Trackside Splendor
The Rocky Mountaineer train opens a window to spring blooms
A 2018 historical television series renewed interest in our country’s first transcontinental railroad. What’s much less known is that Canada had its own epic railroad and “final spike” just a few years later — a legacy that endures with the Rocky Mountaineer train and its scenic journeys across Canada’s Rockies.
Following routes pioneered by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s, the Rocky Mountaineer offers four itineraries through British Columbia and Alberta — luxurious moveable feasts that include rainforest and wine regions, glaciers and snow-capped peaks, sophisticated big cities and bygone Wild West towns.
The scenery is enough to make the journey extraordinary — especially during the spring, when western Canada explodes with blooming color second to none. But what really puts the train over the top — and awarded it the best luxury rail experience — is inside the passenger carriages.
Gourmet meals and complimentary snacks served onboard are prepared by a culinary team that would do any Michelin star restaurant proud. Be they farm- or sea-to-train table, meals are about as fresh as they come. Think slow-roasted Alberta pork loin, beef short ribs soaked in Okanagan Valley Merlot or creamy Canadian barley risotto.
While the journeys last anywhere from three days to almost two weeks, all train travel is carried out in the daytime to maximize sightseeing and photo opportunities out of the glassdomed cars. In other words: no cramped passenger berths. All travellers sleep in top hotels along the routes. The Chateau Lake Louise, Banff Springs Hotel and Hotel Vancouver are indelibly linked to the railroad’s past. All were built by Canadian Pacific over a century ago to attract rail passengers. Today, they’re among the poshest accommodations in western Canada.
After a winter break, the Rocky Mountaineer resumes chugging this month for a Canadian spring in full bloom — rivers and waterfalls at maximum flow, meadows smothered in wildflowers, and possible newborn wildlife sightings (baby bears, moose or mountain goats).
A trade secret: Many western and frontier TV shows use the route to stand in for U.S. rail — immortalizing in film the pristine scenery of the Rocky Mountaineer routes.