Page 59 - quebec
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elcome aboard the beautiful   Attendants passed around trays of drinks
                                                  Rocky Mountaineer!”       (champagne or orange juice), fresh fruit, and
                                                  announced staff member    the Calgary Herald newspaper. We could fol-
                                  “WAngelina as we settled into             low our route via the train’s newspaper, The
                                     our comfy leather seats in an upper dome   Rocky Mountaineer Mile Post.
                                     car. “I’ve ordered the sunny weather just for   At 8:55 a.m. the train departed as folks
                                     you! All you need to do now is sit down and   along the way excitedly waved to us—and
                                     relax.”
                                                                            then we were in the wilderness. We toasted
                                     Just moments earlier my husband Carl and I   our journey with fellow passengers (“Cheers
                                     had waited with many other passengers, in-  to friendship and adventure,”) as our atten-
                                     cluding some from Britain and Australia--at   dant Alanna called out, “Oh, look. There’s elk
                                     the tiny Banff depot for the approaching   there out in the field!”
                                     train. Holding cups of steaming coffee to   Many stood up and quickly moved to the
                                     ward off the chilly morning air, we craned   right side, cameras clicking away. This
                                     our necks in anticipation. With the train’s   would be typical--spotting bald eagles, deer,
                                     headlight finally spotted, nearly everyone   looking for bears. Throughout the trip the
                                     whipped out their cameras.
                                                                            attendants would alert us to upcoming pho-
                                     There’s always something exciting about a   to ops and take turns on the mike, telling us
                                     train adventure, no matter where you’re   about the history, wildlife, and local legends.
                                     going. We’ve always loved train travel, and   We learned about the Chinese workers who
                                     this would be our first trip on the Rocky   had built the challenging railway during the
                                     Mountaineer, heading west from Banff to   1880s, and about the area’s colorful charac-
                                     Vancouver. For two full days we would ride   ters, including Billy Miner, who was cap-
                                     the romantic rails through the gorgeous   tured with fellow culprits in 1906 for several
                                     Canadian Rockies, making an overnight stop   train robberies. The last one netted a mere
                                     halfway at a hotel in Kamloops. The journey   $15 and a handful of liver pills! Some of “Dr.
                                     from Banff to Kamloops would cover 309   Zhivago” was filmed on part of the route.
                                     miles; from Kamloops to Vancouver 285   As we rolled through nature’s paradise we
                                     miles.
                                                                            passed by majestic mountains, thick forests,
                                     Following other passengers (there would be   rushing turquoise rivers, and through the
                                     553 on this trip in 21 coaches), we found   unique Spiral Tunnels at Cathedral Moun-
                                     our bi-level dome car and were welcomed   tain and Mount Ogden.
                                     by smiling attendants as we boarded via a   “In the spring people like to see the snow-
                                     red carpet. We were greeted by the aroma   capped mountains and the wild flowers,”
                                     of the delicious breakfast being prepared by   observed attendant Holiday.
                                     chef Jean Michel and his small staff in a tiny
                                     galley on the first level, where the dining   Passengers would alternate dining—first
                                     section was located. As Gold-leaf passen-  seating for breakfast one day, second seating
                                     gers, we rode on the top level with curved,   the next; same with lunch. Dinner would be
                                     panoramic windows—a great place to take   on our own at our overnight stay in Kam-
                                     in the spectacular 180-degree views.   loops (pop. 85,000).














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