Travel isn’t just about destinations

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/06/2016 (3608 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I recently enjoyed an article describing a trip a woman and son took from Orlando, Fla.,  to San Jose, Calif., via Amtrak, with many side trips in between.

The trip took five days, covered 6,000 kilometres and was so enjoyable they’re looking forward to another trip. This  awakened a desire to take a leisurely train trip to the west coast. Having worked for the railway at one time and travelling extensively by train, I was bitten by the train travel bug which never left me.

Talking to a travel agent I got some preliminary prices for a trip to the west coast and back with a roomette. When I discussed this with friends, they were horrified. They said they could fly in a fraction of the train-time at one-tenth the train fare.

Unfortunately, they’d be missing something. The train trip is a key part of the holiday, not just the train’s destination. These are people who claim to like travel but actually just like being in other places. If they enjoyed travel they wouldn’t be in such a rush to get it over with.

It’s been a long while since my last train trip, in which I travelled from Winnipeg to Edmonton and back. I had a roomette where I could have privacy when required and enjoyed the sheer luxury of not having to put up with the usual annoying distractions.

That was a fall trip and I spent a good deal of time in the observation car from where I had spectacular views of the prairies, the sky, little towns, golden wheat, yellow mustard and blue flax fields. On my return trip I met an elderly couple from California. They had driven to Vancouver and wanted to see the prairies and then travel by train to  Churchill to see the polar bears.

On that trip, I was disappointed as we approached Winnipeg because the trip was coming to an end. When we arrived, my new friends had a lengthy wait for their Churchill train. As I bid them farewell they asked if I could recommend a good nearby place where they could have dinner. I pointed down Broadway to the Fort Garry Hotel and suggested they try the smoked goldeye.
I hope they enjoyed the goldeye and saw many polar bears. They are part of what makes train travel so enjoyable

Ron Buffie is a community correspondent for Transcona. Email him at ronbuffie@shaw.ca