kevin_cambs_uk
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2003
- Messages
- 305
This was it for the wife, the day she had wanted ever since I knew her was here. To ride the Rocky Mountaineer train, and were going in style in Golf Leaf.
No hotel breakfast, as this was on the train, so up at 6, and in the taxi by 7, train did not arrive until 9, but she did not want to miss anything. We were at the station and registered by 7.15, where they gave us a gold maple leaf pin to wear, and supplied coffee while we all waited for the train to arrive.
It was a glorious morning, and we all stood waiting and chatting to other people, and then you heard the horn of the train as it came down the tracks, and the wife was fit to burst with excitement !
It came to a stop, and the carpet was rolled out for Golf Leaf passengers and you were welcomed on board, and given your seat assignments upstairs. In Gold Leaf you sat in double decker train carriages, with you sitting upstairs in glass domed coaches. It was a cross between an airline and a coach. Downstairs was your restaurant, and at the back was the vestibule for outdoor photos or just watching the world go by. It was a truly once in a life time experience.
We were all sat down, the train pulled out, and the staff handed out a drink to us all and we all made a toast to a great 2 day journey. Then the coach is split with one half going straight to breakfast and the other half are served coffee and a snack while they wait for their sitting.
Breakfast was lovely, and afterwards it was back upstairs, to enjoy the ride, the scenery and the atmosphere, every so often the staff would come along and ply us all with wine or what ever, and provide commentary on the scenery and what we were seeing out of the window.
Occasionally a freight train would come the other way. Everyone just relaxed and enjoyed the ride, lunch came again superb food, down in the dining car, even the fruit had been polished ! It was so well done, it was unreal.
Eventually we came to our overnight stop, as you don't sleep on the train, this was in a place called Kamloops, so off the train, 3 yards to a waiting coach, then to the hotel. We ate here for the evening, then we were taken back to the train in the morning for the second day journey to Vancouver. We overheard one of the ladies on he coach saying that she could not read the labels on the bottles of toiletries in the hotel, and subsequently washed her hair in mouthwash, which the coach found hilarious.
We heard that England were through to the last 16 of the world cup, phew .
On the second day everyone was more open and friendly and it was a great laugh, there were people from Yorkshire and New Zealand, and they were very funny. A truly once in a life time experience, the wife went mad on souvenirs for the train, from glasses, to mugs, to calendars to DVD's to xmas decorations !
The scenery on the second day was more stunning, the train line hugged the side of a lake for hours providing stunning photo's of the training winding along the tracks. All day more food and drink, and by about 7 pm, we reached Vancouver, and the staff were there to meet us as we pulled into the station.
If she could have she would have still been on it now, but all good things must come to an end, and in vancouver it did.
Out of the station, we queued for a taxi, to take us to hotel number 4 the Metropolitan in Vancouver. We arrived outside, the doorman took care of the cases, bell boy took them to the room, and I fell in love with Vancouver ...
No hotel breakfast, as this was on the train, so up at 6, and in the taxi by 7, train did not arrive until 9, but she did not want to miss anything. We were at the station and registered by 7.15, where they gave us a gold maple leaf pin to wear, and supplied coffee while we all waited for the train to arrive.
It was a glorious morning, and we all stood waiting and chatting to other people, and then you heard the horn of the train as it came down the tracks, and the wife was fit to burst with excitement !
It came to a stop, and the carpet was rolled out for Golf Leaf passengers and you were welcomed on board, and given your seat assignments upstairs. In Gold Leaf you sat in double decker train carriages, with you sitting upstairs in glass domed coaches. It was a cross between an airline and a coach. Downstairs was your restaurant, and at the back was the vestibule for outdoor photos or just watching the world go by. It was a truly once in a life time experience.
We were all sat down, the train pulled out, and the staff handed out a drink to us all and we all made a toast to a great 2 day journey. Then the coach is split with one half going straight to breakfast and the other half are served coffee and a snack while they wait for their sitting.
Breakfast was lovely, and afterwards it was back upstairs, to enjoy the ride, the scenery and the atmosphere, every so often the staff would come along and ply us all with wine or what ever, and provide commentary on the scenery and what we were seeing out of the window.
Occasionally a freight train would come the other way. Everyone just relaxed and enjoyed the ride, lunch came again superb food, down in the dining car, even the fruit had been polished ! It was so well done, it was unreal.
Eventually we came to our overnight stop, as you don't sleep on the train, this was in a place called Kamloops, so off the train, 3 yards to a waiting coach, then to the hotel. We ate here for the evening, then we were taken back to the train in the morning for the second day journey to Vancouver. We overheard one of the ladies on he coach saying that she could not read the labels on the bottles of toiletries in the hotel, and subsequently washed her hair in mouthwash, which the coach found hilarious.
We heard that England were through to the last 16 of the world cup, phew .
On the second day everyone was more open and friendly and it was a great laugh, there were people from Yorkshire and New Zealand, and they were very funny. A truly once in a life time experience, the wife went mad on souvenirs for the train, from glasses, to mugs, to calendars to DVD's to xmas decorations !
The scenery on the second day was more stunning, the train line hugged the side of a lake for hours providing stunning photo's of the training winding along the tracks. All day more food and drink, and by about 7 pm, we reached Vancouver, and the staff were there to meet us as we pulled into the station.
If she could have she would have still been on it now, but all good things must come to an end, and in vancouver it did.
Out of the station, we queued for a taxi, to take us to hotel number 4 the Metropolitan in Vancouver. We arrived outside, the doorman took care of the cases, bell boy took them to the room, and I fell in love with Vancouver ...
