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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).
Wine Dine & Travel Summer 2014 59

