Lake Louise welcomed us to an overcast day but even the clouds could not dim the serene beauty of the lake. I did get up at 5.00 am to watch the light spill on the still waters and yes, even under dark skies, the lake shone back in beautiful shades of blue and green.It was a 9 am departure and we greeted lots of familiar faces in the lobby of The Chateau. We are gathering names and are getting to recognise lots of the passengers and we have come to know the speed...

A leisurely start to the morning but somehow we managed to be later to the bus than the other eager little beavers so we did end up with back row seats for the drive to Yoho National Park. Bus driver Allan was full of stories and information and took us off the highway and through the back roads to give the group a better chance of spotting animals.We did see beautiful herds of elk grazing under the watchful eyes of a stag with an "impressive rack" (bus driver jo...

Banff is beautiful. A small township with the Main Street just two blocks long is just the launchpad for nature's majesty. And the day was sparkling under clear blue skies and bright sunshine. It was warm!The morning served up the promised and needed sleep-in and by 10 we were out and about exploring the back yard of The Castle. The 15th hole of the golf course tees off from the ridge, across the Spray River onto the meadow below. The golfers rocked up in the...

The alarm did its job this morning and rattled us out of bed. Another early start in paradise and with usual efficiency the luggage was taken care of, checkout was invisible and the bus was waiting with the driver smiling and ready to deliver us to the red carpet entry of The Rocky Mountaineer for Day 2 on the train. We were farewelled by two Mounties (on horse back) who greet and farewell each train in Kamloops.The morning began with scones, a juice and a hot cu...