OPTION AVAILABLE TO RIDE THE CANADIAN PACIFIC
STEAM EXCURSION CALGARY-VANCOUVER-CALGARY
CALGARY TO VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER TO CALGARY
CALGARY-VANCOUVER-CALGARY
We invite you to join us for our annual journey north to British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. This year we will go north during the Fall Colors in late September and early October. This tour caters to those folks that enjoy great train journewys, spectacular scenery and even mainline steam. We offer you the best of the great Canadian West including the colorful Canadian Rockies, Jasper, Banff National Park, Icefield Parkway, Kicking Horse Pass, Yoho National Park, The Kootenay, Glacier National Park, Mt. Revelstoke National Park, Thompson River Canyon, Fraser Canyon, Howe Sound, Whistler Resort, Vancouver, and Vancouver Island.
DAY 1 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 18: (D) Independant arrivals in Vancouver, British Columbia and hotel at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown. Add a new sentence at the end of the paragraph... Welcome to Canada dinner to start at the hotel at 6:00pm.
check-in.
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown
DAY 2 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19: (CB) Today we travel north onboard the new "Whistler Mountaineer" train over the former British Columbia Railroad from North Vancouver to Whistler. Visit the Whistler Ski Resort Village before departing by charter motorcoach for Squamish to visit the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. We take a ride on one of the former BCR Budd RDC railcars to the workshops. Late afternoon we return to Whistler for hotel check-in at the Crystal Lodge Whistler. For those folks that are not interested in visiting the West Coast Railway Heritage Park may stay in Whistler and explore this summer and winter resort village.
The new Whistler Mountaineer passenger train.
Mid-day arrival in the resort of Whister and hotel check-in at the Crystal Lodge Whister
RAILWAY HERITAGE PARK IN SQUAMISH
DAY 3 SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20: Morning charter motorcoach from Whistler to Squamish with another stop at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park to see the Royal Hudson, steam locomotive No. 2860 in operation. Special arrangements have been made with the West Coast Railway Association to have the Hudson in operation for our visit. The classic 4-6-2 will be operating all day in and around Squamish. In the afternoon we will then travel south towards Vancouver with a stop at the Britannia Mining Museum for an underground tour into the mine. We then continue on to Vancouver and board the late afternoon ferry for Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. There is a restaurant onboard and you can have dinner as we sail to the island. Upon arrival in Nanaimo we continue north Parksville and check-in at the Quality Resort Bayside Hotel.
The Royal Hudson will be in operation today for our visit
We visit the massive British Columbia Mining Museum at Britanna Beach
Overnight lodging at the Quality Inn Parksville
The Alberni Pacific Railroad in Port Alberni
We visit the historic Port Alberni Mill
We ride from Courtney to Victoria on the "Malahat" Dayliner
The Queen Victoria Hotel and Suites in Victoria
DAY 4 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21: (B) In the morning we travel from Parksville to Port Alberni which is nestled in the Alberni Valley and provides a wide variety of unique attractions. Browse through the many galleries and shops at the Alberni Harbour Quay Park and Market Place on harbor front. In the afternoon we will visit the Alberni Valley Museum, a treasure trove of local history, Folk art, and First Nations culture. We will also visit the Alberni Pacific Railway station and engine shop. One highlight will be a walking tour of the old McLean Saw Mill which is steam powered and we have arranged with the Alberni Pacific Railway to run our own private charter pulled by an ex-1929 Baldwin logging steam locomotive with photo run-bys. We then return to the east side of Vancouver Island to courtney to catch the southbound "Malahat" passenger train on the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railroad. This E&N Railliner uses the classic Budd RDC railcars for equipment and in fact very few of these RDC rail cars are left in operation in North America. Enjoy views of charming communities and scenic sights that you can only see from the train. Upon arrival in Victoria we transfer to the nearby Queen Victoria Hotel & Suites for check-in.
DAY 5 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22: (B) We depart from our downtown hotel in Victoria and visit the famous Butchart Gardens which offers one spectacular sight after another. In 1904 the gardens began with a effort to beautify an old quarry site. From the exquisite Sunken Garden to the charming English Rose Garden, this 50 acre showplace today maintains the gracious traditions of the past, in one of the loveliest corners of the world. We then offer you an afternoon Victoria city tour and some free time to explore this colorful city. 2nd night atthe Queen Victoria Hotel & Suites.
Beautiful Butchart Gardens |
Downtown Victoria |
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DAY 6 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23: (B-D) We depart in the morning on the return ferry to the mainland and Vancouver. We will then take you on a Vancouver city tour to include Stanley Park, Gastown District, China Town, CPR Roundhouse, Lonsdie Quay Market, Seabus across the harbor, The waterfront district, and Vancouver's Skytrain. We then board Via Rail's "Canadian" which departs Vancouver at 5:30pm for the eastbound journey through the spectacular Fraser and Thompson River Canyons and then the rugged Canadian Rockies. Everyone will be in first class sleeper space. This is the last original Budd built stainless steel streamliner in regular service in all of North America. In 2003 Via Rail Canada was awarded the honor of having the "Best onboard Service in the World". After we departure Vancouver diner will be served in the full service dining car. Then you can move to one of the many classic Budd built dome cars and enjoy the scenery.
Morning sailing back to the Mainland and Vancouver
DAY 7 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24: (B-L-D) Wake up with a fresh cup of hot coffee served to you by the porter and the awesome splendor of the Canadian Rockies as the flagship of the Canadian fleet heads eastbound towards the Alberta border and through part of Jasper National Park. Once you are up, take a stroll to the dining car for a leisurely breakfast and then enjoy the magnificent scenery from one of the dome cars. In Jasper the Canadian will make 80 minute stop to service the train. You can detrain and explore the downtown area and view the historic station and the Mountain Steam Locomotive on display. Upon departure from Jasper lunch will be served in the dinning car well before we arrive in Edmonton at 5:30pm. We transfer to the West Edmonton Mall Inn for hotel check-in which is next to the popular West Edmonton Mall.
West Edmonton Mall Inn
DAY 8 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25: (B) In the morning we take a ride on Edmonton's Light Rail System around the city and then visit the vast West Edmonton Maill. This is the world's largest entertainment and shopping center and Alberta's number one tourist attraction,and called the Greatest Indoor Show on Earth. There are over 800 stores and services , over 100 eating establishments, plus nine world class attractions. It is the only mall of it's kind in the world. This amazing structure, often called the "8th Wonder of the World", spans the equivalent of 48 city blocks. After you have the opportunity to have lunch and browise this massive attraction we will depart on our charter motorcoach and go pay a visit to the Alberta Railway Museum which houses a collection of various railway equipment and buildings. Our main emphasis is on the cars and locomotives of the Canadian National and Northern Alberta Railways. Hotel check-in at the Best Western Red Deer Inn and Suites.
We stay at the Best Western Red Deer Inn
DAY 9 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26: (B-L) Today we will visit the Alberta Prairie Railway and ride their doubleheader steam exucrsion train out of Stettler. During your journey onboard this train you will travel through beautiful rolling and treed countryside of Alberta's Parkland. The destination of this train is Big Valley. This community was the divisional point for the Canadian Northern Railway in the early 1900's. Feature attractions include restored railway station, roundhouse, interpretive center, St. Edmund's Church and the Jimmy Jock Boardwalk. Today is a special event day and we will be onboard the Fall Colors Special. This is a once a year opportunity. Depending on the year spectacular colors can be seen all along the tracks at this time in the fall. Usually all of the brush, trees, grasses and fields have turn to bright gold, orange and reds and wonderful to see up close and away from the highways. Includes Alberta roast beef buffet meal and on board entertainment. Overnight lodging in Drumheller, Alberta. at the Best Western Jurassic Inn.
Best Western Jurassic Inn
DAY 10 SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27: (B-D) As we make our way southbound towards Calgary we stop at the Royal Tyrrell Museum which celebrates the long history and spectacular diversity of life, from the tiniest grains of pollen to the mighty dinosaures. Set in the Alberta bedlands, the museum opened in September 1985 and has the most remarkable fossil displays anywhere in the world. Next we visit the Calgary Heritage Park in Calgary. The park features a street car and steam train rides plus roundhouse and railway exhibits as well as a complete town site with buildings from early days of Calgary. In the afternoon we ride the Calgary Light Rail train to the downtown area and hotel check-in at the first class five star Fairmont Palliser. Tonight we have a grand dinner at this famous hotel before we board the Canadian Pacific steam train the next morning and and start our long journey westback back to Vancouver.
DAY 11 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28 (B-D) This is the big day, as we board our charter train on the mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railroad pulled by the famous Hudson Class 4-6-4 number 2816, called the "Empress", built by the Montreal Locomotives Works in 1930. CPR will also include one or two of their cream and maroon Heritage diesels couple behind No. 2816 as back-up if needed. We depart Calgary at 8:00 am and head westbound towards the Canadian Rockies. We have requested two of the classic F units as the back up power. Photo run-bys will be made as freight traffic permits. On our journey westbound to Vancouver we will be sharing this train with GW Travel's group from England. Upon arrival in Banff we stop the explore this colorful resort town in the Canadian Rockies and have lunch before continuing on to Lake Louise, running through Banff National Park. We will have a special lineside bus available at the Banff station that will take those persons that are interested to Morant's Curve to photograph our train at this famous and historic location near Lake Louise. Before sunset we will take you on a grand sightseeing tour of natural beauty that surrounds us, including a trip on the famous Icefields Parkway, Peyto Lake, Glacial Lake, Athabasca Glacier, and Lake Louise. Overnight lodging in Lake Louise at the famous Chateaux Post and Relais Hotels.
Famous and Historic Morant's Curve between Banff and Lake Louise
BELOW-PHOTOS OF THE FAMOUS CHATEAUX POST HOTEL
DAY 12 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29: (B) Full day sightseeing tour by charter motorcoach of Lake Louise, the Ice Fields Parkway and the Columbia Icefields. 2nd overnight in Lake Louise.
Above photos along the spectacular Ice Fields Parkway
DAY 13 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 30: (B-L-D) Leaving Lake Louise we climb westward reaching the continental divide at Kicking Horse Pass which is at 5,338 feet. We also enter British Columbia and start down the 2.2% grade towards the famous Spiral Tunnels and Field. The track enters the first tunnel under Cathedral Mountian,3,355 feet in length, and after turning a complete circle and passing under itself emerges into daylight, 54 feet lower. The track then turns easterly, and crossing the river enters the second tunnel, 2,922 feet long, under Mt Ogden. Again turning a complete circle and passing under itself, it comes out 50 feet lower and continues westward to Field. The whole thing is a perfect maze, the railway doubling back upon itself twice and forming a rough figure "8" in shape. This is a true engineering marvel. East of Field the tracks follows the turbulent Kicking Horse River until Golden is reached where a service stop will be made. Departing here we reach the magnificent eastern thrust of the massive Selkirks, with its glorious array of mountain peaks. As we enter the Columbia River Trench the railroad follows this river for more than 25 miles. Not only is the scenery impressive, but the engineering feats are particularly remarkable, especially in the construction of bridges and tunnels. As we enter Glacier National Park we could run through the older Connaught Tunnel under Mt MacDonald which is five miles long or go the new route and tunnel which is much longer. Either route, when we exit the west portal the panorama is magnificent of a plateau of gleaming ice and towering mountains in Albert Canyon which is a deep fissure in solid rock with the railway running along the edge of this gorge 150 feet above the river. Running along the edge of Mt Revelstoke National Park and gateway to the Kootenay. Arrival into Revelstoke marks the end of our 2nd day onboard this steam excursion. For those interested we will stop to visit the Revelstoke Railway Museum which focuses on the history of the CP from construction to present day, in western Canada.
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| Here at the Upper Spiral Tunnel in Kicking Horse Pass we see Canadian Pacific's westbound "Canadian" a few years before Via Rail took over the passenger service. |
Canadian Pacific freight running through the tunnels and snow sheds in Kicking Horse Pass. |
DAY 14 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 1: (B-L-D) Today we run Revelstoke to Kamloops. 28 miles west of town we make a stop at Craigellachie where the last spike was driven to complete the railroad on November 7, 1885. Salmon Arm and the beautiful South Thompson River, flowing from the western arm of Shuswap Lake, provide interesting and varied scenery on into Kamloops. We have arrang- ed an excursion with the "Spirt of Kamloops" heritage train and CN 2-8-0 No. 2141, which will take us along the South Thompson River and past Mr. Tuktakamin. Overnight in Kamloops.
We ride the "Spirt of Kamloops" heritage steam excursion out of Kamloops
DAY 15 THURSDAY OCTOBER 2: (B-L) Departing Kamloops , the Thompson widens out into Kamloops Lake, a beautiful sheet of water. The railway runs along the shore for some 20 miles just above the water. At the west end of the lake we enter a series of Thompson River canyons which lead us through marvelous scenery to Fraser. Soon we pass the gateway to Cariboo Country as we go deeper into the canyon and then enter the rugged Fraser Canyon and then into the vast Vancouver area. Transfer to the five star Fairmont Waterfront Hotel.
DAY 16 FRIDAY OCTOBER 3: (B) After breakfast hotel check-out and end of our tour.
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