Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 9 & 10

Friday, October 2nd, 2026

Today we left on our motorcoach for a tour of downtown Banff. The resort town was in the Banff National Park with a population of 8,000. Banff National Park was Canada’s first national park. It also was part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Bow River’s name originated from the reeds growing along its banks, the First Nations used the reeds to make bows.

We stopped at the Surprise Corner Viewpoint. It was named because as you turned the corner you saw “surprising views”. It was located in Banff National Park. We had views of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the surrounding Canadian Rockies.

Sir William Cornelius Van Horne was the general manager of Canadian Pacific Railway during the 19th century and is best known for overseeing the major construction of the first Canadian transcontinental Railway. A statue of him was located in the roundabout in front of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

Near Banff was the Bow Falls. It had a 30 feet drop and was 100 feet wide. It was a block-style waterfall which meant it was wider than it was tall and it spilled over the edge as a single sheet.

We did a group photo before we moved on.

We had tickets to ride the Banff Gondola. It took about 8 minutes to reach the summit of Sulphur Mountain.

View from our gondola as we head up the mountainside.

From the summit of Sulphur Mountain we could see six mountain ranges in the Canadian Rockies, Bow Valley, and the town of Banff. Click through the slideshow below to see a sampling of the views!

We saw more waterfalls as we traveled in Banff National Park.

Lake Minneanka was a huge glacial lake in Banff National Park. It was 13 miles long and 466 feet deep. This lake was known to the Stoney Nakoda First Nations people as Minn-waki which meant “Lake of the Spirits”. Artifacts from 14,000 years ago had been found around this lake.

We then continued on to Calgary and no longer had the Canadian Rockies to view. Calgary was the largest city in Alberta. It was located at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers. Calgary was known for its world-famous Calgary Stampede. This rodeo festival was founded in 1912 and held annually since 1923.

When we reached our hotel in Calgary we said goodbye to Richard, our driver and guide!

Saturday, October 3rd, 2026

After breakfast a motorcoach picked us up to drive us to the Calgary airport.

Our flight from Calgary to Denver was close to being on time. We arrived in Columbus late in the evening. Our driver was ready to pick us up and take us home.

We had a fantastic trip but it was always good to get home!

Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 8

Thursday, October 1st, 2026

Today was full-day of sightseeing and we learned about the natural forces that shaped the appearance of lakes and streams found in this area of the Rocky Mountains.

As we traveled on the Trans Canada Highway we saw several of these wildlife overpasses that were built to protect animals wanting to travel from one side of the highway to the other side. These bridges have reduced animal-vehicle collisions by over 80%!

The mountain views were spectacular as we continued on the highway.

Our first stop today was the Spiral Tunnels in Yoho National Park. The park covered 507 square miles in the Rocky Mountains.

The explanation of how the Spiral Tunnels work written here was from the Government of Canada’s website. It explains it so much better! “An eastbound train leaving Field climbs a moderate hill, goes through two short, straight tunnels on Mt. Stephen, under the Trans-Canada Highway, across the Kicking Horse River and into the Lower Spiral Tunnel in Mt. Ogden. It spirals to the left up inside the mountain for 891 metres (0.6 miles) and emerges 15 metres (50 feet) higher. The train then crosses back over the Kicking Horse River, under the highway a second time and into the 991 metre (0.6 mile) tunnel in Cathedral Mountain. The train spirals to the right, emerging 17 metres (56 feet) higher and continues to the top of Kicking Horse Pass.”

The video below showed the train moving from the lower Spiral tunnel to the higher tunnel.

Kicking Horse River was a glacial-fed mountain river.

The Yoho Valley Road led to the Takakkaw Falls. The road was famous for its steep set of tight hairpin switchbacks. Our motorcoach had to do a reverse maneuver to navigate the 180˚ hairpin turns. Richard, our driver, navigated to turns excellently. The photo below was from Google that showed the turns.

Hairpin turns ➡️

Takakkaw Falls was in Yoho National Park. We followed a path from the parking lot to get to the falls. The water plummets at high speeds off the edge of the tall vertical cliff and into the Yoho River below. The waterfall had a height of 1,224 feet and the main drop of the waterfall had a height of 833 feet.

Takakkaw Falls

Another stop in the Yoho National Park was Emerald Lake. It was a turquoise glacial lake. Tom Wilson, s mountain guide, discovered the lake in 1882 while he was rounding up a group of horses that had gone astray.

O-H-I-O on the wooden bridge across Emerald Lake!

From Emerald Lake we visited Natural Bridge.

The rock formation where the Kicking Horse River forced its way through a narrow limestone canyon became the Natural Bridge.

We saw the “Last Man Standing” in Yoho National Park. It was a bronze statue by sculptor John Boxtel was unveiled in 2019 to honor civilian internees held in Yoho National Park’s internment camp during WWI.

On our way to Lake Louise. It was a glacial lake in Banff National Park.

This beautiful lake was named after the Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. The turquoise lake was surrounded by mountain peaks and was set at the base of Victoria Glacier.

Lake Louise and Victoria Glacier in the background

After our visit to Lake Louise we went back to Banff. Of course we saw more of the Rockies!

For dinner some of us visited Park Distillery. It was a restaurant and a working distillery located in downtown Banff. Our meals were very good!

Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 7

Wednesday, September 30th, 2026

This morning we met our motorcoach driver and guide, Richard. He will be with us for the next three days. He was a great driver and we enjoyed his knowledge and humor!

Only traffic light on Jasper. Added a couple of years ago.

We left Jasper and will end the day in Banff with a full day of sightseeing on our way.

We rode along the Icefields Parkway. It was a 144-mile highway. This highway links Jasper with Lake Louise. It was a beautiful drive with stops along the way!

We still saw remnants of the Jasper National Park wildfire from 2024.

Look closely to see quite a few elk along the side of the Parkway.

We followed along the Athabasca River. It was a major mountain river in Jasper National Park that flows over 765 miles.

The Rockies were snow-covered and glistened.

Our first stop was at the Athabasca Falls. It was considered the most powerful waterfall in the Canadian Rockies. It had an 80 foot drop and a width of 60 feet. The falls cascade down a limestone canyon which took thousands of years to carve by the Athabasca river’s powerful force.

The short clip below demonstrated the power of the water at the falls!

The Sunwapta River was a major tributary of the Athabasca River.

We could view the Stutfield Glacier from a lookout point where we stopped.

O-H-I-O in front of the Stutfield Glacier.

Mt. Alberta was 11,873 feet at its peak. It was the 5th highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.

Below was another waterfall along the Icefields Parkway!

The Columbia Icefield was our next stop. We visited the Icefield Glacier Discovery Center and had a buffet lunch in the Altitude Restaurant. The restaurant had panoramic views of the Athabasca Glacier. Since Kay had to eat gluten free, the restaurant prepared a plate in the kitchen following protocols so there wasn’t cross contamination. We appreciated the willingness to accommodate.

Athabasca Glacier was a 10,000 year old sheet of ice. Due to our warming climate, the glacier has lost about 16 feet of depth per year and receding rapidly.

After lunch we took the Ice Explorer on the icy slopes of the glacier.

Dave with our driver and the Ice Eplorer

The Ice Explorer slowly took us to the glacier where we were able to walk on it.

After walking on the glacier we visited the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. We could see waterfalls, mountain goats, and the Sunwapta Valley. The walkway had a suspended glass floor that was 918 feet in the air.

The glass floor was on the left in the picture below.

Waterfalls that we saw from the Skywalk.

Mountain goats were eating down below us.

Peyto Lake was a glacier-fed and was a beautiful turquoise color. This beautiful color was the result of glacial rock flour (fine rock dust) that reflected the sunlight.

The lake was widely noted for its distinct wolf-head shape and located in a valley of the Waputik Range.

The drive was so scenic as we headed for Banff. The mountains were majestic.

The Banff Ptarmigan Inn was our hotel for two nights.

Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 6

Tuesday, September 29th, 2026

Jasper was located in western Alberta and was completely within Jasper National Park. A major wildfire occurred on July 22nd, 2024. It was started by lightning strikes and it spread rapidly. More than 4,700 residents were forced to evacuate. By August 1st the fire had consumed over 80,300 acres. Jasper lost 1/3 of its buildings. We could see rebuilding as we walked around the town this morning.

One location of temporary housing from fire

We had a tour booked for the morning to visit locations in the Jasper National Park but they emailed late and canceled our tour. After breakfast we took a walk to the tour office but no tours were available! It was chilly this morning so we stopped in a restaurant, The Maligne Range, and ordered hot chocolate or coffee so we could figure out what we were going to do today! The staff was great and offered suggestions.

We got tickets to take the Skytram up Whistlers Mountain. It was cloudy this morning but by the time we boarded we saw the sun and blue sky.

Riding the Skytram up Whistlers Mountain

The views from the Upper Station were amazing.

We could see the remnants of the 2024 wildfire that went through Jasper.

We got down from the Skytram and the wind had picked up as the flag below demonstrated. We were the last car down before they suspended the Skytram due to the wind. Who knows how long we would have stayed up there!

Canadian flag at the base of the Skytram

On our way from the base of Whistlers Mountain heading into Jasper we saw elk along the side of the road, both male and female.

We spent some time walking around Jasper. It originally was a railway town. It still had trains passing through. In fact, our hotel room left ear plugs to use if the trains woke us!

Jasper National Park was a designated UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Heritage Site. The park consisted of 4,335 square miles and it was also Canada’s largest park in the Rocky Mountains.

We really enjoyed our free day in Jasper. For dinner we went back to the restaurant that we stopped at in the morning. Our meals were delicious!

Tomorrow morning we make our way to Banff.

Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 4

Sunday, September 27th, 2026

We were leaving Whistler before sunrise to take a bus to the train station. The full moon was still shining brightly!

Our bus ride from Whistler to Pemberton station was about thirty minutes. Children that live in the town of about 3,400 come to see the Rocky Mountaineer leave the station. It was so sweet.

On our way to the train station we passed by Green Lake which was located north of Whistler. It was known for its turquoise-green water created by glacial silt flowing from surrounding mountains and Fitzsimmons Creek. The sun wasn’t up over the mountains yet so you can’t really tell how beautiful the water color was.

Our motorcoach traveled past the Nairn Falls Provincial Park that was located near the village of Pemberton. It was situated on the Green River.

The sun was rising over the mountains as we traveled along!

It was such magnificent scenery! Below were pictures of Anderson Lake. It was located in the Squamish-Lillooet region of southwestern British Columbia. The lake was 13 miles long and in some areas 700 feet deep!

D’Arcy was a small community located at the southern end of Anderson Lake.

In the Squamish-lillooet regional district we saw this beautiful lake.

Seton Lake was an emerald-green, glacially fed freshwater fjord and hydroelectric reservoir. The lake was about 14 miles long and had a maximum depth 1,500 feet.

In the mountains near the lake we saw some California Big Horn Sheep!

Crossing the Fraser River near Lillooet.

The district municipality of Lillooet was located on the west bank of the Fraser River. Its population was over 2,300.

Fraser canyon and Lillooet’s baseball field.

The landscape of Fraser Canyon was striking.

As we traveled along we passed through Pavilion. It was an unincorporated community whose name dates back to the 1858-1862 gold rush.

Our Rocky Mountaineer crossing through Pavilion.

We watched the sunset from the train.

When we arrived in Quesnel it was dark. It was a long day on the train but the scenery was breathtaking. Tomorrow will be our last day traveling on the Rocky Mountaineer train.

Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 3

Saturday, September 26th, 2026

This morning we checked out of our hotel and boarded a bus that would take us to the Rocky Mountaineer. It was exciting to board the train and find our assigned seats!

Part of our group before boarding our car!

We were impressed with the train car, the staff, food and drinks.

The seats were so comfortable!

As we began our journey, the staff served mimosas!

We traveled from north Vancouver to Whistler that was located in the Coast mountain. The scenery was gorgeous!

Our arrival into Whistler was around noon. It was a municipality in British Columbia with over 15,000 permanent residents. Over two million tourists visit each year.

After checking our carry on bags we boarded a bus to visit the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Center. It’s a First Nations museum where we learned about the Squamish and Lil’wat peoples’ past and present way of life. We had a guide who explained some of the historical artifacts as well as the exhibits from the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations.

Some of our group let us know that a black bear was on our hotel’s property. Of course we quickly took a look and then got out of its way.

We spent time walking around the quaint city of Whistler. The Olympics were held here in 2010. Whistler has about 15,000 permanent residents. The fall colors were starting to show. The weather was perfect.

The Whistler Olympic Park was the location of the Nordic and Biathlon events.

Whistler, Canada would be a place to visit again.

Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 2

Friday, September 25th, 2026

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we got back on the Hop On Hop Off bus. It was cloudy with some rain but that didn’t hinder us from getting off at the Stanley Park, Prospect Point stop.

We hiked from Prospect Point down to part of the Vancouver Seawall. It was the the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path, over 17 miles. We only walked part of the path!

The Brocton Point Lighthouse was a historic landmark on the eastern tip of Stanley Park and was built in 1914. It was a white tower with a signature red band and its supports were arches where the lower Seawall path runs through it! It was deactivated in 2005.

Looking across Burrard Inlet to downtown

We walked by the Lion’s Gate Bridge that officially opened in 1938. It was a historic suspension bridge that was built during the Great Depression by the Guinness Family. The bridge spans Burrard Inlet and connects downtown Vancouver to West Vancouver.

After our morning walk we needed to get back to our hotel to get ready for our afternoon excursion. We booked a “Granite Falls Zodiac” tour. It was raining when we arrived at our meeting point. They had us get fitted with a warming suit to wear over our clothes and we were also provided with a disposable poncho to wear over our warming suit.

Our zodiac captain was James. The four of us were the only passengers on the tour!

When we walked to the zodiac we felt like “teletubbies”! ⬇️

As we left the marina, a harbor seal followed us for a short time.

This rock outcropping has a legend among the indigenous Squamish people. It was a basalt sea stack that formed around 32 million years ago. Molten magma pushed up through a crack. The Squamish legend was about a man who was transformed into stone by the transformers as an indestructable monument to clean fatherhood and unselfishness. It was also called by early European mariners called it Nine Pin Rock because its shape resembled a bowling pin.

We passed by the Prospect Point Lighthouse. It was a historic landmark located on the northern tip of Stanley Park. This current structure was built in 1948 and it’s a square cement tower with a red horizontal stripe.

Some cruise ships were in port as we left the Burrard Inlet.

The drizzle stopped and our zodiac ride was comfortable. James took us by harbor seals that were relaxing on some logs.

We traveled into the Indian Arm fjord. It was created by glaciers during the Ice Age. It was flanked by the North Shore mountains that were very steep. There were no bridges or roads that cross it.

We saw several waterfalls as we went through the fjord. Granite Falls cascaded down the mountain and we saw some kayakers that had set up camp at the base of the falls.

Below was the private Wigwam Inn with a waterfall up the mountain. You could only reach this by boat. There were no roads in this remote area of the Indian Arm.

A couple more waterfalls that we saw on our ride.

The historic Buntzen hydroelectric powerhouses were built in the early 1900s. They were located on private property that was owned by BC Hydro. The Buntzen Power Station #1 was still functional but #2 was shut down some twenty-plus years ago.

A pair of bald eagles were hanging out on two neighboring trees.

Our ride lasted longer than advertised and we were thrilled to have extra time on the water. James took us up to the dry dock area where a yacht was being updated.

It was a beautiful sunset as we traveled through the Port of Vancouver.

The lights of Vancouver looked beautiful as we headed back to the marina.

What a way to spend an afternoon and early evening!

Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 1

Thursday, September 24th, 2026

Rise and shine at 3:00 AM for a 4:00 AM pick up to head to the airport. Eighteen out of twenty passengers flew out of Columbus. We met our last two passengers in Vancouver!

We left Columbus for Chicago and had a quick turn around for our flight to Vancouver. Our flights weren’t delayed and we arrived in Canada late morning. The Vancouver airport was beautiful.

After collecting our luggage we waited for our bus for the drive to our hotel. We were fortunate because our rooms were ready. We dropped our luggage and went to the Italian restaurant attached to our hotel for a delicious lunch/dinner! No meals were served on our four and a half hour flight from Chicago so we were very hungry and with the time change it was close to our dinner time.

Our hotel was located across the street from the BC Place. It was a multi-purpose stadium. It was the current home to the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer, Canada Sevens, part of the World Rugby Sevens Series and the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

We purchased Hop On Hop Off Tickets and walked to the closest stop to tour the city. It was a rainy afternoon and the bus was covered! It was a great way to see the city.

Located in the historic Gastown neighborhood was the Gastown Steam clock. It was built in 1977 by horologist Raymond Saunders. There were underneath steam pipes connected to a generating plant. This system provided heat to most of the downtown core and provided the steam for the whistles of the Gastown Steam Clock.

Once we finished the loop we had a good idea of how to spend our free day tomorrow!

We were exhausted from a long day of travel and sightseeing so we headed to our room to relax and then to sleep!

Category: Rocky Mountaineer

Rocky Mountaineer: Rainforest to Gold Rush- Day 9 & 10

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