On the train

Our journey on the Rocky Mountaineer was great. We saw some magnificent scenery. The train was comfortable. Brandi, our guide/host (not sure what you'd call her) was funny, intelligent, friendly and very knowledgeable (and I suspect she'll be a famous motivational speaker/author before too long).The food was okay.

The first half of the first day, from Jasper to Kamloops was scenic; as were the first two-thirds of the second day, from Kamloops to Vancouver. Some of the journey was a bit samey; and we didn't see much wild life. I did glimpse a bear for less than a second; we saw osprey and bald eagles; some otters; a few longhorn sheep... men working on the track, cattle, dogs and horses were more plentiful!

In retrospect, we could have saved our dollars and hired a car and seen as many spectacular views. But we wouldn't have had the information and anecdotes provided by the train guide and the literature they gave us. So on balance we're glad we took the train. 

Here are some of the pictures we took:

Mountains and trees

Mountains and trees

Mountains and trees

A river

A waterfall

The Rocky Mountaineer on Day One

Mountains, trees and river

Mountains, trees damaged by pine beetle and a river

An osprey's nest (which is renewed each year - ospreys are monogamous) on a bridge over a river; with mountains and trees

Mountains and river - no trees (wonderful rock formations and layers)

The Rocky Mountaineer on the second day - much longer as coaches were added at Kamloops; we'd come from Jasper, they'd come from Calgary and Banff

Trees after a forest fire