chuckography

Time To Get Back Into "Training."

Not "exercise" training. I'm hardly aiming for the London Olympics.

Did see the Olympic site in Montreal in 2005.

No, I have decided it was time again to use the North America Rail Pass.

Ride anywhere on Amtrak for 30 days and include a portion of the trip in Canada.

That's why I was in Montreal in 2005.

I had traveled there on Amtrak and, a few days later, went down to Toronto to board The Canadian.

That restored classic 1950s train would take me in First Class luxury across Canada's prairies, their Rockies and down into sunny Vancouver, B.C. in 3 1/2 days.

I was comfortably seated in my private "Roomette" that was converted into a bed in the evenings. With a turn-down chocolate placed on my pillow.

There was a sink and toilet and the shower was a just few steps down the hall.

My DVD player was fully charged and I had 25 disks with me in case the scenery got boring.

It did not.

This was the famed Silver & Blue deluxe portion of the train.

Even though I was on a Senior rate, and in the off-peak season, all the gourmet meals and amenities were included and totally available.

In the dining car one afternoon, I had a Buffalo Burger.

It was not just named that, it actually WAS well-done Bison and, no, it did NOT taste like chicken.

The old "domed" observation cars were great.

The bullet-shaped rear car was cozy and you met seasoned travelers who wisely were on repeat trips.

I had a choice of early or late seating for meals and wandered past the informative chalk board maintained by the Purser.

There were trivia games to play and quizzes to take on the areas we were passing through.

I was not very good on Canadian history, eh.

(Click on the photos and they will be much larger.)


I was still new at saving pictures back in 2005 but I do have this right..

Uh oh. I just Googled and found the Rail Pass program was cancelled in September 2008 so that package is no longer available.

I still plan to ride the rails but probably only the Canadian portion. There are a variety of special discount packages.

The train just underwent another $22 million renovation so it's better than ever they say.

Labels: AMTRAK, bison burger, Classe Bleu D'Argent, DVD player, NARP, North America Rail Pass, Silver and Blue Class, The Canadian, Trans-Canada train travel

posted by chuckography @ 1:13 PM