Still on the Trip

Well, long time no blog, huh?  I do have a couple of semi-valid reasons.  They’re may not convince you, but they worked for me:

1.     There’s just so much to see!  I don’t ever want to go inside and work on the computer.  I want to look at mountains, search for bears and elk and big horned sheep.  (And shop.)

2.     The internet availability has been truly lousy almost everywhere we’ve gone.  I have no idea how many potential sales I’ve lost, but that was a risk I was willing to take in exchange for the opportunity to go across Canada and down the California coast with my Mom.

3.     I’ve had raging tendinitis in my right arm and hand – typing or writing is uncomfortable.  If anyone remembers my blog last year, I had brought along about 200 Christmas cards to write, and I wound up writing about 120 of them.  This year I did the same and haven’t tried to write even one.  Have put ice on my arm and taken aspirin instead.

So, to get on with it…

When we left Chateau Lake Louise it had started to snow.  It’s been about 10 years or more since either of us had seen the white, powdery stuff – or the dirty, slushy stuff for that matter.  Pretty neat.  Within an hour after we left the hotel and were back on the Icefields Parkway it was coming down faster than dandruff in a Head & Shoulders’ commercial.  I was driving, thus not taking pictures, will have to wait for Mom’s photos to be developed to add them to the blog. 

Mom still has a film camera, she doesn’t believe in digital.  She’ll also never get a decent candid shot, since in order to take a photo she has to

1.     Reach down and find her tote bag

2.     Unzip her tote bag

3.     Fish the bag holding her camera out of the tote bag

4.     Unzip the bag the camera is in

5.     Fish out the camera

6.     Turn it on

7.     Focus

8.     Shoot

Hair turns gray before she gets the shot, but God Bless her, she tries!  Here she is in some Godforsaken outpost called Hornepayne.  When you go to sleep in payne, you wake up in payne.   Best to get back on the train.

So we did get back on the train from Jasper to Vancouver for one more night.  The cabin is just as tiny as I remembered it, but it was only one more night.  This time we combined stuff we’d need just for the night in one suitcase (brilliant) and put the other suitcase in baggage.  We’re learning.  Gave us about another square foot of breathing space.  

Here's a shot of the cabin, on the left are the berths, on the right is the door to the toilet.  Somehow Mom got the bottom bunk again.  Don’t know how she keeps winning that coin flip.

Did I mention the food?  Food on board the train is surprisingly good.  I have no idea how they put out such tasty meals in a tiny little kitchen like that, but I promise you that it’s very good.  We’ve had waffles with fresh berries, French toast, turkey and all the trimmings (during Canadian Thanksgiving), lamb chops, roast beef … they even had little blue potatoes, something I’d never seen before (no gourmet here), and guess what?  They tasted just like potatoes. 

The Vancouver Hotel is more of a business hotel than the others we’ve stayed at to date.  That makes sense, it being in the heart of one of Canada’s major cities.  True to form however, it has a magnificent lobby, rooms are not cookie cutter, there is outstanding service and lots of history and elegance.   The hotel is conveniently located across the street from Tiffany’s and very close to Coach, Luis Vuitton, Burberry’s, and other stores that contribute to the natural beauty of the setting.  

We hate to say goodbye to Canada - the wide open spaces, the glorious mountains and the fresh, clean air have been intoxicating. 

Always Looking for New Business

We interrupt this blog for a commercial message.  I've found out about a new service that promotes localbusinesses called Thumbtack.com  They claim that they can help move me higher in Google search engines as a cruise travel specialist, so in a fit of selfless promotion I'm giving it a whirl.   We've all got to make a living don't we? 

Since I'm becoming computer challenged with all these new marketing options I hope I've inserted their link correctly.  Why couldn't I find some little angel (kind of like a guardian angel, only this would be an IT angel, to sit weightlessly on my left shoulder, with IT manual in hand (which she's memorized anyway) and say "Oh Dorothy, you need to load this program (but watch out for that other one, it's a Trojan horse), then set these parameters, and discontinue this tool, uncheck this box in your options menu, then reset your modem, turn around three times, click your heels and you'll be home in Kansas. Just a short plane trip away from Miami.

Any IT angels please fell free to apply. (305) 361-6772.

And along these lines... does anyone actually read this blog?  Are my talents better used elsewhere?  Should I go buy a new navy blue suit and start pounding the pavement?  If you follow my blog please make a comment or sign up as a follower.  It's a little demoralizing thinking you're doing all this extra stuff and nobody is appreciating it!   Sign up as a follower, leave a comment , e-mail me, pass me a note in a stuffy Village Council meeting.  Give me a hug in the grocery store.  Provide feedback - even if it's to say you didn't like the outfit I had on yesterday in the grocery store. (I probably didn't either).

And that's all for our commercial message.

The Icefields Parkway and Lake Louise

wow. Wow. WOW. WOW!!!!  With every kilometer this road just got prettier and prettier!  No billboards cluttering up the scenery, and lots of beautiful overlooks.  Nearly no traffic at all because we're visiting off season (but the weather is sunny and gorgeous).  If we stopped at even one fifth of the spectacular viewing spots we never would have made it to Lake Louise.  This is amazing.  Here are just a few samples of the scenery:

Mom and I are in awe.  Haven't seen any big horn sheep or bears, but we've seen scenery that just makes you want to cry - it's that magnificent.  Snow capped mountains, waterfalls, crystal blue skies, and evergreens as far as the eye can see.  If I weren't such a big fan of the ocean ...

And then we get to Lake Louise ... it takes your breath away.  Here's a photo taken through the window in our room  (as you can see from my reflection in it)

And one without my reflection ...

The lake is spectacular (have I already used that word too much?) and I could stare at it for a month.  Our room is great, the old Canadian Pacific Railroad hotels have all been purchased by Fairmont Hotels.  They include the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, Empress in Victoria, Chateau Lake Louise, Banff Springs and Vancouver hotels among others.  The thing about these hotels is the glamor of them.  In the 1920's guests would check in at the Banff Springs hotel with letters of credit for $50,000 for a three to four month stay (it wasn't easy to get to, but once you did you never wanted to leave).

The lobbies are enormous and opulent -- they make you feel tiny.  The detailing in the banisters, the friezes, the tapestries, and in the carved archways, the intricately designed inlaid floors - everywhere there is something to be seen and there are lots of stories about the railroad, the British Royal Family (Louise was Queen Victoria's fourth daughter, for those of you not up on your monarchy) and the glamorous movie stars who have stayed here.  These buildings are works of art in themselves.  There are photos of Marilyn Monroe arriving with Gregory Peck, tales of the first cabin built on this spot, of the original hotel (both the Banff Springs and Lake Louise hotels burned down in the late '20's), and of the royally appointed governor of the province.  The place is full of Lord this and Lady that interspersed with pioneers, explorers, woodsmen and indians.  Just walking around the hotels is like being in a museum. 

There's a trade off in that the rooms in these hotels tend not to be as big as modern hotel rooms, but I'll take it.   






With no other plans in mind, we went off to see the Banff Springs Hotel on Thursday.  Even more spectacularer (not a spelling mistake) than the Chateau Lake Louise in terms of the building itself, and the scenery, again, is gorgeous.  But I'm glad we decided to stay at Lake Louise and not Banff.   Especially since one of my life's goals is to dip my toes in every major body of water in the world - cross off Lake Louise!

Made It To The Mountains!

And boy oh boy was it worth the trip.  Jasper, Alberta is a lovely little town, with a picture postcard train station.  Its main industry is tourism, and everyone is exceptionally nice and friendly.  Great restaurants and bakeries, one of them had a write up in O! magazine.  (Terrific croissants.)  There's only one ski mountain, but tons and tons of hiking and riding trails as well as lakes, ponds, streams and rivers.  Mom and I are not going hiking, riding, fishing, swimming, skiing, canoeing or spelunking.   Mom left her cane in Florida and we've been looking for a "souvenir of Canada" one in every store we've seen.  Meanwhile I am her cane.

Got the rental car, figured out which pedal was the accelerator and off we went.

Stayed the first night in the mountains at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge, which is not one of the old Canadian Pacific Railroad hotels.  This didn't get off to a great start, they claimed my reservation was canceled on Sept. 24th, did not have an easily accessible room for Mom, and put us in a cabin out in the back of beyond.  Little on the shabby side for a Fairmont Resort, was not impressed with the broken concrete entrance to our cabin or the frayed cushions:

Nope, that wasn't making a big impression on me at all.  

BUT ... what did make an impression, and I'm sorry I don't have a photo of it, is the GINORMOUS elk that we saw when we came back from dinner!  It was waiting for us to go by in the car, and we were waiting for it to cross.  I've been reading the signs around Jasper that say you should not get between a buck and a female during mating season, not even in a car.   And there were three females on the other side of the road.  So we waited.  He waited.  We waited.  Eventually he strolled across the drive, head held high, all the time in the world. WOW!!!  He must have had 20 points - we could have almost touched him we were so close.  I thought about going back out and getting a photo but was afraid I would scare him with the flash and I didn't want to spook a very large wild animal, with hooves and horns (many, many horns - probably teeth too, but he wasn't smiling so I don't know for sure) in a dark, unfamiliar setting.  Especially since I'm not much of a runner these days. 

I checked at the front desk the next day.  They told me that the elk are easily spooked and that I did the right thing.  But what a picture that would have been - I'd have been a shoe-in for the next opening at National Geographic!! 

Then we were off for Lake Louise ... oh, wait until I tell you about the Icefield Parkway ...

 

Day Two – On the Train

Rockin’ & rollin’ night – and stopping and going and chugga, chugga, followed by nothing followed by more chugga, chugga.  Turns out most people find it hard to sleep the first night on the train, the second night they’re all exhausted and sleep really well, no matter how much noise or motion.  Mom asks questions that I don’t know the answer to, which (I think) she does so that I’ll find out and tell her, instead of her having to ask the question directly.  I noticed this pattern over in Italy many years ago; after traveling with her for two weeks back then I asked “Why do I have to ask ALL the questions?”  To which she replied “Because you speak Spanish”.  Pointing out that we were in Italy at the time made no difference.  Sometimes you need to know when to give up.  

Now I keep hearing things like “Why does it make all that noise on the straight parts and it’s quieter on the turns?  Why is that light red and the others are green but they don’t have yellow?  What does it mean when there are two green lights and one red light?  What do they call those yellow trees?  I now have all the answers to the above questions.  I also know that freight trains have priority over passenger trains, that there appear to be more cows than people in Saskatchewan, that the porters sleep wherever there is available room on the train, and that there is only one cabin on the train that accommodates three people.  I know why it’s called a drawing room, I know the names of all of our waiters and porters.  I know that Saskatchewan had the rainiest summer ever and the ground is so soggy in low lying areas of farms that the big heavy harvesters were sinking into the mud.   As a result there is a lot of unharvested wheat which may result in higher bread prices.   I know there’s a couple on board who are traveling around North America by train in 30 days.

 

Let’s get back to this cabin. Out of curiosity on Sunday I did a rough measurement of it.   Don’t worry, this didn’t take long.  The cabin is about 8’ long by 5 1/2’ wide.  About 44 sq. ft.   I think prison cells are larger, but I don’t know that from personal experience (yet).   The top bunk cranks up into the ceiling during the day and has a net of woven straps that’s hooked up at night so that the person in it won’t fall out.  There are also about five hooks that you can pop out from the wall, and would work well if you hang up a bunch of your stuff with wire hangers, but we don’t have any wire hangers.  I’ve found out that those who just buy a sleeper seat get a curtain that shuts them off from the companionway, but not a door.  Cabin F on each car has about one and half more feet than the others, which may not sound like much to you, but it will after three nights … I promise.

Winnipeg, Manitoba – it was Canadian Thanksgiving so not much was open, but just to stretch our legs and get off the train, we took a three hour tour of the city.  Winnipeg is nicknamed Windypeg, I’ll let you figure out why.  Largest French-speaking population outside of Quebec.  Gorgeous legislative building.  These pictures prove I was there.

Have not even set foot in a souvenir shop, so no weird souvenirs (yet).  I keep hoping.

The Trip Across Canada Begins!

We were off like a herd of turtles in a storm of thunder … well, not really.  This trip is unlike any other I’ve ever taken, and not only because I’m traveling with my mom, who at 89 (and ¾) years old is a little less spry than she was at 30).  Frankly I was never that interested in a long train ride, having spent my share of time on the Long Island Railroad, and with a second class student rail pass in Europe.  But if Mom wanted to go, I’d go.  As it turns out, it’s incredible!

We arrived in Toronto with a number of hours to spare, hoping to take a ½ day tour of the city.  Well that didn’t exactly work out, but we did have quite a long and scenic tour of the airport in trying to find a tour desk to book said city tour.  We did eventually find that you can take an express bus into Toronto, right to Union Station, for about $26 – very comfortable and a good savings from the cost of a taxi (about $50).   At the station we checked our bags in with a porter – and there’s no receipt.  You just give your bags to the porter and in a blind leap of faith believe that they will be delivered to your cabin.  I was skeptical.  The porter said “trust me, I promise you they’ll be there”.  Trust him?  I’ve never met this kid, I’ll probably never see him again, and I’m supposed to TRUST him?  We’d just seen three men about his age enter the airport in cuff links and under armed guard – being deported.  Why should I believe this guy?  What if I never see my brand new knee socks again?

It came down to either belief in a complete stranger or rolling two large suitcases behind me, and my mother in a wheelchair in front of me, while carrying a laptop and an overnight bag on my shoulder.  Try this yourself, you will either lose your suitcase or your mother, a tough decision to make.

                                                                            

The Royal York hotel, right across from the station is a lovely place to stay if you want to come in a day early. We went and had a light lunch of carrot-ginger soup.  The Royal York grows all its own vegetables on the roof!  I couldn’t believe it – but there’s even a tour of the rooftop gardens.  We missed it, but if they give a tour then I guess they’re not lying.  How do they do that in winter?  Greenhouses?

The “Canadian” (name of the train across Canada) passengers have a comfortable lounge in which they can wait for the train.  Coffee, tea, juices, water and sodas are free.  They have wi-fi, there are newspapers and a television (mostly hockey – this IS Canada). 

To my utter relief the suitcases were in our cabin,  but it wasn’t easy to get around them.  I don’t recommend this for larger (girth wise) people.  The cabin has a little sink and a separate toilet, shared shower is down the hall.  There’s about 14” of space between the beds and the afore mentioned sink.  The “closet” is about 8” wide.  No drawers.  A little storage shelf up top.  I flipped mom for the bottom bunk and I guess I lost because I’ve got the top one. I think that was going to happen anyway. 

Maneuvering is tricky, but we’re managing.  I recommend packing light for anyone planning to do this trip – there’s really not much room for any luggage.  It’s easier if only one person tries to get changed at a time instead of sharing the space.   But it’s cozy – and certainly friendly.

Let’s go back to the trust issue – you can’t lock the door when you leave your cabin.  The hall porter’s explanation was that they didn’t have enough keys.  That sounds a little lame but it was the best we were going to get.  No high-tech programmed key cards here. 

Weird souvenir of the day:  I’m going to have to disappoint you here.  No souvenir, but there is a grown man on the train traveling with his doll.  No joke.  It sits across from him at meals.  About a 3’ rag doll.  I was going to get a picture today but I saw him getting off the train – carrying the doll in a blanket.  I did not make this up.  

The best (or worst) thing so far … there’s no internet on the train.  I have clients trying to reach me to book, I have clients who want to re-fare their booking.  There’s just nothing I can do.  No cell phone coverage, no internet.  Nothin’. 

Was planning to send this in Winnipeg, but turns out we didn't have wi-fi available on the train, only in the station, so had to wait until Jasper.  Stay tuned.  More to come. .

Choo choo … chugga chugga, … choo choo!!