Spent the night on the train again last night. We arrived into Toronto at 9:30am today and spent time touring the city on a doubledecker bus. We also went up the CN Tower to the Sky Pod which was at about 1400 feet. We took many pictures from here. Boys jumped around on the glass floor which is on the observation deck level. Across the street is an old roundhouse which is being renovated for a train museum. Of course we couldn't help but explore and take pictures. And to top it off we stopped at the Steam Whistle brewery which [View Full Entry]

---

---

We spent the day on the train today. Traveled from Winnepeg last night thru the province of Manitoba and into Ontario. This morning there was a moose sighting but we didn’t get to see it. Brief stop at Hornepayne for a 15 minute break to take on water and get rid of the trash on board. We got to the front of the train and took a few pictures there. Went to the activity car to play cards, scrabble, and a fun game of bingo. We won pins, post cards, and bookmarks. Spent time on the last car looking at the [View Full Entry]

---

---

We were lucky enough to see another bear along the train tracks in the Rockies while we were eating dinner on the train. Many freight trains passed us last night as we slept on the train through Edmonton. Sleeping was easier this time with ear plugs. At about 11am we made a brief stop in Saskatoon to pick up some passengers. We are definitely outside of the Rockies and on the plains. There’s a joke about your dog running away from home and being able to see it for days because it is so flat here. Seeing lots of cattle and [View Full Entry]

---

---

This morning we watched a number of trains pass our hotel before we headed to the Jasper tramway. We spent most of the day at the top of the mountain after taking the 7 minute tramway ride. It is the highest and longest aerial tramway in Canada. We saw 1 marmot, watched clouds rise up and over us on the mountain, and got some glimpses of the town of Jasper, the surrounding mountains, and a freight train leaving the station in Jasper. While hanging out at the station waiting for our train, we took some shots of the trains in the [View Full Entry]

---

---

There is quite a bit of train traffic through town and our hotel is across the street and just down from the train station. For the rail fans out there here are a couple of pictures. [View Full Entry]

---

---

We took a bus tour from Banff back to Jasper today. On the way back we stopped to pick people up at Lake Louise and had the chance to take a clearer picture of the glacier and lake. From here we stopped to see the Peyto glacier, many mountains and waterfalls. We were lucky enough to see three more black bear during the journey just walking along eating dandelions and turning rocks looking for food at different spots along the road. The second one looked up at us in the bus and then crossed the road. About half way to Jasper [View Full Entry]

---

---

We spent the day walking around Banff today. The town reminds us of Estes, CO at Rocky Mountain National Park. Lots of cool shops with gems, t-shirts, souveniers, and outdoor type stuff. We also went to the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum which shows the history of the First Nations peoples of the Canadian Rockies and Northern Plains. We saw tepees, sled dog exhibits, hunting exhibits, and all types of artifacts showing what life was like in the late 1800s and early 1900s. And of course we ended the day with a swim in the hotel pool. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Boys started off the day with a swim at the pool at the hotel this morning at Lake Louise. After breakfast we decided to take another go at canoeing around the lake. It was raining so a bit more of an adventure today. We were nearly at the other side of the lake toward the glacier when we heard what sounded like thunder. We wondered if we should turn back because the clouds were so dark. It happened again and believe it or not the sound was coming from an avalanche down the mountain. Spent most of the afternoon inside the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today we spent some time in the town of Jasper walking on a path along the train tracks toward the station. Mid-day we left for Lake Louise which was about a 4 hour ride. Along the way we had a brief stop at the Columbia Icefield which was amazing and very cold. We also saw 4 adult bears and 2 baby bears which were right along the roadway at 3 different spots. Wow is really all you can say about Lake Louise. The hotel is right on the lake so we decided to canoe and get some cool pictures of the [View Full Entry]

---

---

We boarded the Canadien at 8:30pm last night enroute to Jasper. Sleeping on a train was a first for us and it was quite the adventure. The boys loved the top bunks and slept like logs. Can't say the same for us......seemed that we went around one curve after the next and every freight train in Canada passed us through the night. It was fun to sit in the dome car, play games, watch the freight trains pass, watch the scenery, and spot some deer along the way. [View Full Entry]

---

---