Rocky Mountaineer: From Banff to Vancouver, Canada

Check in at Caribou Lodge & Spa in Banff for an overnight stay. (See trip report) Make sure to visit their hot tub, sauna & exercise room. Also visit the Red Earth Spa for a relaxing massage and/or rejuvenating facial treatments. Don't forget to have dinner at The Keg Steakhouse and Bar.

Early check-out from Caribou Lodge and shuttle bus to Banff train station to board the Rocky Mountaineer, First Passage to the West route to Vancouver. You leave your luggage in the room, and it will be at your overnight stay at the end of the day. The first part of the ride goes from Banff to Lake Louise to Kamloops, was full of amazing views. The narration from our guides about the Canadian Pacific Railroads' history and interesting landscapes that were soon to come into view gave us time for some good photo ops. With the first photo op being Castle Mountain at 9, 074 ft., a quick stop at Lake Louise, we passed the Continental Divide (highest point of our trip, 5,332 ft.) rushing past the many mountain hemlocks and Mt. Stephens. Then we traveled alongside the turquoise-blue waters of Kicking Horse River (named after a surveyor who was kicked by one of his pack horses unconscious) with a wonderous view of the misty-topped rolling hills and the green and golden tree leaves.

The next photo op was Stony Creek Bridge, the valley to the left with a nice waterfall flowing down the mountainside to the right. Next was Craigellachie (the last spike of the Canadian Pacific) signified with a stone monument & plaque, which is how Canada became a country all the way from the east to the west coast. Following that, the grand Lake Shuswap that contains 621 miles of shoreline that we followed for quite a while.

You will never go hungry or thirsty while aboard. Breakfast choice of either French toast or scrambled eggs & potatoes or coffee followed by a snack of mixed nuts with the choice of beverage or alcohol. For lunch, we had cabernet merlot wine with prime rib and cheese cake for dessert. For a snack during our early-afternoon part of the trip, we had brie cheese, dates and crackers, accompanied with Sauvignon Blanc and Bulleit Bourbon. As we were en route to our overnight in Kamloops, we were running behind schedule, so the crew decided to serve another delicious meal for us. Pork dumplings over rice that did not disappoint, paired with a Dark & Rocky cocktail matching the weather and terrain outside. We stopped overnight in Kamloops and checked in to our hotel at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Kamloops.

Check out from hotel and shuttle bus to the train station to board the train toward Vancouver. Breakfast was a croissant with mixed fruits followed by egg quiche with potatoes, bacon and coffee.

As we headed west, the change to a more arid, desert like terrain where sagebrush abounds, was quite striking compared to the lush mountains that we came from. Eagles, Ospreys and their nests were visible. Big Horn Sheep can be seen, but we didn't get lucky seeing them. We pass by the town of Lytton, which was consumed by a forest fire a few years ago. This is where the Thomson & Fraser Rivers meet, and you can view their contrasting colors. Then the terrain changes back again to a lush forest with ponderosa pines. We passed Hells Gate, the narrowest part of the Fraser River, where the canyon walls are only 111 ft. apart. The volume of water that passes through there is twice that of Niagara Falls. So yes, it's a major tourist attraction.

For lunch, we had the Shuswap Pork Shoulder with mixed rice & vegetables paired with Shiraz. Dessert was cheesecake with blueberry compote along with coffee & Bailey's.

Later, a snack of brie cheese, crackers, dates & figs paired with Sauvignon Blanc. The Sumac Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, BC, had a nice lemongrass scent.

Passing under the Fraser River Bridge, we arrived in Vancouver to board our shuttle bus for an overnight stay at the Sheraton Wall Centre in downtown Vancouver.