Rocky Mountaineer Tour 19-20 July – Vancouver to Kamloops to Jasper

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Our 7-Day Tour through the Canadian Rockies



Rocky Mountaineer Tour 19-20 July – Vancouver to Kamloops to Jasper



It was an early start from Vancouver with our Rocky Mountaineer host meeting us in the foyer of our hotel. Tom and I slept in (!!!) so it was a big rush to get ready but we made it. We didn’t have to have breakfast as this was to be our first meal on the Mountaineer.



A truly unique opportunity to experience nature's spectacular beauty, this incredible adventure us to some of the world's most treasured natural wonders.



Our bus took us to the train station. The welcome hall was full of people waiting to bord the Rocky Mountaineer. A man was playing a grand piano. Soon, we were called over to listen to a man playing bagpipes in his Scottish kilt and all. A member of the staff officially welcomed us. All the staff were lined up.



Two young travellers then pushed a bellows-like horn with their feet, to indicate the start of our journey. This is when we all hopped on.



We were travelling silver leaf. These carriages, unlike the goldleaf carriages, were 1 story and less than 12 months old. The advantages of the silver leaf was that we were served our meals and refreshments at our seats so we could stay next to our large windows and glass roof all the time. The goldleaf had to go down stairs and sit at smaller windows. Both services offer the same food and free alcohol. Goldleaf has total transparent roof and the silverleaf has an opaque narrow strip down the centre of the carriage roof, not that there is too much to miss in the centre.



The train’s cleaning staff clean the windows thoroughly every day, inside and out so photography was never impeded. We also had an outside viewing area. When each special feature was passed, the Rocky Mountaineer would slow down so we could all get great photos.



We had 4 staff on our carriage for about 40 people – 1 chef, 2 waiters and 1 manager, all of whom took it in turns to describe what we were seeing. We also had a special Rocky Mountaineer newspaper which included detail maps of the track, sites to be seen and history of the different sections. Very interesting.



We had a really interesting group of people on our carriage too. It was lovely chatting to them …. Mostly about travel!!



We were so well looked after and the food was so good! With our first drink, the staff came down the aisle to clink all our glasses with a cheer. It was fantastic. We were always seeming to be eating and drinking but the meals were an excellent size.



Traveling from Vancouver to Kamloops we saw dramatic changes in scenery, from the lush green fields of the Fraser Valley, through forests and winding river canyons surrounded by the peaks of the Coast and Cascade Mountains, to the desert-like environment of the BC Interior. Highlights included the rushing waters of Hell's Gate in the Fraser Canyon and the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River.



Our rail adventure continued north and east on the second day, to the mighty Canadian Rockies and the province of Alberta. Highlights included Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Pyramid Falls, and the climb over the Yellowhead Pass into Jasper National Park. It was spectacular.



We arrived at the Kamloop train station around 5.00pm at the end of our first day Everywhere we went we were heartily welcomed. After checking in the 3 of us went for a walk across the Red Bridge which was built in the 1800s and rebuilt 3 times after flood damage. The South Thompson, North Thompson and Thompson Rivers join in the middle of this town. It was a lovely little town to wander around. We ended up at the main park in the town. At 7.00pm there was a concert put on. We learned that each night for 6-8 weeks during the summer, there is entertainment on at the park. The band we listened to was playing contemporary music. It was good foot-tapping music.



The second night with the Rocky Mountaineer, we arrived in Jasper at about 4.30pm. We loved this town. It reminded us of several other alpine towns in the world – Baraloche in Argentina (our favourite) and several others in Austria and Switzerland. The station was made out of rounded stone, reminding Sheryl & I of our Nanna and Grandpas fire place. All roofs were steep due to the level of snow in the winter. I will describe Jasper more in my next blog.



What an experience. I hope the photos of our Rocky Mountaineer trip gives you some idea of what we saw. If you have been on the Rocky Mountaineer, enjoy reminiscing, if you haven’t I hope it teases you enough to encourage you to go.

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