Revelstoke, BC

8/28/07

Today we continued up TC 1 passing by Lake Shuswap which is a big resort area. The CP railroad again was our constant companion. We stopped for lunch at Craigallachie which is the “golden spike” location for the Canadian Pacific Railway. George bought a map of the western Canada railroads at the gift store. We spent the afternoon at the Revelstoke Railway Museum. Soon after our arrival, we had the pleasure of seeing the Rocky Mountaineer pass by. We rode this train two years ago with our friends Jim and Hope Tarpley. We went through a 1928 parlor-sleeper car that had seen service on the “Trans-Canadian,” the crack passenger train across Canada in the 20’s and 30’s. George drove a diesel locomotive in the locomotive simulator and spoke at length with a retired CP engineer from the steam era who was a museum docent. We enjoyed the information about the engineering challenges faced by RR pioneers as they considered how to build a RR through the Canadian Rockies. The history of the railroad is very much an integral part of the history and present lives of the people of this area of B.C.

8/29/07 Today was spent exploring Revelstoke National Park which is just right outside the town of Revelstoke. We drove the 12 mile Meadows in the Sky Parkway which goes almost to the top of Mt. Revelstoke (steep, curvy, many switchbacks). Then we took the shuttle to the top where we did some short hikes, one of which took us to the peak. The views are marvelous, and neither words nor photographs quite capture it – but we tried! The wild flowers which bloom in July and August are beautiful. Here we realized why people come to the Canadian Rockies.

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