It’s big sky country. It’s the towering majesty of the Rocky Mountains. It’s the lush valleys of Lake Okanagan and the Fraser River. It’s the gentle coast of Vancouver Island, warmed by Pacific breezes.
This is Alberta and British Columbia. Western provinces of breathtaking beauty, down-home friendliness, and infinite opportunities for adventure.
You can visit world-famous Banff and Jasper National Parks, in the beautiful snow-capped Rockies. Classic hotels and new facilities provide hospitality and comfort in style. The Rockies offer a spectacular wilderness to explore - wildlife, sparkling blue lakes, hot springs, and mountain trails. You can actually walk on the surface of the Athabasca Glacier. In Jasper a tramway whisks you to the top of a mountain where you can dine by candlelight and watch the sun set over the valley and mountains below.
At the foothills of the Rockies, you can whoop it up at the world’s largest rodeo, the Calgary Stampede. Or visit the world’s largest indoor shopping mall in Edmonton. Don’t miss the magnificent new Spruce Meadows Equestrian Park where the best show horses in the world compete in jumping competitions.
For a look at another side of Alberta take a fantasy train ride across the Prairie and let friendly townsfolk serve you a country supper. Or travel back in time millions of years to the Age of the Dinosaurs at the fabulous Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology.
In British Columbia - land of totem poles and fog-enshrouded coast - the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Vancouver rivals Hong Kong and Capetown as the most beautiful setting for a city. Here you can eat Szechuan Chinese food - or dine on salmon at a traditional Coastal Indian feast. Take an aerial tram ride to the summit of Grouse Mountain - right in the city of Vancouver - for a meal, a theatrical presentation, and a breathtaking view. Or take a wine tour to sample the fine vintages of the Okanagan vineyards.
For one of the most beautiful train rides anywhere - take the Royal Hudson up the fjord of Howe Sound to Squamish. Sheer cliffs and blue-green waters surround you. Or experience the romance of train travel through the mountains on a route past the fabulous canyons and gorges of the mighty Fraser and Thompson Rivers.
An ocean crossing on a new B.C. ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island is an adventure in itself. In the capital city of Victoria, you can sip tea at the Empress Hotel and imagine you are in a nineteenth century English garden.
Vancouver Island is home to the Coastal Indians whose hospitality and culture will fascinate you. You can watch expert carvers at work on fabulous totem poles at the Native Heritage Centre in Duncan and the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. Vancouver Island is lush and verdant rainforest - where you can visit an ancient forest of towering Cedars and Douglas Firs at Cathedral Grove. Or take a whale watching cruise from Telegraph Cove to see the beautiful killer whales.
In Alberta and British Columbia both the natural and man-made attractions are larger than life, almost “super-natural.” But the people you will meet are laid-back and friendly. There are attractions for every taste - from big-city restaurants, museums, and festivals to the splendor and quiet of wilderness parks. The architecture of the man-made wonders is thrilling - from the peaked sails of Canada Place in Vancouver and the Coastal Indian Big House in Duncan, to the beautiful Banff Springs Hotel and the enormous West Edmonton Mall.
A vacation in Alberta and British Columbia will be memorable - combining the incredible beauty of the land and the enthusiasm and friendliness of the people who make their home in Canada’s magnificent West.
Unfortunately the Royal Hudson no longer makes the run between Vancouver and Squamish. It is now located at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish and makes occasional excursions. There is a new (non-steam) service called the Whistler Mountaineer that operates a service between Vancouver, through Squamish, to Whistler.
Comment by Mike Dunham-Wilkie — May 30, 2008 @ 9:09 am