When Deb and I set out on this trip it was meant to serve two specific purposes. First and foremost, it was a trip east to see my new granddaughter Hannah and second it was to re- live some of the days, some forty-five years ago, that I traveled CN to be with my cousins in Sioux, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

Nearing the end of the trip, some 180 hours in total, it has become much more. The actual trip was the adventure -- seeing this glorious country of ours, stepping back into my memory and talking with some of the interesting people here on the Canadian. That’s what we’ll take away from this most recent adventure of ours.

While we set out with some issues in the beginning, the overall experience is one
that I would recommend to anyone looking for a great two-week holiday. One of our friends seemed to think that this trip might be a fate worse than death – how wrong can someone
be? We have had the opportunity to see the beauty here in Canada, the diversity of the landscape, the rivers and the mountains – there is truly no other country in the world like Canada. There seems to be a little pooh-poohing from upper bunk as I write this last edition, but there is no way for Deborah to deny just how truly beautiful this country is.

We’ve gone through Jasper, we’ve seen some wildlife (our totals are 6 deer, a herd of
elk and two big horned sheep). Our last night dinner was Prime Rib with the obligatory Diet Cokes to chase it down.

Final thoughts about this adventure have been positive. At first the absence of the electronic media felt a little like withdrawal for me, but this is what the essence of train travel is
all about. It’s taking the time to stop, smell the roses and live without the stresses and distractions of day-to-day life.

Deb and I have had so many great holidays, but none where we will arrive back at the
starting point more rested and relaxed than when we left. For those reading this blog, I
recommend that you give train travel another consideration, you just might get
off the train a little more in love with this country and each other.

Thanks for following us back and forth across this great country.

Bob & Deborah