Day One on the Canadian

We both woke a time or two during the night but  all in all slept well.  There was an early morning clanking of cars at a stop about 5:30 but not enough to get us up!  Dressing is definitely one at a time much like living in our Sprinter!  The first views out the windows were of river or lake beside the track with evergreens and birch trees with their beautiful bark peeling off.  You could just imagine a moose behind the trees. 

We made our way to the dining car and had a delicious breakfast.  Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast for Ben and pumpkin pancakes and Canadian sausage for Jane.  All was excellent as was the coffee!! We had breakfast with a young lady who was riding in the coach section and had come to the dining car to eat. She was from Boston and seemed to enjoy traveling – this was not her first train trip in Canada.

Pumpkin Pancakes

After breakfast we sat in the dome car for a while and the view is excellent – more and more of water, evergreens, birch trees, beaver lodges, and eagles and ducks.  We have not seen moose although you feel they must be there!  It began the morning spiting some rain but then the sun came out and the day is beautiful.  There are very few villages along this route across southern Ontario. We are well north of the main Trans-Canada Highway that we traveled on our return from Alaska several years ago. 


Ben left his kindle on the shelf beside his bunk this morning.  When we returned from breakfast the kindle and shelf were gone along with the beds!  When we found Emily she was able to let the bed down and low and behold there was shelf and kindle….lesson learned!

Our Compartment by day

I had thought I had read there was WIFI on this train – it is only in the stations when we stop long enough for getting off.  Tomorrow we will be in Winnipeg for several hours and then will have another stop the next day in Jasper so we can post the blog and catch up on email. Cell service works when in an area with coverage. I was surprised when the phone rang when we stopped in a small village – our garbage collector saying service would be a day late next week due to Memorial Day!  So far this is a stress free relaxing way to spend a few days.  Seems a good way to decompress from everything.

The scenery continues mile after mile with few if any signs of population by humans.  We made it back to our compartment to see how it looks by day and it is remarkably roomier than at night.  Lunch was great with Ben having a salmon cake and Jane a BBQ Chicken Wrap.

Jane finished writing a draft of the blog for yesterday and began one for today.  Photos are edited which is a first for traveling!  Think perhaps it is time for some reading or a nap. 

We stopped in the small town of  Hornepayne Ontario – it is small and known for wood processing and fishing.  We got off for a 15 minute stop and discovered it was really warm – sunny and probably 85. The town had a few stores and houses and a wood processing plant.  I have no idea how far they are from a major town – I am guessing at least 100.

Ben talking to Emily at stop in Hornepayne

We spent some time reading, looking out the windows and even napping.  Then it was time for dinner.  Dinner was pleasant,  There are 3 seatings – 5 PM; 6:30 PM and 8 PM  The same was true at lunch. There are 2 dining cars and you need to be sure to go to the right one or you will get sent to the correct car. There are 21 cars on this train. 2 locomotives, 2 coach cars, 3 activity/lounge,dome cars, 2 dining cars, 11 sleeping cars, and a club car at the very back.  We have not made it to the club car yet. 

Going from car to car is a workout – the doors are very heavy and one must be pulled open and then the second pushed open.  For us to get to our dining car we must pass through 4 sleeping cars and 1 activity car. 

Ben opening the doors between cars

 Ben says we are traveling through “Paddle to the Sea” country.  For those of you who have not read the book – a childhood favorite of Ben’s- check it out and enjoy the travels of a boy in a canoe traveling from Canada to the Atlantic Ocean.  This is beautiful peaceful country.  There is still some snow on the ground in the deep forests along the tracks. The first trees to be leafing out are the pussy willows.
We spent about an hour in the dome car after dinner and will finish the blog and read or go to a movie tonight.  There is always something going on in the activity car so you can be as involved as you wish to be.

View to front of train- 2 engines slightly higher than cars

Tomorrow we arrive in Winnipeg for a few hour rest from traveling. The entire crew ends their shift here.  They started in Winnipeg for the second half of an east bound Canadian train – had a few hours off and began our trip west with us last night.  So they will have been pretty much on the job 24/7 for the past 4 days.  Then they have 4 days off before doing this all over again!