From Colorado to coastal Maine, America has a lot to offer in leaf-peeping season. But here’s a secret: our northern neighbor is kaleidoscopic in autumn.
The rolling alpine landscape draped in hues of burgundy, soft yellow and tangerine is especially noticeable aboard Rocky Mountaineer’s First Pass West. En route through Banff, Alberta, you’ll experience Western Canada through the train’s large windows with a glass of local wine or a hearty breakfast — buttermilk pancakes with lemon and honey or avocado toast with smoked salmon — prepared by chefs at board.
It’s a trip designed to roll with the good times and banish the nagging question, “Are we there yet?”
National Benefit
Banff is best known for its imposing mountains and bluer-than-blue lakes (especially the Caribbean Sea-colored Lake Louise).
For peak foliage, the best time to visit the national park is the last two weeks of September and the first week of October. Foliage watchers can look forward to alpine trees (larch tamarack) doing their thing as they undergo a metamorphosis from lush green to painted gold.
This needle-laden tree, which abounds in Banff National Park, can also be appreciated through a bird’s-eye view on the Banff Gondola, one of the additional activities offered by Rocky Mountaineer.
Railway photo
Intrigued by the allure of train travel, but can you do without bumping into the sleeping car? You are lucky.
The Rocky Mountaineer is a daylight-only rail experience, so you’ll be on the tracks during the day and rest in beautiful hotels each night. To keep the choo-choo around, entertaining on-board hosts help narrate your time on the tracks with intelligence about wildlife and geography, and campfire-worthy stories about historic places and notable people.
When booking, choose the GoldLeaf or SilverLeaf service options. With the GoldLeaf staircase, you’ll be treated to cinematic views from a two-level, glass-domed carriage, the lower part of which is for dining – you’ll also have access to an exclusive outdoor viewing platform. Meanwhile, the SilverLeaf service takes place in a single-level train carriage and you will dine on a gourmet lunch from your seat.
Prices vary by service level and package (eg, short trip, reef highlights or round trip).
Right on track
Vancouver, Kamloops and Banff are the trio of destinations highlighted in the legendary “First Passage to the West” — and quite the trio it is. Take what Hollywood North is all about advertising glam restaurants and retail outlets juxtaposed with equally beautiful mother nature (snow-capped mountains, coastal tides, you know the deal).
From Vancouver, you’ll pass through Kamloops, with verdant landscapes, the peaks of the Coast Mountains, the Fraser River and the sparkling white water of Hell’s Gate dazzling you along the way and into town.
Next, you’ll make your way east through the Shuswap region, with its endless lake views. Once your caboose is up, you’ll see mountains all the way to Banff.
For rail enthusiasts, the real scene-stealer may well be the engineering feats of the spiral tunnels, discovered in 1909, which run through Mount Ogden (lower tunnel) and Cathedral Mount (upper tunnel), to the slope of the Kicking Horse Pass. .
Geology buffs will have the most fun traversing the Continental Divide. And almost all will go to retrace the path of the 19th century explorers who connected Canada’s East and West when the railway was completed in 1885.
This year, fares for First Passage to the West packages start at $1,720 for a two-day rail trip from Vancouver to Banff, including two breakfasts and two lunches on board, baggage handling and rail station transfers in Kamloops and overnight hotel in Kamloops.
The First Passage to the West Discovery Package starts at $4,140 and includes two days of rail service and Rocky Mountaineer meals, along with eight nights of hotel accommodations, baggage handling and multiple rail station transfers, a pass to National Park and Gondola rides in Banff. .
But best of all, First Passage to the West packages go both ways. This means you can start in the Rockies (Banff) and go to Vancouver, or vice versa.
#Canadian #train #adventure #enjoy #fall #colors
Image Source : nypost.com