Rocky Mountaineer: Canadian luxury train debuts its first US route

(CNN) — The United States’ railroad system is finding a enhance from its northern neighbor.

The US, whilst not identified for its practice travel, does now have a handful of focused scenic trains in the West. The Durango & Silverton Slender Gauge Rail, for illustration, or Amtrak’s Coastline Starlight between Washington and California.

None, having said that, fairly fit the identical monthly bill as the Rocky Mountaineer, whose special functions, meals and beverage application and luxury-concentrated support have created it a model for the marketplace.

Considering the fact that its inception in 1990, it has been honored by the Entire world Travel Awards as the “World’s Major Journey Experience by Practice” 8 instances, and in 2020, it won a World Travel Award for “Finest Rail Organization.”

An overnight educate with out sleeper vehicles

Relying on your perspective, the most differentiating point about the Rocky Mountaineer’s operations is possibly its finest aggressive gain or its worst Achilles’ heel: While it is really a multi-working day vacation, you don’t in fact slumber on the coach.

In simple fact, there are no sleeper vehicles at all on any of the Rocky Mountaineer’s routes. As a substitute, visitors disembark the train every single evening and commit the evening in a nearby resort.

The objective of this setup is two-fold: To enable company to get a better night’s slumber (no rocking and rolling), and to make sure darkness does not cloak the surroundings.

“Our routes showcase some of the most stunning surroundings North The us has to provide,” claimed Nicole Ford, communications director at Rocky Mountaineer. “Our trains only vacation throughout the day and attribute outsized windows so friends do not pass up a moment of the at any time-changing landscapes.”

An additional differentiating component for this Rocky Mountaineer route is its food and beverage software, which forgoes a classic eating auto for an consume-at-your-seat method with personal tray tables. Each and every row is taken care of as a desk at a cafe, with personalised support, scheduled foods and drinks on demand.

The menu features regional elements, quite a few from locations the prepare passes as a result of, this kind of as limited ribs braised with beer from Epic Brewing, charcuterie boards created with Colorado bison, elk and venison, seasonal vegetables from Colorado growers and desserts from Aspen Baking Corporation.

The consume menu for the start won’t showcase any regional wine (it is really from California and Oregon rather), but it does present Colorado beers (Denver Beer Organization). Rocky Mountaineer explained the beverage selection could carry on to alter all over the inaugural period as it appears to be like to build much more regional partnerships.

There are two lessons of services on the Rockies to the Purple Rocks itinerary: SilverLeaf ($1,250 per human being) and SilverLeaf Additionally ($1,645). Both equally involve all foods and drinks — both equally alcoholic and non-alcoholic — seats adjacent to oversized glass-dome windows and an right away lodge continue to be in Glenwood Springs at either the Glenwood Resort Colorado, the Hotel Denver or the Glenwood Incredibly hot Springs Vacation resort.

The SilverLeaf In addition provides an supplemental system during meals and unique obtain to a separate lounge that options a mixologist who will make craft cocktails with top quality spirits.

While foods are loved at your seat, there is motive to get up and stroll all around — every single car, regardless of course, has a tiny out of doors viewing system the place you can get a blast of new mountain air.

The journey — mountains, sizzling springs and canyons

The Rocky Mountaineer can be ridden in possibly direction, but below, we aim on the east-to-west route.

The journey begins in Denver, where travellers board the Rocky Mountaineer at the Union Pacific Railyard at 9 a.m. From there, the practice sets off for an eight-hour, 175-mile experience to Glenwood Springs.

As you gradually roll out of downtown Denver (5,280 toes previously mentioned sea degree), wave goodbye to the skyscrapers and bustling town lifestyle. You would not come upon possibly of them all over again.

The prepare breaks cost-free of the metropolitan spot and commences climbing into the Entrance Vary of the Rocky Mountains by way of the “Major 10 Curve.” It was built in the early 1900s as a switchback to support trains climb the steep terrain. At about the center of the curve, two dozen rail vehicles crammed with cement are completely parked along with the observe as a wind block. If you visit a single of the outside viewing platforms at this time, you may expertise for oneself the region’s notorious winds.

Following the climb into the Rockies, you are going to appear to the Moffatt Tunnel. It can be been open for almost a hundred yrs (considering that 1928), and it cuts by the Continental Divide at 9,239 toes earlier mentioned sea level to the base of Winter season Park Ski Spot.

Just down the tracks from there, in Granby, you are going to select up the mighty Colorado River and adhere to it, a lot more or less, for the remainder of your journey to Moab. Observe as the environmentally friendly and yellow ranch lands and expansive valleys give way to a series of canyons, the first day culminating with a journey through Glenwood Canyon.

The upcoming day’s route amongst Glenwood Springs and Moab is 194 miles, extended than the previous working day. But, for the reason that this experience follows a decrease in elevation, the journey can take only five several hours.

Yesterday, you bought to see the how the metropolis of Denver and the Entrance Range changeover into the high elevation of the Rocky Mountains. Now, you’ll learn how Colorado’s Western Slope transitions from superior alpine forests to red rock cliffs and canyons.

The convergence will take spot west of Glenwood in the Grand Valley, exactly where the 11,000-foot Grand Mesa and its thick, green forests are juxtaposed with the beige, sandstone cliffs of the Guide Cliffs Mountain Variety.

From there, it’s 25 miles by means of Ruby Canyon and its crimson sandstone cliffs, an spot only obtainable by coach, foot or raft. The train then crosses into Utah, and the Rocky Mountains give way to the expansive desert that prospects into Moab.

Working with the educate as a launching point

Standard coach vacation knowledge suggests it truly is the journey and not the desired destination that issues. The good news is, Rocky Mountaineer’s technique is a minimal additional present day and a very little a lot more inclusive.

Clearly, the two-working day expertise on the practice is the major dish, but Rocky Mountaineer encourages its guests to expend a lot more time in its destinations with pre- and submit-vacation setting up services.

When booking, it will assist company make a larger excursion of it by arranging extended stays at the origin and vacation spot. It also associates with tour firms to aid adventures in the surrounding areas.

The inaugural season for Rockies to the Purple Rocks will run now while November 19. The 2022 season will be extended to seven months and get started subsequent spring.

Will McGough is a vacation writer, writer and tour manual.