So on the last day of September, 2014, we boarded the train in Chatham bound eventually for Jasper, Alberta. Three nights on the train in a sleeper cabin, great meals, lots of new acquaintances, smiling staff members and a view out our own window of the land sliding by.
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| a selfie in Chatham |
First to Toronto to catch the Canadian.
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| here comes our train #6401 |
Then in the evening; after dinner and a few hours in T.O., we are in our own little sleeper where our beds have been turned down for us. VIA left Toronto at 9:30 pm so our first night's travel was past Parry Sound to Hearst. By noon we were north of Lake Superior, having a nice lunch. Travel by train is definitely relaxing, we spent time reading and watching the scenery which is surprisingly varied. Even when we were crossing what I expected to be boring prairie, the amount of trees, valleys and water were a delight. Sleeping in our little bunks was pleasant, our cabin had everything needed, our own washroom and even a closet (not a walk-in). Capturing the ambience in a photo is not easy without a wider angle lens but we tried.
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| Pen is showing the door to our cabins washroom |
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| There's always a niche to sit and relax somewhere other than our cabin |
Somewhere north of Saskatoon, around midnight Pennie woke me to have a look out the window at the dark sky full of stars and a glow on the northern horizon. After Edmonton, AB the mountains are soon evident, we spend time in the dome car and marvel at the foothills, rivers and wildlife as the peaks get higher and higher.
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| The dome car somewhere near Jasper |
Jasper is high in the valley below one of the highest mountains in Canada. We stayed the night at a hotel and next morning started a guided tour down the Ice-field Parkway.
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| Looking over Peyto Lake with its turquoise water |
The bus was small but only four of us plus a young lady driver made the trip very nice.
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| Our driver who makes the trip every day |
She stopped wherever we wanted and knew all the best views, and late in the day we were in Banff at our B&B. It's hard to describe the amazing scenery of the 180 mile drive along the spine of the Rockies from Jasper to Banff.
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| Looking over Banff from Sulphur Mt. |
Having driven many mountain roads in the Sierra Nevada range in California I thought I would be jaded but instead was awed. The number of glaciers, rivers, falls and the change in scene from one moment to the next is amazing. I'm glad we finally got to make the trip.
We spent 3 days in Banff and then flew back to Toronto from Calgary and were back in Chatham late in the day. WOW!
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| Pano of the Columbia Icefield, middle is the Athabasca glacier |
