Journey into the Rockies lacks no comfort or amenity, but the real show is on the other side of the window

As the train pulled out of the cut by the warehouses of Burnaby and the sky lightened to grey, then brightened to violet, then brilliant red and gold, I knew this trip could never be long enough.

Here, as the winter morning broke, crows started out on their rounds of the garbage bins and beaches and urban forests. A short time later, near Harrison Lake, we would pass hundreds of bald eagles feeding on the rotting carcasses of salmon that died on their way up the Fraser River to spawn.

The joy of train travel is that the journey means so much more than the destination. On passenger trains from Vancouver to Calgary in the past, first on CP Rail and later on VIA, I was disappointed that the best landscapes were lost to the night, the spectacular scenery of the Nicola and the Shuswap and the Rockies hidden behind dreams, as the trains left Vancouver in late afternoon and arrived into daylight just in time for a glimpse of the Rockies near Banff before rolling into the foothills.

That's changed, thanks to Rocky Mountaineer Railtours. Billed, for the most part justifiably, as "the most spectacular train trip in the world", the company's Vancouver-to-Banff excursion offers ever-changing views of the wonder of this part of Canada, bringing tourists from all parts of the globe. Because the train leaves Vancouver in the early morning, stops in Kamloops for the night, and then leaves the Interior city early the next morning for Banff, the trip can be enjoyed in daylight--at least during summer. The winter train loses some of that light to the longer nights, but the beauty of the season more than makes up for it.

"This is what we came for!" an Australian woman exclaimed as she and her husband stared out of the panoramic dome-car windows at surreal snow-laden trees near Salmon Arm. Others voiced their agreement.

The white forests, icy canyons, glacier-topped peaks, and abundant wildlife even made staying overnight in Kamloops seem worthwhile. To be fair, although I remember the two years I lived in Kamloops with little fondness, I was pleasantly surprised by the musical dinner theatre offered at the Two River Junction theatre to while the evening away. It's hard not to love a historical play about notorious train robber Billy Miner that includes songs by Fred Eaglesmith, Hank Williams, and Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. The musicianship, singing, and acting were all top calibre, and the buffet dinner was pretty good, too.

But that was only a diversion, and a brief history lesson to complement the running commentary by the multilingual attendants on each of the coaches. On the car I was on, Thaddée offered up a mix of history, Native legend, geography, and storytelling that was always entertaining, if at times factually twisted and exaggerated. Perhaps the only time his narrative didn't extend through numerous landscapes was when we passed a cemetery at Lytton. "Here's a small history of the gold rush," he said. "Oh, you found gold! Bang! To the cemetery."

I was disappointed that I didn't win his poetry contest with my rambling doggerel about the "spawning red sockeye", which even included references to Sandford Fleming, the Canadian Pacific Railway chief engineer who gave us time zones, but it was my only disappointment and quite a bearable one at that, in a trip that was in every other way astounding.

For most of the journey, I was content to sit back and stare at the sky and trees and rocks and water and fields (sometimes with my headphones on when the history and geography lessons wore thin): as we climbed into the Selkirk Mountains past Revelstoke, an eagle soared over a frozen waterfall, and frost-covered branches hung from cliffs over rushing waters so green and smooth they looked like liquid emerald. As we passed some of the more awesome canyons, I stepped out on the platform at the rear of the train for a blast of freezing but exhilarating mountain air.

But the train has more to offer than mind-blowing scenery, especially for those in a festive mood. Kids were able to enjoy a Christmas-themed parlour car with games, crafts, and songs, and a group of the young ones later toured the cars with one of the entertainers, who played guitar and led them in an appropriately Australian version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". As many of the passengers were from Australia (most who weren't came from the U.S.), they had no trouble coming up with lyrics that included true loves giving to them "koala teddy bears", "Lego in a gum tree", and "seven surfboards". And as the kids enjoyed their songs and play, their parents hung out in the lounge car drinking rum and eggnog or mulled wine and dancing to live jazz, blues, and rock. To add to the spirit, Santa boarded the train at Golden and handed out gifts to all aboard.

Beyond getting lost in the landscape, meeting Australians in the lounge car, or reading (which would cause one to miss too much scenery and/or festivity), options for activity on the train are limited. But you can eat, and on the Rocky Mountaineer, the food is every bit a part of the experience. I've had bad food on trains and I've had pretty good food, but I've never had food this good on any moving vehicle. Among the breakfast choices were poached eggs on an English muffin with lobster, spinach, and Hollandaise; scrambled eggs wrapped in smoked salmon, with dill críƒ ¨me fraíƒ ®che and caviar; eggs with bison sausage, roasted tomato, and mushrooms; and banana pancakes. Lunch offerings included mushroom chowder with beans, followed by venison with cherries, bok choy, and asparagus; duck breast with maple glaze; salmon; or a vegetarian choice. All came with good B.C. wines.

Although I was looking forward to getting to Calgary for Christmas with my family, that wasn't really the point of the trip. Just as people who take Alaska cruises are no doubt happy to visit the northernmost U.S. state, it's not really the end (or midpoint if they're making a return journey) passengers on journeys such as this have in mind. Getting there isn't just half the fun; it's way more than that.

ACCESS: Rocky Mountaineer Railtours offers two winter trips between Vancouver and Banff this year, departing Vancouver on December 19 and 27 and returning from Banff December 21 and 29. (Although the train continued on to Calgary last year, this year those who want to travel there are offered bus transfers for an additional fee.) Prices (not including GST) start at $529 one-way for an adult, or $949 return, based on double occupancy ($609/$1,089 single, $249/$449 for children two to 11 years), for the Red Leaf service (reclining coach seat with picture windows and meals served at your seat) and $1,069 one-way, $1,919 return ($1,149/$2,059 single, $449/$809 for children two to 11 years) for Gold Leaf service (two-level dome coach with dining-room service. Prices include two breakfasts, two lunches, one dinner, one night accommodation in Kamloops, lounge-car service, children's programs, and rail-station transfers in Kamloops.

The company offers several other packages, including a five-day, four-night Canadian Rockies Winter Excursion, a Winter Wonderland tour with two days in Banff, and Winter in the Canadian Rockies with three nights in Lake Louise.

For information, call 604-606-7245 (toll-free 1-800-665-7245 outside the Lower Mainland), or go to www.winterrailtours.com/ or www.rockymountaineer.com/.