Sheila Gallant-Halloran arranged a family reunion trip for me with three of my family members – a very special celebration of my 70th birthday.
We took the train from Ottawa to Toronto (with a stop in Niagara Falls), and then continued on to western Canada (in a sleeper car). before picking up the Rocky Mountaineer train. We enjoyed the Gold Leaf service on the Rocky Mountaineer, and rode the train with the dome windows to Vancouver. Afterwards, we spent a few days in Vancouver.
Sheila did a wonderful job arranging everything. Everything on the trip was fantastic. The Via train sleeper car was comfortable. Seeing the Rockies from the Rocky Mountaineer was spectacular, and we were totally pampered on the train. (I would love to live like that). It was almost spooky how well everything went, how our luggage would disappear and then re-appear when needed, and how well cared for we all felt. We also loved the Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver, and touring that city.
We so appreciated the time together on the train, and getting to see parts of Canada we had not seen before (especially my sister and her husband, who flew over from the UK to join us). The only possible thing to improve would be to have two or three more days on the coach part of the train, so that we could take our time and really explore the areas more.
This was truly a trip of a lifetime, and a very special way to celebrate my 70th birthday. I really did appreciate all the efforts Sheila made to get the trip organized (I could never have done it myself), and if I ever do another big trip, I’ll certainly come back to her!
Deirdre Piper,
Ottawa, Ontario
(pictures compliments from www.rockymountaineer.com)