Trip Report: November 27 - December 21, 2001
by Ted & Sylvia Blishak
28 DAYS ON THE RAILS
SEATTLE AND VANCOUVER
Sunday December 16 to Wednesday December 19, 2001
As we were approaching Seattle this morning on the Empire Builder, we had a brief chat with a couple from Wenatchee who were headed in for a day in Seattle to get what they call their "urban fix." We realize that as residents of the small country town of Klamath Falls, we can certainly relate to that, as we are often traveling to cities to obtain our own urban fix.
In Seattle we meet with our long-time friend and business associate, Meagan, at the Sorrento Hotel for Sunday brunch. Meagan represents several Canadian travel organizations, including BC Rail, Brewster Tours, and VIA Rail Canada. Later we meet for dinner at the Sheraton with our friend Kristin, a professional writer who has recently moved from California to Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle. The Sheraton's lobby has about a dozen displays of spin-offs of the Gingerbread House idea, with hobby horses, ski runs, etc. made entirely of food. Lots of excited kids are there to take a look, even though rain is pouring down outside.
Monday morning we are looking forward to riding the Mt. Baker International Talgo train to Vancouver. But as our taxi drops us at the station, we hear the announcement that the train has just been annulled due to a mud slide up the line. Buses have been called in to transport us to Vancouver. This is not the first time this past week that the line has been closed. A series of winter storms has resulted in heavy rains and high winds in the Pacific Northwest. On Friday two of our clients were stranded (if you can call it that) at the Empress Hotel as BC Ferry was closed due to high waves and the airports were closed due to high winds. Unfortunately they were unable to travel from Victoria to Vancouver to board VIA Rail's Canadian. The next train was completely sold out so they had to fly to Toronto.
Travel Tip: We can no longer recommend that travelers attempt to make a same day connection from Victoria to Vancouver to catch a train. Vancouver Island can be easily isolated from the mainland during storms. Much better to travel over the water the day before and stay overnight in Vancouver.
Our Talgo train was scheduled to leave at 7:45AM, but the buses are not scheduled to depart until sometime after 8:00. We had been counting on breakfast in the Talgo dining car but now find ourselves scrambling for something to have for breakfast as there will be no food service on our bus. We walk up the station driveway and turn right to a sidewalk sign indicating coffee and pastries at Tully's. We purchase a bag of scones and muffins along with herbal teas and enjoy a nice breakfast at the soon to be renovated Seattle King Street Station. (For several years Seattle has been promising to renovate the King Street Station, but there has been no progress in the waiting room.) Just as we finish our breakfast, Amtrak who wasn't really planning to take a couple of busloads of hungry passengers to Canada -- announces that complimentary juice and pastries are available for Talgo passengers in the outside baggage area
At 8:30AM two buses arrive, one for all intermediate stops up to Bellingham, the other an express bus to Vancouver. The baggage man kindly checks our bags to Vancouver so we do not have to manhandle them through customs. This is not customary on the Amtrak Thruway Bus on this route, but as we had been expecting a train, they make an exception. We stop at the border, and the Talgo's conductor unloads all our luggage so we can quickly go through customs. Although we depart Seattle one hour behind schedule at 8:45AM, we arrive in Vancouver at 11:45AM, the first time we have ever arrived on time into Vancouver from Seattle.
There is a new facility at the grand Pacific Central Station in Vancouver. VIA Rail has taken a formerly unused room off the main concourse and transformed it into a departure lounge for Silver & Blue (sleeping car) passengers. This lounge extends outside on the platform, where there is open-air waiting area for summer time use.
We taxi to the Hotel Vancouver where we will be staying for the next three nights. Canadian Pacific Hotels purchased the Fairmont Hotels a couple of years ago, then "rebranded" the CP Hotels, for reasons unclear to us, to Fairmont. This year even the Canadian Pacific store within the hotel is called the Fairmont store. However, you can still purchase Canadian Pacific Railroad memorabilia there. The Hotel Vancouver, like all the former CP hotels, is far more elegant, still possessing that unique CP flair, than the upscale Fairmont Hotels that we have used in Dallas and Chicago. I am hopelessly traditional, and will always think of Fairmont Hotels in Canada as Canadian Pacific Hotels.
While in Vancouver we walk the bustling shopping and business district of Georgia and Robson Streets and visit the newly renovated Eaton's Department Store. Eaton's had just announced its bankruptcy during our last visit to Vancouver when they were having a going out of business sale. Now, they have reopened as a bustling, traditional department store.
Across the street from our hotel is the Vancouver Art Museum, a vast two square block complex which includes the former Vancouver City Hall building. Within three blocks of the hotel are the Orpheum Theater, home of the Vancouver Symphony, and the Queen Elizabeth Theater, home of the Vancouver Opera and Ballet. Two legitimate theaters are nearby. One block away is a Sky Train station, the unmanned commuter rail service, which goes to, among other destinations, the Pacific Central Station. But we elect to walk to the station, about four miles round trip, to get some exercise and to get a better feel of the city. It is a brisk and cold walk along busy Georgia Street, through the sports stadium complex and along False Creek. Christmas decorations are everywhere, giving a truly festive appearance to this San Francisco of the North. We hope by walking, to work off the tasty meals we've been enjoying on Amtrak, and the superb feasts being served at the Griffin Restaurant at the Hotel Vancouver.
We are also looking forward to our four day round trip on the Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf Service to Banff to experience the Canadian Rockies in the winter for the first time.
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