Trip Itinerary
Day 1: En Route
Western Canada Scenic Expedition tour members from Southern California will board the Pacific Surfliner to Los Angeles. Members will board in San Diego (6:10 a.m.), Oceanside (7:02 a.m.), Santa Ana (7:57 a.m.), Anaheim (8:05 a.m.), Fullerton (8:20 a.m.) and arrive in Los Angeles at 8:50 a.m.
Tour members will board the Coast Starlight for its 10:15 a.m. departure. After settling in you’ll want to enjoy the many amenities of the Pacific Parlour Car, a lounge for exclusive use of sleeping car passengers and a feature unique to the Coast Starlight. Indulge in baked goods in the morning and wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres this afternoon (optional). There are games to play and even a library. Travel 1377 miles from Los Angeles to Seattle.
Additional tour members will join in Santa Barbara (12:48 p.m.) and San Luis Obispo (3:43 p.m.).
Scenic highlights today include traversing a number of mountain ranges and rolling along 150 miles of awesome Pacific Ocean shoreline.
Members from the San Joaquin Valley will board a northbound San Joaquin train in Bakersfield (1:20 p.m.), Fresno (3:20 p.m.), Merced (4:22 p.m.), Modesto (4:57 p.m.), Stockton (5:33 p.m.) and arrive in Emeryville at 7:25 p.m. San Joaquin Valley members will board the Coast Starlight in Emeryville prior to its 10:07 p.m. departure. (Meals aboard the San Joaquin trains are not included)
At night – or when you want some privacy – you’ll have your private-room sleeping accommodations.
Meal(s): L* & D*
Day 2: Coast Starlight / Seattle
Set your own leisurely schedule today as you continue to enjoy all of the activities of the Pacific Parlour Car and full-course breakfast and lunch.
You won’t want to miss the spectacular scenery of the towering snow-capped Cascade Mountains (with the 22 tunnels and innumerable hairpin turns) that are just outside your wide train window this morning. Enjoy a wine and cheese party this afternoon (optional).
Your train will continue to roll northward this afternoon through the Willamette Valley and arrive in Seattle at 8:45 p.m.
Upon arrival into Seattle you will be greeted and transferred to the Best Western Navigator Inn and Suites in nearby Everett.
Meal(s): B, L & D
Day 3: En Route / Kamloops, BC
Following a Continental breakfast, you’ll transfer by motorcoach to the Everett Amtrak station where the East and Midwest tour contingent will arrive at 8:37 a.m. Your Tour Director will be on board. The full group will board the motorcoach and travel to Kamloops, British Columbia. Plan to arrive in Kamloops early afternoon. An “on-your-own” lunch stop will be made en route in Chilliwack. Your hotel for this evening will be the Hampton Inn.
Meal(s): CB
Day 4: Kamloops / Jasper
Today you will travel to Jasper, Alberta. You’ll thrill to the brilliant peaks and pine forests of the Canadian Rockies. Your 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. 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. Arrive in the quaint mountain town of Jasper late this afternoon. Your home for the night in Jasper is the convenient Whistler’s Inn.
Meal(s): CB
Day 5: Maligne Lake / Prince George
This morning you’ll board your 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 you’ll board your deluxe motorcoach and travel to Prince George to 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 you’ll board your deluxe motorcoach and travel to Prince Rupert. Most of today you’ll 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 you’ll cross the Coastal Mountains of British Columbia. They rival the Canadian Rockies in beauty. The charming Crest Hotel will be your 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 you’ll tour the area. The Tour Director will host dinner tonight.
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. The vessel is the 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 the 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 the 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 you’ll arrive in Port Hardy, a seaport town at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, and stay in nearby Port McNeill.
Day 9: Port McNeill / Victoria
This morning you’ll board your 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. There will be a mid afternoon break at picturesque Chemainus, the mural village.
Your journey will end in beautiful Victoria, North America’s most “British” city. Late this afternoon you’ll arrive at the attractive and centrally located Embassy Inn, your 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 you’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. 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
You’ll board our motorcoach and travel to Vancouver, arriving 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 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
Early this morning you’ll board the deluxe motorcoach for the 144-mile journey to Seattle. After a wonderful Seattle tour you’ll check into the Roosevelt Hotel for the night. The Tour Director will be departing with the Midwest and Eastern tour members. Your hotel has an excellent restaurant and other options are nearby.
Day 13: En Route
You’ll transfer to the Seattle Amtrak station to depart on the Coast Starlight for Sacramento and points south. Your private Roomette sleeping accommodations are included. You’ll enjoy the same comfort and amenities you experienced on your northbound trip.
Meal(s): L & D
Day 14: En Route
The Coast Starlight will arrive in Martinez at 7:34 a.m. San Joaquin Valley tour members will transfer to San Joaquin Valley trains at 8:19 a.m. and arrive at home destinations throughout the morning and early afternoon. Other tour members will remain on the Coast Starlight until they arrive at their home destinations. The Coast Starlight is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles at 9:00 p.m. Southern California tour members will transfer to a Pacific Surfliner at 10:00 p.m. and arrive home late this evening or early tomorrow morning.
Meal(s): B, L* & D*