. Whether passing through the desert-like landscapes along the Thompson River, or slowing down to “roll by” speed to make sure every guest can snap a picture of Castle Mountain or Mount Robson—the Rockies’ tallest peak—the train provides a visual journey as engaging as it is inspiring.

Experiencing the majesty of the Canadian Rockies firsthand should be on everyone’s must-do travel list. Rocky Mountaineer, a family-owned luxury rail company that has operated for the past three decades, may just be the best way to see them. The company offers three rail routes that connect Vancouver to the mountain towns of Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, and its extraordinary daylight-only journeys include countless highlights, some of which cannot be reached or seen by car.

From pristine, glacial runoffs to jagged cliffs and beautiful mountain passes, each route offers exquisite views, as well as a sense of adventure that is impossible to replicate.

This is North America at its finest, the way the pioneers saw it. This is the Canadian Rocky Mountains in their most raw, elemental form. Whether passing through the desert-like landscapes along the Thompson River, or slowing down to “roll by” speed to make sure every guest can snap a picture of Castle Mountain or Mount Robson—the Rockies’ tallest peak—the train provides a visual journey as engaging as it is inspiring.

Rocky Mountaineer brings guests up close to unforgettable wilderness and spectacular landscapes from the comfort and style of a spacious coach. Enormous glass-dome windows bring the outside in, and seats are wide enough to ensure everyone has the privacy and legroom they need for a relaxing trip. Should an elk, bighorn sheep, eagle, or even a bear make a cameo outside, it’s not uncommon for the train’s onboard Hosts to yell “Look on the left!” resulting in each and every guest leaping to their feet to congregate on one side of the coach. That’s the thing about train travel—it is never without a sense of adventure. Even the sight of small animals can inspire childlike wonder in the most seasoned travelers.

Along the way, Hosts make sure that each guest’s needs are catered to: whether it’s offering a plate of warm, oven-fresh scones; pouring a glass of local beer or wine from the area that the train is rolling through; or answering questions one-on-one about the landscape’s history and geography. Part of the fun on a trip is the rapport those in each coach build with their designated Hosts. Each anecdote, each joke, each song, helps guests feel connected to and invested in the scenery; they are what transforms each journey into a moving, emotional experience.

Trains embark or arrive in Vancouver—where you can spend a few days eating and exploring your way through the city like a local—and you can chose from the two-day First Passage to the West journey, which forges across the mountains, valleys, and canyons through to Kamloops, B.C. and then Lake Louise, before concluding in Banff, Alberta. Rocky Mountaineer’s Hosts illuminate this rugged landscape with tales of the legendary explorers who braved their way across it, from Hell’s Gate to the Spiral Tunnels; and the discovery of Rogers Pass and how it opened up exploration of Canada’s West. Similarly, the two-day Journey through the Clouds route also overnights in Kamloops and then heads north to Jasper, Alberta, passing close by to the remarkable Pyramid Falls and the mighty Mount Robson. The three-day Rainforest to Gold Rush route is much more than a journey from Vancouver through Quesnel, B.C., and on to Jasper. As the train winds its way north through the Fraser Canyon, you will learn about the gold rush that brought more than 10,000 prospectors to this region more than 160 years ago. With the Hosts’ onboard commentary, you not only see the landscapes, but really experience them. These aren’t just mountains and valleys and rivers through which the train passes; they are landmarks and monuments to the adventurers and people who claimed them before Canada was Canada, a living geography of the country’s history.

Photo by Rocky Mountaineer | An onboard Host in GoldLeaf Service shares stories about the area the train passes through

During mealtimes, the cuisine on board is no less impeccable. Award-winning, internationally trained chefs Jean Pierre Guerin and Frédéric Couton have created menus as inspiring as they are enticing. Local ingredients take center stage with dishes such as garlic-herb risotto with local market vegetables, B.C. steelhead salmon filets with smoked sea salt, and Alberta beef short ribs braised in Okanagan Valley Merlot. In GoldLeaf Service coaches, meals are served in an elegant dining room on the lower level of a bi-level, domed coach. In SilverLeaf Service, meals are served seat-side.

Photo by Rocky Mountaineer | Alberta beef short ribs, as served in GoldLeaf Service

At the end of each day on board, when the train pulls into its station for the night and it’s time for bed, guests are quickly and efficiently transferred to local hotel partners, while their luggage is portered directly to their hotel room, creating a seamless experience at every step along the journey. And each morning, the sense of excitement among guests is palpable—excited to get back on board, excited to hear the locomotive’s engines purr, and excited to see which adventures each new day will bring. No matter where you embark on Rocky Mountaineer, no matter which journey you choose, one thing is certain: It will be a truly moving experience.