a bit of a travelogue:
http://www.canada.com/topics/travel/...3c&k=20450&p=2
Wednesday » June 20 » 2007
Coast-to-coast by rail
With a rail pass, you can see it all this summer
Sofica Lukianenko
Citizen Special
PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Wilson/CanWest News Service
"All aboard!" yells a member of the VIA Rail team.
When a job contract comes to an end, what's the best thing to do with all the free time on your hands? In my case, travelling across Canada seemed like a good choice.
I had never seen either the west or east coast of this country, so I decided to combine both in one trip. I flew from Montreal to Vancouver and opted to travel eastwards by train, using Via Rail's Canrail Pass.
The pass lets you hop on and off the train at any stop. You're allowed 12 days of travel within a 30-day period.
As a bonus, travelling long distances by rail gives you the opportunity to read a novel or two, do some crossword puzzles or simply meet other passengers and make new friends.
"About 4,000 people purchase the pass each year," says Via Rail spokesperson Seychelle Harding, adding that it has been offered since 1991.
The pass allows you to show up at a train station at the last minute to see if a ticket is available for where you want to go. But Harding notes that summer is the busy season when some trains fill up, so travellers are advised to call ahead to book their tickets.
In Vancouver, I kicked off my month-long trip in mid-February by dipping my foot in English Bay, which I am told counts as the Pacific Ocean. While doing so, I noticed that ships pulling into the port tooted to the anthem of O Canada. A passerby commented, "it would make a great ring-tone for a cellphone."
A highlight of my visit to the city was a trip via water taxi to the Granville Island Brewery, which has been in operation since 1984. I toured the brewery and sampled four delicious ales. But to my dismay, the local beer has very limited exports outside B.C., so I had to drink up! Brewmaster Vern Lambourne claims "it's because the beer is so popular in B.C. that we can barely keep up."
From Vancouver I took the overnight train to Jasper where I skied at Marmot Basin. Then, after a brief stopover in Edmonton, I continued to Watrous, Sask.
There is no rail station in this town of 2,000 residents -- the train stops at the outskirts of Watrous beside the main road leading to the beach. And in my case, that happened at the rather inconvenient time of 3 a.m. With no taxi stand in sight, I hauled my gear for over an hour on tranquil Main Street to my destination: the Manitou Springs spa, located on Lake Manitou -- also known as "North America's Dead Sea."
Just about anyone who stays here agrees it's a surreal experience. Due to a high content of salt and minerals, it's impossible to sink in the brown water. I felt like I was either being pickled or marinated.
The resort is known for its healing properties, and "the mineral water helps relieve arthritis and rheumatism," claims Anita Swientach, a spa esthetician at Manitou Springs.
It was nice to be pampered, but after two days it was time to move on.
Winnipeg was the halfway point of my trip. I met up with old pals and saw a giant Lego exhibit at the children's museum in the Forks. With the help of spunky tykes, I interlocked the colourful plastic blocks in the shape of sea creatures at the "Ocean Adventure" exhibit. Six-year-old Andrij Deneka enjoyed building a hammerhead shark at a nearby table, saying "the big Lego submarine was cool -- you could actually go inside."
Toronto, a place I called home for several years before moving to Montreal, was a stop to get reacquainted with friends and former co-workers.
Kensington Market is always a "must-stop" for its scrumptious stinky cheeses and vintage clothing. It's like a treasure hunt digging through colourful beads and getting decked out in retro gowns.
Then on to la belle province, where I stopped at Quebec City to visit the nearby Ice Hotel built entirely of ice and snow. I ran in and out of every room and tried out all the beds just like Goldilocks, but was not brave enough to spend the night.
I continued towards the Gaspe region. From the train station at Perce, I took a shuttle towards my motel. Out of nowhere, the famed pierced landmark dubbed "Le Rocher Perce" appeared as if slapping me in the face.
The beach's rust-coloured shore is covered by a blanket of pebbles and stones, where I created a little Zen rock garden.
After taking in the sights of "La Gaspesie," it was time to explore my final destination, Halifax.
As soon as I arrived in the city I felt as if I had accomplished a major mission: I had just travelled more than 6,000 kilometres from one end of the country to the other.
At this point, I was determined to find the Atlantic Ocean and seal the deal. So I marched along the sloping streets toward Point Pleasant Park, which gives public access to the ocean. Once I reached the shore, I plunged my bare foot into the frigid water.
A celebratory lobster dinner ensued at Salty's restaurant, which has a great view of the waterfront.
Then, it was off to visit Alexander Keith's Brewery, a great place to meet people and listen to their travel adventures over a pint of beer.
If You Go...
Canrail pass: Costs $837 (less for children, students and seniors) from June 1 to Oct. 15. It allows 12 days of travel within a 30-day period anywhere in Canada. Travelling in the off-season is cheaper and less crowded (the pass costs $523 from Oct. 16 to May 31). You can buy a Canrail pass at Via's website or at any train station. Meals are extra.
More :
www.viarail.ca/planner
© The Ottawa Citizen 2007