This was a blogpost that technically should have been posted two evenings ago (January 9), but I learned that there is very little to no internet or cell service on the train when you are between towns. So when I’m on the train, I will not be able to post.

I started writing this last night on January 10 in my hotel room in Jasper, British Columbia (which has incredibly speedy wifi–the hotel that is) and was hoping to post about January 9 then, but I fell asleep while doing the blog. No really, actually head dropping onto my keyboard asleep.

I guess I’m still like a kid, and all the train excitement just wore me out because really there wasn’t any reason for me to be that tired! I sat on the train all day.

I’m actually expecting this post and the next to be fairly short because I didn’t do much of anything but sit on the train–looking out at the scenery between eating. Even though we arrived in Jasper with plenty of time to go exploring (around 3 PM), I was just too exhausted. More of that later. Let’s start with Monday, January 9.

On Sunday, I purchased a bluebery cake from The Muffin Granny during our trip to the Granville Island Public market. When I saw their blueberry cake, I stared at it for awhile (another couple did, too) trying to come up with an excuse to buy it. I knew I needed to get regular food to eat for lunch, and I knew that I wanted to try one of the famous donuts. I don’t have a waist anymore as it is. I didn’t “need” blueberry cake as well. I even walked around more. Suddenly, it hit me. Breakfast.

I have been a little concerned about my food budget. This vacation is completely different form other trips I have taken where I stay in places with a kitchen on purpose, so I don’t have to spend so much money on food. I usually eat breakfast and dinner at the home base and then have to only eat lunch out. Or I make lunch if I plan to eat dinner out.

On the train, I have all my meals covered, but not when I’m staying in the cities and towns. I need to remember that a Canadian dollar (CAD) is worth $.75 US, so I am not spending as much as it looks like, but still $15-$20 CAD a meal at a restaurant? Or even $10 will make it spendy with three meals a day.

Then it occured to me, “dummy, you’re at a market. At least buy something for breakfast!” So I went back and got the blueberry cake.

Check out time was noon, but my ride to the train station wasn’t scheduled to come at 1:45. I’m sure the idea was so that we would have time for lunch, but I just wasn’t in the mood. I also wasn’t very hungry. Honestly, I was getting too excited and nervous for the train to think about much of anything else.

And what a whirlwind everything was once the driver came. He seemed to swoop into the lobby while I was busy reading, taking me to the van faster than I could even get my coat on.

The same thing happened at the station. I thought I would have some time to look around. The impression I had was of a small to medium sized station (remember I’m used to 30th street station in Philadelphia or Grand Central in NYC or the tiny station in Springfield, MA). It seemed to have several places boarded up and blocked off because they are doing serious remodeling, but I’m not sure. As soon as I stepped in, a man took my bags and with a smile started peppering me with questions. He took me to a VIA Railrail kiosk, but that was only for people who were checking bags. I wasn’t, so then he ushered me to the check-in desk.

There I got my ticket and was asked if I had been assigned a dinner reservation time. I had no idea what they were talking about, so obviously I hadn’t. They were very understanding, quickly explained my ticket (which I didn’t really understand right away, but nodded as if I did), and then sent me to another counter in front of the lounge area to get my meal reservation. They seemed more worried about me eating than anything else. My kind of people. At the new counter, I learned that there are two seatings for dinner and for lunch, and you need to get a reservation for both.

I, of course, chose the early seating at 5:30. I don’t understand people who like to eat dinner at 7:30 by choice. I’m starving by then. I knew that I would be today especially because I was actually getting a little hungry then. Now that my nerves about getting to the train station were allayed, my body reminded me that I skipped lunch.

Thinking I might be able to get a snack in the “lounge,” I went in, but it was really a fairly elongated small space that also looked truncated because of ongoing remodeling. They did have free coffee and hot tea, but nothing else really, and once I found a spot to settle, I didn’t want to get up and explore and lose my spot. I also wasn’t sure about boarding times either.

Now, I know I want to go back to Vancouver because I want to see the station once all the renovations are done.

The three couples who were on the tour with me yesterday also showed up, but we were all spread apart.

Finally! Time to board the train. I hadn’t really thought about how long this train was . . . until I had to walk to my car. I shouldn’t have been surprised since I knew beforehand the variety of types of cars on the train.

I was in car 210 (and will be on the way to Toronto, too). I mistakenly went to the wrong cabin, looking at my Toronto trip ticket rather than the Jasper part. But that was easily reaaranged, and now I know exactly where my cabin to Toronto will be: closer to the door to go eat/farther from the shower.

I got to spend some time in my room settling in, and they send someone to explain to you how everything works in the room. I reserved a cabin for two, which was recommended by my trip organizer, and I’m glad I spent the extra money. However, I think the cabin for one would have been fine though because I don’t have a lot of bags. My carry-on fit between the two seats and under the bed when it was pulled down, but there was also overhead storage for another carry-on that I didn’t need. See here for the different kinds of berths and rooms from which you could choose.

Once I put everything away, I settled on for the ride to leave Vancouver.

I was getting hungry, so I was excited to hear that even before dinner, there was a planned bon voyage party with champagne and hors d’oeuvres, but guess who fell ASLEEP!!

Yup, that’s me. The person who falls asleep in moving vehicles the instant I’m settled. I fall asleep during the safety talks on airplanes. I even fell asleep in a car with my former boss driving! It got to the point that whenever I went somewhere with him, he just told me to stop trying to talk to him and just go to sleep.

But never fear. I did NOT miss dinner because they basically have a person go up and down the corridors like a town crier reminding people about the seating times.

My first dinner on the train. As many of you know, I was nervous about having to sit with random people. I knew I was going to feel awkward.

However, it wasn’t bad at all. You get to entrance of car, and a person just guides you to the next seat. For dinner, I sat next to a woman whose husband works on the train, but this was the first time she was actually riding on it. She was really friendly and interesting to talk to. She used to be a flight attendant but quit during the height of COVID. Now she works in the tech industry.

She became my new best friend when she was genuinely shocked that I had two children in their 20s. She kept staring and saying, “where are your wrinkles?!?!” I kept pointing to my gray hair, but that isn’t my kids’ fault. More like what work combined with COVID did.

But onto dinner. When I’m on the train, I will always show a picture of the menu and what I chose. My mother is always very interested to know that I’m eating and what I’m eating, and I’m always curious to see food not just hear about it.

I know I was starving at this point, but dinner was really good. The soup was soothing and the roll was warm and soft on the inside with a chewy crust. The salmon was flaky. I even liked the vegetables despite there being mushrooms that I had to push to the side. It also reminded me that I need to learn to make squash soup. I don’t really like squash, but I’ve always really enjoyed squash soup. If any of you have a really good squash soup recipe, leave a comment with the recipe.

And, yes, that chocolate cake was as delicious as it looked.

At dinner, the hostess came around to ask us about the next day. Most of the people were taking the train straight east and not getting off in Jasper like I was, so she was asking them which seating did they want for lunch. Just like dinner, they have two for lunch, 11:30 and 1:30. We were supposed to arrive in Jasper at 11, so no lunch for me.

They don’t have seatings for breakfast. That runs from 6:30 to 10. While I was at dinner, Marty, I think they call him a steward (I’ll have to look it up) came by to ask if it was okay for him to make up my bed around 7. He was worried that was too early. He clearly doesn’t know me! Bedtime at 7 is perfect.

He’s also the person that comes around to explain the room and he’s the person on-call. You have a button in your room to push if you need help.

Look at my bed and how cozy it is. Yes, they not only “turn down” your bed, but they leave a piece of chocolate for you, too.

It was amazing to watch him do it. He was so fast. The lower bunk comes down from the wall. If I had another person, he would have pulled the other bunk down from the ceiling. As you can see, my carryon fit below the bed, so did my backpack. The seats from earlier fold down and fit under the bed as well.

But before I went back to my room to witness this, my seat companion took me to explore the fancier parts of the train. The farther back you go, the fancier the accomodations get. She took me to the dome car at the end first. We couldn’t really see anything because it was dark, but I did get to sit in the bullet lounge and to see several of the other lounge areas some of them you can get free snacks and some you can just sit with friends and play games. In fact, we passed by the two couples that are traveling together from my Vancouver tour playing cards in one of the lounges.

That was my first day/evening on train. I went back to my room, brushed my teeth and got in the bed. Mattea bought me a travel kit for Christmas, and it was perfect for the room.

Going to stop here and start uploading photos from second day on train to Jasper for the next post. Please comment if your are enjoying the blog. Also, if you want notifications of when I post, you have to subscribe.

Note: I realize now that I only have a video of the bathroom in my room. I can’t post videos here, but I will back on the train next week, so I will take pictures of it then.