Aug. 5, 1979 Toronto – Calgary/Warm – Sunny
Took off at Hopkins for an 8:00 o’clock flight to Toronto, Canada. We arrived at 8:45, checked in our baggage at the train station after a nice 25 minute ride from airport via Charterways bus. Had a delicious lunch at the Royal York Hotel + a nice walk thru the new Sheraton Center. Our train - the Super Continental is very adequate - not plush, but comfortable. After traveling 7 hr. I checked the map + discovered we’re directly north of Cleve. What a surprise! I was sure we were farther West. Birch trees – lakes – evergreens - some wheat (not alot), + many veg. gardens in Toronto area. Bedded down about 10 pm in our sleeping car. Bert – Upper, Hammy – Lower} Bunk bed!
Aug. 6, 1979 Nakima, Ontario/Pleasant - Sunny
Most of the day was spent lumbering through Ontario. Six hundred + evergreens per min. is about the extent of our viewing throughout the day. We nearly had a riot in the train trying to get in the third sitting for the diner – our section. Everyone wanted to eat before arriving in Winnipeg where we lost most of the orig. cars from Toronto - picked up additional ones from Montreal + added a dome car. What a view of the city! Manitoba was certainly a contrast from Ontario. It’s very flat - lots of wheat + some cattle. Very pleasant.
Aug. 7, 1979 Regina to Calgary/Pleasant
We awakened to flat prairie + soon after viewed Regina's interesting Legislature Bldg. with Golden Boy atop its dome. (All this from the Observation Car.) We passed quickly into Saskatuan (sp.) [Saskatchewan] + made stops in interesting places like Swift Current + Medicine Hat, Alberta. These are typical western type towns with Indian culture predominating. We’ve found this trip very interesting so far but welcomed the Calgary sign where we exited and went to the Palliser Hotel for the night. Went to Mashe's for a delicious deli meal.
Aug. 8, 1979 Lake Louise, Alberta/Sunny - Rainy - Warm - Cold
Left Calgary by Royal Glacier Coach at 8:00 A.M. Beautiful drive on Trans Canada Hgwy. Our hotel, the Chateau Lake Louise looks like the lake + is a splendid sight to behold! The afternoon was spent visiting Banff + Yoho National Park including Emerald Lake + Takakkaw Falls. The latter two are located in B.C. After a 5 course dinner in the hotel we walked 3-1/2 miles to the end of the lake. I'll always remember the gorgeous blue flowers, blue green lake, and mtns of evergreen.
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| Lake Louise |
Quite a nice day with such a variety of scenery we couldn’t become bored. We got up early from the booming sound of johns flushing in this old hotel + jogged around the lake. Nearly froze our tu-tus. We passed thru Wapka Lake, saw spiral tunnels in Yoho Valley, followed the Kicking Horse River – Field – the natural bridge, then lunch at Rogers Pass. This is in Glacier Nat. Park where grizzlies abound, but we didn’t see any. There are many avalanches in this area, but we didn’t see any. They build sheds over the hgihway. From Three Valley Gap – beautiful Shuswap Lake – Salmon Arm + our final stop Kamloops.
Aug. 10, 1979: Kamloops to Jasper/Hot
With just 9 passengers on the bus we had a glorious day. We stopped along the way to watch logs being processed into lumber, - all automatically. Spahata [Creek] Falls, the N. + S. Thompson R., Blue River + Birch Island were all part of our scenic route. Had a marvelous lunch at Clearwater + a drink of glacier water later in the afternoon. As we approached Jasper, we took magnificent shots of Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies - 12,970’. A moose was feasting on fire weed at the side of the road just a few miles from the beautiful city of Jasper where we stayed.
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| Moose feeding on fireweed |
Aug. 11, 1979: Jasper, Alberta/Cool – cloudy then sunny
Beautiful place. Our a.m. tour was by a beat up school bus Brewster leased but we made it to Malign [Maligne] Lake, Pyramid Lake, + a tram trip to the top of Whistlers Mtn. Had the afternoon off to go shopping along the main street. It’s interesting the way the houses are built with high fences around them to prevent animals from coming in. The Park System doesn’t allow anyone from feeding them, so they became very dangerous. Had dinner in our motel - the Andrew Motel - very lovely.
Aug. 12, 1979: Jasper to Banff/Beautiful
Enroute to Banff we had a very scenic ride viewing glaciers, water falls, + more beautiful mountains – Crowfoot Glacier at Bow Lake, Saskatchawan River Valley, the Bridal [Veil] Falls in Banff Nat. Park. We stopped + toured the Columbia Ice Fields. Saw a 150’ millwell [a hole in a glacier into which melted ice water falls] + rode a most uncomfortable snow mobile.
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| Bert with the Snow Tracks - tour snowmobiles |
Aug. 13, 1979 Banff - Calgary – Colo. Spgs/Cool
Left by Royal Glacier bus at station across from our hotel for a 10 a.m. drive to Calgary. Enroute visited with a Japanese teacher going to Vancouver - we practiced his English. Check thru customs in Calgary + were airborn at 2 p.m. for Denver. Saw the Space Shuttle + Boeing 747 which had just landed. Had a hassle to get dinner in the airport. The kids [Mike + Leslie] met us + we had a grand visit for a week.
