May 14th, 2024
In the morning, we boarded the bus and headed to the Rocky Mountaineer train station where they had coffee and tea for us until we boarded the train. They even had a bag pipe player. I was surprised at the number of cars on the train and the number of people going on the trip Clearly, the operation in Canada was at least two or three times larger than the ones in the states.
We were travelling Gold Leaf, which meant we were in a double decker car with our dining service on the lower level and a domed seating area on the top level. We found our assigned seats and settled in!
The staff enthusiastically introduced themselves and began to cover the obligatory safety rules followed by what to expect and how there would be two seatings for each meal along with how to use the printed map and mile markers to know where we were. The staff was extremely friendly and set the tone; this was not about the destination but about the journey which was to be enjoyed.
We headed out of Vancouver and as we did, the first thing I notice was the amount of timber which is a huge industry. There were so many large piles of lumber in large areas of processed timber waiting to be shipped. As we continued further, we saw areas were lumber was being floated down the river. I understand there is a need for wood but it seemed like a lot of it.
As we headed out of Vancouver, I noticed that things became much drier and at time desert like. The tour guide pointed out that last year there had been bad fires that wiped out complete towns. We have bad fires in California and although you see them on the news, you never can tell what the extent of the fire is until you drive through it or fly over it. The amount of damage from the recent fire was quite extensive.
At breakfast we sat with a very friendly couple from New Zealand. Part of the fun of the trip is meeting other people from around the world. At lunch, it was a couple from Ireland. Both meals were exceptional.
By the time we got to our hotel room, it was close to 7:00 PM. Neither of us were hungry, we both felt like we had spent most of the day eating so we skipped dinner and went to sleep early!
Recent Comments