Crossing Canada by train: Part 3

We passed the continental divide and entered British Columbia about 25 kilometres west of Jasper at Yellowhead Lake. We saw Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and two black bears as we followed along the path of the North Thompson River. The train slowed to allow us a longer look at the high and beautiful Pyramid Falls. A lot of the trees surrounding the tracks, both coniferous and deciduous, are tall but don't have wide trunks.

Pyramid Falls

People talk about gaining weight on cruise ships, but I think the chances of doing so are better on the Canadian since you're fed so well and there are fewer opportunities to exercise. And the food for breakfast, lunch and dinner isn't just plentiful, it's delicious. Dinner tonight consisted of tomato florentine soup, salad, duck breast, mashed potatoes and broccoli, with chocolate torte and cheesecake for dessert.

We passed a few small towns and lumber mills and had a half-hour stop in Kamloops to refuel and change engineers at 11:30 p.m. I got up at 6:45 a.m., but missed some apparently spectacular scenery going through deep gorges, tunnels and over trestle bridges. VIA used to go through this area during daylight because it can be so breathtaking, but a company representative told me it stopped about 15 years ago because some passengers were nervous and frightened while crossing some of the bridges. It's a shame.

We followed along the Fraser River and then crossed it in Surrey via the Patella Bridge into New Westminster and then on through Coquitlam and Burnaby to Vancouver. We had the transcontinental breakfast (eggs, toast, potato pancakes, fruit and choice of ham, bacon or sausage) with coffee before we backed into Vancouver's Pacific Central Station at 9:15 a.m. -- a half-hour ahead of schedule.

A city bus ride and short walk took us to the $145 a night Quality Hotel Downtown, where we dropped off our luggage and took two city buses to expansive Stanley Park. We'd visited it in 2003, but didn't go to its aquarium, so that was today's destination. It cost $27 for adults and $21 for seniors. We started with the beluga whale show and also saw otters, harbour seals, sea lions and African penguins outside before moving to the inside exhibits. The Strait of Georgia featured giant sturgeons and other fish; B.C. Coast had wolf eels and more; Tropic Zone was highlighted by small sharks and other coral and reef creatures; and Amazon Rainforest included caiman, exotic birds and butterflies.

We returned outside for the dolphin show and our last stop was the 4D Theatre, where we were given glasses to watch a 3D film that was augmented by sensory effects, including wind, mist, scents and a poke in the back. We  walked back through the park and took the same buses on the return trip to the hotel, where my mother decided she'd had enough after grabbing a tuna submarine at Subway.

I headed to The Railway Club, one of the city's hot spots for live music and microbrews, to meet a friend. We drank pints of Tree Cutthroat Pale Ale, Driftwood Fat Tug IPA, Phillips Hop Circle IPA and Howe Sound King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen. We eventually moved on to the Cambie Pub, where the selection wasn't nearly as good but the prices were cheap, for two pints. We went to a classier pub, which I don't remember the name of since I guess some of the high-octane brews from The Railway Club caught up with me, for nightcaps before I made my way back to the hotel.

We had enjoyed Granville Island on our previous visit and our hotel was just a short walk and mini ferry ride across False Creek, so we returned to walk around the market, shops, boutiques and park areas before settling in on the patio of the Dockside Restaurant, which offered a lovely view of False Creek and the eastern part of Vancouver. I ordered a flight of six six-ounce glasses of beer and mom got a pint of Jamaican Lager. None of the brew pub's Marina Light Lager, Johnston Street Pilsner, Railspur IPA, Cartwright Pale Ale, Old Bridge Dark Lager, Pelican Bay Brown Ale or Jamaican Lager were particularly good, but the beautiful weather and surroundings made it a nice way to spend an hour.

We caught the ferry back, grabbed our luggage at the hotel and walked eight blocks to the Yaletown Roundhouse Station to catch the Skytrain to the airport. It cost $3.75 and $2.50 for seniors and is one of the major positive spinoffs of the Vancouver Olympics.

The flight back to Toronto wasn't nearly as interesting as the train ride that got us to Vancouver, but the entire journey fulfilled my mother's dream and provided an enjoyable nine-day respite from my job.

Crossing Canada by train: Part 2

We caught the next westward bound Canadian train just before noon and passed numerous green and yellow fields and the odd small town -- including Portage La Prairie, where an old water tower is painted like the world's biggest Coke can. The picturesque Qu'Appelle River Valley made western Manitoba more visually appealing than I thought it would be.

Portage La Prairie's giant Coke can

Potash drives Saskatchewan's economy and we passed two huge mines and plants shortly after we crossed into the province. We made a 20-minute stop in Melville, and my first step down from the train there meant that I've now been in all 10 Canadian provinces (and the Yukon). There wasn't much to see, so I was happy to reboard and keep heading west past more grain elevators and a herd of bison before darkness came down and we made a 30-minute, post-dinner stop in Saskatoon at 11:30 p.m.

The train rolled into Edmonton around 7 a.m. and we stayed there for about 75 minutes, but there was nothing to do or see around the station, so we returned to the train for breakfast and continued the journey -- particularly enjoying the view as we passed Wabamun Lake, one of the most heavily used recreational lakes in Alberta.

It was July 1, and a Canada Day cake was served at 12:40 p.m. The Rockies came into view less than 30 minutes later as the tracks followed the course of the Athabasca River, but the mountains lived up to their name in what was probably the most spectacular and breathtaking section of the train ride. The snow-capped peaks confirmed that I'd made the right choice in deciding to get off the train and stay in Jasper for two days.

Jasper

We arrived at 2 p.m., walked to the end of town to the Tonquin Inn to drop off our bags and then returned to browse through the numerous souvenir shops that abound in the tourist-oriented town of 4,000. After booking a wildlife bus trip for the next day, we had a casual dinner of bison burgers at Olive Bistro & Lounge.

Centennial Park was hosting Jasper's Canada Day celebrations, so I walked down to hear a nifty bluegrass combo called Fiddle River Band and make proper use of the beer garden before deciding I needed better beer and went to the Jasper Brewing Co. brew pub for a sampler tray of six of their products, the best of which were the Rockhopper India pale ale and the blueberry and vanilla-infused seasonal beer. It was nearing fireworks time, so I returned to the park to witness an impressive 10-minute display of pyrotechnics. After a nightcap at Whistle Stop, it was time to walk home.

The next morning began with a walk to the outskirts of Jasper to the Red Squirrel Trail, which went through a forest, past a small lake and then crossed a bridge over the Athabasca River to begin the Old Fort Point Loop. This trail began in a forested area and gradually began sloping upward alongside occasional patches of moss that were a brilliant green. There were gentle slopes and then a steep climb to an area that provided a great view to the north of the mountains, Lac Beauvert, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and its golf course. I continued on the trail through more forested areas before arriving at a clearing that provided outstanding views of the mountains to the east and south. I had the trails pretty much to myself up to this point, but there were large animal droppings along the way and an adjoining trail was closed because of recent bear sightings, so I rattled my metal cooler bottle to make creatures aware that I was in the vicinity.

I arrived at Old Fort Point, where there never was an old fort. A lot of people just climbed up here from the nearby parking lot and didn't hike the trail. It provided a good vista of Jasper and the surrounding area.

I climbed back down to ground level. It was just past noon and I was feeling energetic, so I decided to take on a longer trail that went along the east side of the Athabasca, which has a steady current flowing north. Two white-tailed deer scampered past about 15 metres from me. The trail alternated between open and forested sections until I came to a short trail that branched east to Lac Beauvert. I walked around the beautiful Jasper Park Lodge, where I'd love to stay if I return and have lots of money.

I returned to the trail along the Athabasca and, while I again spotted lots of recently deposited poop, I didn't see any animals. After reaching where Lodge and Maligne roads meet, I crossed a bridge to the west side of the Athabasca and got on the Bighorn Trail that goes above the highway and railway tracks and heads back south into Jasper. It was more open than forested and was the least interesting part of the hike. I got back into town after hiking more than 17 kilometres in five hours, picked up a ham, egg and cheese sandwich for $3.50 from the Bear Paw Bakery and returned to the Tonquin for a soak in the indoor hot tub.

My mom and I had signed up for an evening wildlife tour through Sundog Transportation and Tours, which cost $65 per person. The driver/guide of the small bus was a wildlife and nature expert who shared lots of her knowledge with us as she drove or stopped to let us observe some of the animals we spotted.

Part of the journey went along the Maligne River, which is at its highest in 20 years and has turned into rapids in many areas while flooding others, including some of the shoreline around beautiful Maligne Lake.

We got within six metres of a large bull elk and three black bears, which was a big treat. We also saw four female elk and four white-tailed deer from a farther distance. Unfortunately we didn't spot any big horn sheep, moose, caribou, wolves, coyote or mountain goats, but it was an educational and enjoyable way to spend three hours.

We arrived back at the hotel just after 9 p.m. and elected to dine at the adjoining Tonquin Prime Rib Village, which served excellent 10-ounce sirloins along with freshly baked bread, baked potatoes and steamed vegetables for $29.

The plan the next morning was to catch a shuttle to the Jasper Tramway outside of town, the longest and highest guided aerial tramway in Canada, which would whisk us almost a kilometre up Whistlers Mountain for great views of the surrounding area. But it was pouring rain, overcast and foggy, which would have made the trip useless. So we stayed at the hotel until the 11 a.m. check-out time, getting the most out of the $245 a night we paid for our room, and took a seven-dollar taxi ride to the train station to drop off our bags.

We walked to the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives, which cost $10 for the two of us. It's small, but features a lot of information and is well put together and was a worthwhile way to spend an hour.

Brunch at Smitty's Family Restaurant provided me with the Texas skillet (a combination of taco ground beef, three scrambled eggs, hash browns, diced tomatoes and green onions) for $12.99, and my mom with her typical bacon and eggs. We returned to the train station, which was late in arriving, but we finally pulled out at 4:20 p.m. Our two-bed berth was somehow double-booked, so we received an upgrade to a private cabin which has its own toilet and sink.

Crossing Canada by train: Part 1

Travelling across Canada by train. To some, it may sound romantic. To others, thinking of how vast the country is, it could seem daunting.

I didn't have any preconceptions before VIA Rail's Canadian pulled out of Toronto's Union Station at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night earlier this summer en route to Vancouver's Pacific Central Station. I just knew I was fulfilling my mother's dream to make the journey.

And VIA's half-price sale made it much more affordable. My mother's lower sleeping berth cost $1,084 while my upper berth went for $922.

From the moment we entered Union Station's recently renovated Panorama Lounge before boarding, to meeting our porter Ron who oversaw our Sleeper Plus class berths, to our host Vern who served free champagne to passengers in the skyline car as we departed, it was already a more civilized experience than flying.

The immensity of Northern Ontario came into clear focus the next morning at breakfast -- where I enjoyed pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon syrup, thick slices of ham and melon -- and realized we wouldn't cross into Manitoba until 5 a.m. the next day. There wasn't a lot to see from the skyline car where we spent almost all of our time when we weren't sleeping, being very well-fed in the dining car or playing Bingo or sampling free wines in the activity car.

Throughout the day we passed freight trains going in the opposite direction and were surrounded on both sides by forest, with the occasional rock outcropping, river or small lake intermittently coming into view. There were no animals, very few birds and just the occasional sign of potential human habitation via run-down hunting and fishing cabins before we made a 40-minute afternoon stop in the small town of Hornepayne, where we could get out and stretch our legs, smokers could get their fix and I could pay a quick visit to the liquor store for supplies.

We elected to get off for two days in Winnipeg before the next Canadian came to continue our journey, and we made the most of our time in the Manitoba capital. The Marlborough Hotel was built in 1914 and was once one of the city's classiest hotels. It still looks that way from the outside and in the lobby and dining room, but the guest rooms are a bit run-down and in need of refurbishment. But it's centrally located, reasonably priced at $95 a night (including tax) and comes with free wireless Internet and hot breakfast and features an indoor pool with a relatively large waterslide.

Museum of Human Rights

The Museum of Human Rights was supposed to open this summer but is over budget and behind schedule and now isn't expected to open until 2014. But what's completed looks striking. We walked across the Red River via the Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge to the French-speaking neighbourhood of St. Boniface, where we admired its city hall, fire hall and main cathedral, where controversial Manitoba founder Louis Riel is buried outside in a small cemetery.

We returned to walk around The Forks -- a park, historic and retail/entertainment site where we embarked on a 30-minute, $10 narrated boat ride on the Red and Assiniboine rivers via Splash Dash Guided River Tours that extended from the legislative building to Fort Gibraltar. After a beer on the fifth floor rooftop Tavern United across from the MTS Centre, we dined on ribs and steak on the patio at Moxie's Classic Grill and I later ventured out for a pint of locally brewed Half Pints Little Scrapper IPA at the King's Head Pub.

Two city bus rides the next morning got us to expansive Assiniboine Park, where we spent two hours wandering around the zoo observing a variety of birds, bison, deer, monkeys, lynx, musk ox, kangaroos, camels, zebras, Siberian tigers, stone sheep, takin and more. We continued on through the park's picturesque Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and the English Gardens, past the duck pond and Lyric Theatre and over a foot bridge that returned us to Portage Avenue, where we caught a bus back downtown.

After a pint of Half Pints Stir Stick Stout at the King's Head patio, we wandered around the historic Exchange District, which features numerous well-preserved examples of late 19th and early 20th century Chicago-style architecture. The impressive Manitoba Museum featured a wide breadth of informative and interestingly designed exhibits on the geography and history of the province, and included a beautifully crafted replica of the 17th century ship, Nonsuch.

We stopped at the Winnipeg Free Press Cafe patio for a bottle of Half Pints Bulldog Amber Ale and then browsed in Toad Hall, a large but quaint store with toys, hobby and magic items from 50 countries. A local friend invited us for dinner at his house and we ended the evening with a nightcap at the Marlborough's Regal Beagle pub. Unfortunately, there were no Jack Tripper, Chrissy Snow or Larry Dallas sightings.