Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, The Rocky Mountaineer has received awards and accolades from around the world for two decades. ABC News said: “Rocky Mountaineer’s journey through the Canadian Rockies is truly one of the most spectacular train trips in the world”. BBC Television stated: “One of 50 top things to do before you die” and National Geographic named it “One of the worlds greatest trips”.

The Rocky Mountaineer offers four spectacular rail routes highlighting the beauty and drama of Canada’s West. H&L was privileged to experience ‘First Passage to the West’, an historic and awe-inspiring trip that traverses the canyons, spiral tunnels and trestle bridges of the Fraser Canyon and Rocky Mountains to Calgary.

Our trip began with a quick flight to Vancouver, courtesy of West Coast Air/Harbour Air that deposited us downtown in just 30 minutes. If you don’t absolutely have to have your vehicle, flying makes perfect sense.

Arriving the night before our early morning departure from the train station in downtown Vancouver. We stayed at the fabulous Fairmount Pacific Rim located directly opposite the new Vancouver

Convention and Exhibition Centre. The hotel offers unobstructed views of the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park and Howe Sound. Five-star service with all its amenities and privileges begins the minute you arrive. The rooms at the Fairmont Pacific Rim are some of the very the best we have stayed in.

The contemporary design, stylish custom millwork and luxurious fabrics created a warm and opulent setting. The bathroom featured a huge whirlpool tub, where we sat with glasses of bubbly while soaking up the harbour views. Afterwards we dined at Oru, the hotel’s renowned Pan-Asian bistro that boasts the largest sake cellar in Vancouver. Our dining experience was exceptional and included Tandoor Roasted Jumbo Prawns, Sake Kasu Sable Fish and “Crying Tiger” Rib-Eye steak in a chili lime sauce. The next time you are in Vancouver make sure you try this restaurant…its amazing. I know we can’t wait to go back and try the new outdoor pool and patio which opens late May 2010 and will be open by the time you read this.

Up bright and early the next morning we were eager to get to the train station to begin our Rocky Mountaineer experience. The train station is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver

at 1755 Cottrell Street at Terminal Avenue. The company invested more than $4 million in the re-building of the old CN locomotive repair building, restoring it to its former glory. The interior retains the cavernous feel of the large urban rail stations of the past with its open concept and vaulted ceilings. The colours and textures of the materials selected to build the station reflect the natural beauty of the Canadian Rockies. The interior waiting area with its glass wall provides guests with an unobstructed view of the train, adding considerably to the anticipation of the trip ahead. When the time arrived we heard the nostalgic call of the conductor: “All Aboard!”

We were privileged to be traveling on board Rocky Mountaineer’s ‘GoldLeaf Service.’ The custom-designed GoldLeaf Dome Coach, enjoys panoramic views from full-length dome windows and reclining seats that rotate to accommodate groups of four.

The first leg of our trip took us from Vancouver to Kamloops. The ride was smooth and blissfully quiet as the train glided along the tracks past the open farm lands of the Fraser Valley and then through the first of many tunnels leading into the steep cliffs of the Fraser Canyon. We rode beside the rushing waters of the mighty Fraser River with its famed Hell’s Gate, the river’s narrowest portion where 200 million gallons of water pour through every minute. We continued through Rainbow Canyon, named after the multi coloured rock that gives the canyon a painted look, and into Avalanche Alley with its many rock sheds and slide protection fences that guard the rail track from the unstable rock above. Alongside, we saw a number of old telephone poles that were once used to communicate with the trains. Men living in small shacks would intercept Morse code messages, write down the message on a piece of paper and nail it to the pole.

The engineer would slow down, reach out the window and remove the message as the train moved through this treacherous part of their journey. Work commenced on this section of the railway in 1830. It was estimated that 10,000 men would be needed to lay the track. Because the BC population was too small at the time to supply the men, Chinese workers were imported from California.

They were experienced workers, having laboured on several railways in the US. They received a dollar a day for their work and dreamed of returning back to China, their pockets stuffed with money. Unfortunately, many died from scurvy and smallpox or from careless handling of explosives. After this section of the railway was completed many Chinese remained in the province where they founded several Chinese communities.

After a full day enjoying the glorious scenery, we arrived in Kamloops. Our luggage was transferred to our hotel room without any effort on our part – a touch we truly appreciated. After a good night’s rest we boarded the train the next morning for the 391 mile leg from Kamloops to Calgary.

Before boarding I enjoyed a five kilometre run along the banks of the Thompson River and was more than ready for a hearty breakfast in the dining car. Just as I began to dig into my omelette someone yelled, “Look a deer”!

Everyone stood up and rushed to one side of the train with cameras and camcorders blazing. Of course, I live on Vancouver Island so you’ll understand when I say that I remained in my seat and enjoyed a thoroughly delicious omelette. But I can’t really blame the Australian tour group in the dining car. I would probably have reacted exactly the same if I’d been in their country and someone had spotted a kangaroo. That said, The Rock Mountaineer is famous for wildlife viewing and on this trip we spotted moose, mountain goats, osprey, fox, marmots and bears.

As we wound our way through the Rocky Mountain range we crossed several magnificent bridges and sped through numerous tunnels. The Connaught Tunnel, at eight kilometres long, is a particularly remarkable engineering feat. This tunnel, completed in 1916, bores straight through Mount MacDonald, an astonishing accomplishment for the time and at a cost of $9.2 million, very costly indeed. But no tunnel matches the wonderment of the Spiral Tunnels where, as the front of the train comes out, you can see the rear entering the tunnel some 50 meters below.

It was hard to leave the train when we arrived in Calgary. We enjoyed our trip so much that we could have easily continued on with The Rocky Mountaineer right across the country (if it continued that far). The attentive service provided by the onboard attendants, the gourmet meals prepared by talented onboard chefs and the romantic dining car with its white linens and fine china made The Rocky Mountaineer’s GoldLeaf Service memorable. And it wasn’t just the fine food and spectacular scenery that made our trip a once in a lifetime experience. The crew also deserves kudos. Thank you to: Janice, Sharla, Alison, Iain, Lleilah and, of course, the cocky, witty and ever charming Ivan. You made it a trip to remember.