The Amazing Rocky Mountaineer The Trip of a Lifetime

The Rocky Mountains in all their splendor is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! A Travel Book Review!

For years my other half and I have dreamed of travelling to far away places that will give us memories that will last for the rest of our lives.  After all that is one of the benefits of living a good long life.  But I digress.  We chose to have our children early in our marriage so that once we were done with raising our children, we'd still have enough energy to go to all those places that we could not afford to see earlier.  And we are doing just that.  We are in the midst of planning a vacation to the West Coast of Canada and on the way, stopping in Alberta to visit family in Jasper!

The Rocky Moutaineer Train courtesy of Wikipedia

Jasper has been on our must see list for a while now.  When we see pictures of the mountains and lakes our eyes and jaws just pop open.  It looks so beautiful.  It doesn't help that almost every other day our nephew is posting pictures of all this beauty too!

Parts of Jasper National Park 

Can you tell I'm excited!   What prompts this review is the train trip that is contained within this holiday.  We are starting our escapade in Jasper and staying for 6 days to see all the sights (I'm sure we won't see it all).  Then we are hopping on board the ROCKY MOUNTAINEER TRAIN for a two day trip through the mountains on our way to Vancouver.  The train will stop in Kamloops, British Columbia for the night and early the next morning we continue to Vancouver.  All we need to do during this two day mini-trip,  is sit back and relax!  Oh, and take lots of pictures of course.

The Rocky Mountaineer travels between Jasper and Vancouver or you can go the other way too.  You can board the train in Vancouver and end up in Jasper if that fits your travel plans better.  There are different levels of "cars available" to travel in while on the Rocky Mountaineer, so do your homework.  

Travelling by rail has it's limitations, but it also has is "up"side .  You can sit back, relax, and not worry about taking a wrong turn   You are free to look out the windows as much as you like!  No road warrior stresses to manage as someone else is doing the driving.  Meals are prepared and there is always someone new to meet.  I'm sure there will be people from all over the world taking in the sights as the train passes through some of the most beautiful scenery and mountains in this part of the world.

While you are reading about my escapades (and hopefully dreaming of your own), we will still be in Vancouver.  Being a gardener, I am looking forward to seeing the beauty that autumn has to offer in the Beautiful Stanley Park!  I'm glad that my suitcase allowance does not allow for the packing of garden implements.  Just as I'm sure the gardeners who take care of this public park will be happy as well.  No rogue gardeners are welcome to do their "thing" in these Gardens.  Just as well, it is a holiday after all.  If you don't know these gardens here's a sneak peak at what you are missing.  I'm not sure what our timing will be like, but there might be a side trip to the Butchart Gardens as well.  The gardener in me just won't let me say NO!  After all we might as well make that little side trip while we are on the west coast.  It's a long way to go if you miss it the first time.  

Totem Poles in Stanley Park

Be prepared, I'm sure there will be lots of pictures coming that will make any traveler or gardener just a little green with envy.   There will be so much history, geography and photography going on the whole time I'm away!  

Water Feature in Butchart Gardens, Victoria

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