As soon as we left the Canadian Shield, the land became much flatter with meandering rivers, large agricultural fields of grain, flax and canola, and oil rigs.
I can't believe I only took this one poor photo of grain elevators.
This is what greeted us as we awoke the following morning as we headed into Edmonton. Yes that is snow. This was also the day that everyone saw wildlife. Some people reported seeing moose in the morning, but I only saw deer and caribou throughout the day. I would love to have seen some moose or bears.
I took these photos from the dining car as we entered the foothills of the Rockies around 5 PM.
From the very beginning of the trip, we were behind schedule. We were supposed to leave Union Station at 10 PM Saturday, but we were 2 hours late getting started. We didn't leave until Sunday morning shortly after midnight. Although the engineers made up lost time during the nights, we were constantly being delayed for one reason or another. It should be expected when you are going anywhere by train; but, the biggest disappointment for me was the fact that most of the trip through the mountains took place after dark while we were sleeping. We should have arrived in Vancouver by 10 AM Wednesday morning; but in fact, we never arrived until suppertime. On this last day we were stuck here for hours overlooking the Fraser river because of a broken train rail. A freight train was on the track at the time. They were unsure whether or not they could fix the rail under the train, or whether they had to move the freight train very slowly over the broken rail and send in a crew after to fix it. I still don't know how they handled the emergency, but I know there was a backup of trains waiting to go through, and we had to wait our turn. The staff were not prepared to feed all of us again, but the chef prepared a wonderful pasta dish and ice-cream for dessert. He made me a big salad. The staff was incredible through all of this. Towards the end of the afternoon, they played some movies and poured some sparkling wine for anyone who wanted some. And like I mentioned before, there was always an abundance of muffins, croissants, fruit, cookies, and the like. No one ever had to go hungry.
The Fraser River earlier in the morning.
Our vantage point of the Fraser, several hours later. No one was allowed off the train while we sat on the tracks, but we had lots to do. Finally, we were on our way into Vancouver. I loved this trip and I would take it again in a heartbeat. It is more expensive than flying, but the pace is much more relaxed. Like going on a cruise, you meet some wonderful people from all over the world. Can you imagine eating fancy meals with constantly changing panoramic views just outside your window? It doesn't get much better than that.
Sounds like a lovely way to travel, Susan, even with all the delays. So nice when getting there is part of the holiday and such beautiful scenery! Thank you for sharing all your pictures.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a great way to travel. I love sleeping on a train. The meals are spectacular. People are very friendly, and the days go by very quickly. There were a few scheduled activities that you could join in if you wanted. Each time we entered a new province, the entertainment director would give a short presentation on the history, geography, and cultures of differing areas in that province. One evening we were treated to hors d'oeuvres and
ReplyDeletesparkling wine. Other evenings we were treated to a wine tasting, beer tasting, or we could watch a movie. It isn't as grand as going on a cruise, but it is a fine way to travel.