It has a magnificent staff, one of whom is gesturing dramatically at a huge black or brown bear resting in the clearing just below the double-decker Vista dome car's panoramic windows.
The Rocky Mountaineer travels at Kodak speed, allowing passengers to take their pictures at
leisure. This is just one of many reasons for the immense appeal of this privately owned luxury train, which has two classes, GoldLeaf Service and RedLeaf Service, the
equivalent of coach class.
In the GoldLeaf Service, breakfast and lunch are served on the lower level, and the cuisine is reminiscent of food served on crack trains of yore, such as the
20th Century Limited. It is impeccable and served with panache by a trained crew who take their responsibilities seriously. Tables are covered with white linen, and the cuisine is excellent all the way. A la carte breakfast is made to order with regional specialties in the GoldLeaf cars. Lunch is an elaborate three- and four-course bonanza with award-winning British Columbian wines flowing throughout the service.
Passengers in the RedLeaf cars are served in their seats by a rolling cart.
From the Rocky Mountaineer, you watch the Canadian wilds go by, complete with mountain goats and big horn sheep and bald eagles. Among the sights, there are large, sharp peaks looming high above and jagged pyramids too steep to hold snow, their bases wrapped in white blankets of glaciers. It is a feast for the eyes and soul.
The Rocky Mountaineer has unsurpassed views of the Canadian Rockies. It takes you places automobiles can't - it is a train traveler's kingdom, and those traveling aboard the train are
kings. On a recent journey, the train carried three engines forward, given the weather and the
steep upward climbs. The train's descent is in a semi circle entering
spiral tunnels so that the passenger can see the tail end of the Rocky Mountaineer as the G.M. engines pull away on a totally different level. It is a triumph of railroad engineering as the
engines climb through so many extraordinary spirals and tunnels that they resemble model
engines under the Christmas tree, racing through complicated loops, bridges, cloverleafs and
dramatic overpasses that only an ingenious toy shop display can conjure.
The ride is picturesque beyond words. There are precipitous drop-offs near the narrow shoulders of
mountains as the train crosses high
above rivers and treetops, riding the summit of an unseen viaduct without guardrails at a very cautious speed.
The Rocky Mountaineer only travels during daylight hours. It promises that guests will not miss any of the scenery. In the two-day
voyage between Banff Springs and Vancouver, passengers are tucked away at a hotel in
Kamloops at the end of the first day with a promise that all of their luggage will be in their hotel rooms by the time they arrive in town. How's that again? Not only does this train offer a safe and luxurious way to reach some places most people would normally not visit, but they make rash promises about luggage arriving at the hotel on time, before the passengers do. Indeed, suitcases and bags are in the rooms long before the passengers arrive.
On a journey on the Rocky Mountaineer during Christmas week, the train slows to a stop in rough mountain terrain to pick up a colorful Santa Claus stranded in the snow next to the tracks. Radar had picked up his flight from the North Pole, and he boards the train complete with a large bag of gifts for children and adults. Santa strolls through the cars, cordially shaking passengers' hands and passing out lively red scarves with the railroad's logo as well as stuffed animal toys while a combo in the club car plays lively Christmas music.
On still another run, The Frazer Discovery Route, the Rocky Mountaineer climbs almost 3,000
feet in half an hour - by far the longest, highest railroad climb in North America today. One
passenger, freshly arrived from the United States, sighs and notes, "We're in the most remote
places now, and that is the charm of this railroad journey - it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
In a time when railroad travel can indeed be a trial, Rocky Mountaineer's hallmark remains
unchanged. Its purpose in providing top-notch service - some veteran passengers compare
the experience to being on a cruise ship - is to keep discriminating passengers coming back
in an age of frequently declining transportation standards. These are, in all respects, among the
most spectacular train trips in the world. Even for a veteran traveler, it is the experience of a
lifetime.
For additional information or to book a Rocky Mountaineer vacation, please call 1-800-665-7245 or visit www.rockymountaineer.com.
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