Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Depart Chicago
This afternoon Western Canada Scenic Expedition tour members will board Amtrak’s Empire Builder for the 2200-mile journey to Everett, Washington. The Empire Builder is one of Amtrak’s premier trains. Relax in your comfortable private Roomette or Bedroom sleeping accommodations. Go to the glass-walled Sightseer Lounge car for spectacular viewing. All tastefully prepared full-course dining car meals are included. We will pass through Minneapolis-St. Paul late this evening.
Meal(s): D
Day 2: En Route
This afternoon Western Canada Scenic Expedition tour members will board Amtrak’s Empire Builder for the 2200-mile journey to Everett, Washington. The Empire Builder is one of Amtrak’s premier trains. Relax in your comfortable private Roomette or Bedroom sleeping accommodations.
Go to the glass-walled Sightseer Lounge car for spectacular viewing. All tastefully prepared full-course dining car meals are included. We will pass through Minneapolis-St. Paul late this evening.
Meal(s):D
Day 3: En Route / Kamloops, BC
During the day we will roll across the remote flatlands of North Dakota and eastern Montana. At about 5:00 p.m. a dramatic panorama of Rocky Mountain peaks will begin to rise above the horizon. The scenery of Glacier National Park is striking as we wind past waterfalls, river gorges and other sights. The glass-walled lounge and dining car are excellent vantage points.
Meal(s): B, L & D
Day 3: En Route / Kamloops, BC
You may want to rise early to watch the sun come up over some spectacular scenery. At approximately 7:00 a.m. the Empire Builder will enter the 7.8-mile-long Cascade Tunnel. Over the next two hours we’ll wind through the scenic Cascade Mountains. We roll into the Everett train station at 8:36 a.m. We’ll board our deluxe motorcoach and travel to Kamloops, British Columbia.
An “on-your-own” lunch stop will be made en route. Our hotel for this evening will be the Hampton Inn.
Meal(s): B
Day 4: Kamloops / Jasper
Today we will travel to Jasper, Alberta. You’ll thrill to the brilliant peaks and pine forests of the Canadian Rockies. Our motorcoach will wind between some of the highest peaks in the Canadian Rockies.
The most stunning scenery of the day will be experienced as we follow the Miette River toward Jasper. We’ll roll by the spectacular Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 12,972 feet, and then across the Yellowhead Pass, one of the lowest passes along the Continental Divide. We’ll arrive in the quaint mountain village of Jasper late this afternoon. Our home for the night in Jasper is the convenient Whistlers Inn.
Meal(s): CB
Day 5: Maligne Lake / Prince George
This morning we’ll board our motorcoach and leave for Maligne Lake. Your hour-and-a-half cruise will be one of the greatest scenic experiences of your life. You’ll marvel at the magnificent shoreline with dense forests and glacial peaks rising abruptly from the water’s edge.
This afternoon we’ll board our motorcoach and travel to Prince George where we’ll spend the night at the Treasure Cove Hotel. Dinner at a local restaurant is included.
Meal(s): B & D
Day 6: Prince Rupert
This morning we’ll board our motorcoach and travel to Prince Rupert. Most of today we follow the Skeena River (Skeena means “river of the clouds”) through rugged canyons, along rapids and beside waterfalls. The mountain views are fabulous. Along a 40-mile stretch, you’ll see many tall totem poles created by local Native American artisans. Late this afternoon we’ll cross the Coastal Mountains of British Columbia. They rival the Canadian Rockies in beauty.
The charming Crest Hotel will be our home for the next two nights.
Day 7: Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert is a city of 18,000 located on a rugged island bordered by a natural harbor. It is closer to the Far East than Vancouver and provides an outlet for the untapped resources of Canada’s far north. You’re free this morning to rest or begin to explore this unusual, picturesque community. This afternoon we’ll tour the area. The Tour Director will host dinner tonight in our hotel.
Meal(s): D
Day 8: Inside Passage
If there is a single high point of this fabulous vacation, it is today’s cruise through the famed Inside Passage from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy. Our vessel is the M.V. Northern Expedition, the 380-foot long ship of the British Columbia Ferry’s fleet.
The Inside Passage, which extends from the Puget Sound to the Alaska Panhandle, is a world-renowned scenic destination. Protected on the east side by towering, snow-capped peaks of the Coast Mountain Range and by fir tree-covered islands on our west side, it is a natural marine highway. In addition to the breathtaking scenery, you’re likely to see wildlife such as whales, porpoises, sea lions, majestic bald eagles, and herons. The hours of daylight are extensive due to our close proximity to the North Pole.
This spectacular 15-hour cruise will include a Day Cruise cabin with two lower berths, a washstand, and toilet. A cafeteria serves hearty meals and light snacks. There is outside seating as well as comfortable lounges with relaxing, reclining seats and large picture windows. A gift shop/newsstand is nearby.
Late this evening we’ll arrive in Port Hardy, a seaport village at the northern tip of Vancouver Island and stay in nearby Port McNeill.
Day 9: Port McNeill / Victoria
This morning we’ll board our motorcoach and strike out on a 300-mile journey southeast to the opposite end of Vancouver Island. This wonderfully scenic route takes us through a sparsely populated wilderness previously accessible only by boat or logging road. Photo stops will be made. We’ll take a mid afternoon break at picturesque Chemainus, the mural village.
Our journey will end in beautiful Victoria, North America’s most “British” city. Late this afternoon we’ll arrive at the attractive and centrally located Embassy Inn, our home for the next two nights.
Day 10: Victoria
You’re free this morning to shop for woolens and other items and to visit major attractions. The Provincial Museum is one of the best of its kind in the world. This afternoon we’ll embark on an hour-and-a-half sightseeing tour of the city, including the Parliament buildings, the Provincial Museum, the University of Victoria, the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, Uplands and Oak Bay residential areas, and other sites. We’ll then visit the world-famous Butchart Gardens, a 35-acre tapestry of brilliant colors. The beauty of the flowers will overwhelm you. The Tour Director will host dinner tonight at the Embassy Inn’s restaurant.
Meal(s): D
Day 11: Vancouver
We’ll board our motorcoach and travel to Vancouver. Plan to arrive in Vancouver around noon. Enjoy an “on-your-own” lunch at the delightful Granville Island Market. Vancouver is one of North America’s most prosperous cities and one of its most beautiful. This afternoon we’ll embark on a three-and-a-half hour sightseeing tour of the city. The tour will include Gastown, Chinatown, Stanley Park, English Bay, Marine Drive, the waterfront, and Queen Elizabeth Park. After our tour, we’ll check into the beautiful Blue Horizon Hotel.
Day 12: Seattle
This morning we’ll again board our motorcoach for the 144-mile journey to Seattle. After a wonderful Seattle sightseeing tour, we’ll proceed to Seattle’s King Street Amtrak station where we’ll begin our 2205-mile journey back to Chicago. Our departure on the Empire Builder is scheduled for 4:40 p.m.
Sleeping accommodations and all dining car meals are included.
Meal(s): D
Day 13: En Route
Enjoy a delicious dining car breakfast and then head for the Sightseer Lounge car. About 8:00 a.m., a dramatic panorama of snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks will begin to rise above the horizon, becoming increasingly dynamic as we approach Glacier National Park. The scenery is striking as we wind past waterfalls, river gorges and other sights. The rest of the day we’ll cross the remote flatlands of eastern Montana and western North Dakota. You’ll want to spend time reminiscing with your fellow tour members about all you saw and did in the past 13 days.
Meal(s): B, L & D
Day 14: En Route to Chicago
Breakfast and lunch on the train are included. We pass through Minneapolis - St. Paul this morning and then head south along the west bank of the Mississippi River. The Empire Builder is scheduled to arrive in Chicago’s Union Station late this afternoon.
Many of our tour members will conclude their fabulous America by Rail vacation by transferring to other Amtrak trains bound for home cities. Some will spend the night in Chicago and continue home by air tomorrow.
Meal(s): B & L