Back from Canada, and it was unforgettable
After ten days in British Columbia and Alberta, I have a lot to talk about. And I voluntarily enjoyed the snow. Who am I?
In my last newsletter I shared that I was heading out on a train trip into the Canadian Rockies. Well, I’ve since completed that journey and have started to process my thoughts, edit my photos and share the details about it all. Long story short, it was beautiful and so very different from the sorts of trips I normally plan. In addition to the unique experience of being on the train, the level of luxury on this trip was much more top shelf than I’m used to. And I’m okay with that.
When I think about how I started 2TravelDads.com, it was all about camping and just airing my dirty laundry about being a two-dad family in conservative family unit world. Since then though (9 years ago!) we’ve gotten to experience much more than I ever though we could. We’ve been fortunate, for sure, and now via the blog and newsletter, hopefully I can help YOU (or whomever you recommend us to) how to enjoy some of these same adventures. And with that…
My Rocky Mountaineer Experience
I really was nervous about spending two days on a train and not having stuff to do, because I am a high energy person and I NEED to be busy. I legit got into my groove after a few hours on the Rocky Mountaineer. The thing about this sort of trip is that the whole purpose of taking the train from Vancouver to Banff (or the other way around) is to really just enjoy the view as you go. And to get to know your train-mates.
Connecting with new people over the course of two days was really one of the best parts of the Rocky Mountaineer. I was traveling with my BFF (you’ve probably seen Kelly doing projects with me in Disney World, Door County WI, Lake Tahoe…) and we actually went beyond just us in our row to make friends. Wow. People from all over the world were in our train group, including Australia, the UK, NYC and even… Ohio. We loved it!
I could get into the whole list of sights we saw between Vancouver and where we got off the train at Lake Louise (blog post about that coming soon) but instead I’ll just point you to the article I already wrote. I detailed how we spent our time in Vancouver, on the train and then Banff and Calgary on the blog. I think I captured the fun and beauty of the whole trip.
The questions I got bother before and after I completed the Rocky Mountaineer journey really seemed to focus on the food. I’m not a big foodie, but we had hardcore foodies in our group. We were all impressed, especially in the crew’s ability to create visually stunning and really delicious meals aboard a moving train. And they were able to address allergies and food sensitivities.
Check out the detailed Rocky Mountaineer journey we did on the First Passage to the West!
Next week I’ll be sharing about the many hotels we stayed in as we traveled through Western Canada. Whether you’re doing the train or a road trip through the Canadian Rockies, I’ve got some awesome suggestions coming soon…
How YOU Can Plan a Canadian Rockies Trip
Because whenever I share about something really fantastic the questions that come along with it are usually “Can I actually do this too?” or “But how much will this cost?” These are completely valid questions, especially considering that the specific trip we did was a top-shelf sort of travel option. I wrote about this too, including breaking down the differences in ticket costs.
To sum up, passage on the Rocky Mountaineer (a totally luxe travel experience), starts at about $3k USD per couple. It can be booked as a solo passage, as a family, doing a circle tour and with all kinds of upgrades, but that’s the base.
In talking with people on the train and afterwards, I found that a lot of people booked as a bucket list sort of vacation. I get it. I would happily go again in a heart beat, and I would actually plan this for Chris and I as a non-work trip (we’re talking about doing the Red Rocks route), but the cost is for sure premium. You do absolutely get the value of it when you consider that it includes transportation (not airfare), food, beverages (adult and non-alcoholic), hotel for the middle-journey (you DON’T sleep on the train) and the most attentive service I’ve had in a travel experience.
I could go on an on, but it’s all on the blog so you can read all the details there. Overall, wow.
Is the Rocky Mountaineer a Kid-Friendly Experience?
This is the last thing I wanted to cover in the newsletter and then I’ll get back to other fun stuff. Is the Rocky Mountaineer a kid-friendly experience. So, yes, it’s meant for everyone and there are lots of conveniences and there are accessible options, BUT I don’t know that it’s right for all kids. We’ve been careful to be sure our kids aren’t reliant on WIFI and tablets, but I know that’s not the case for every family. There is NO WIFI aboard the Rocky Mountaineer and cell service is spotty at best.
I think calm, patient children would really enjoy the whole train journey, especially if they’re into trains, geology or reading, but I know that it’s not right for every family. It’s not right for every adult, but really, it’s such an exceptional experience that I would for sure bring our kids on given the opportunity.
LIFE UPDATE: Moving and Selling Houses
If you’ve been following our own family journey, WE’RE MOVING! We aren’t leaving Florida (even though we could absolutely justify it) but just moving up-island a bit. We were able to sell our house, which we love, and we listed our vacation rental also (next door), which has also sold.
As blissful as it sounds that we listed as sold both houses, I’m not gonna sugar coat it: selling a house in 2023 is not the same as it was in 2020. Buyers are fully the ones in power and in our specific situation, we are completing the real estate transaction and feel good about it because it means we can move on, but ultimately, we’re HUGELY underselling our house.
One of the many problems plaguing Florida in 2023 is the home insurance crisis. We accepted the particular offer on our house because the buyer was able to secure everything needed to close, specifically home owners insurance, which was a problem for other offers we received. In the end, we’re just glad to move on and can’t wait to be in our new place in St Augustine Beach, but I know we’re getting the short end of the stick.
Moral of the story: if you’re selling a house this year, best of luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Tips for Summer Trips
The last thing I wanted to put out there for this week is that summer is nearly here. I’m not sure when summer break officially starts where you are, but here in North Florida we are done with school May 26th! That’s kind of insane.
We’ve got a few road trips happening, including Columbia SC and Congaree National Park right when school gets out. Then we’re doing a really exciting adventure from Salt Lake City, Utah to Cody, Wyoming at the end of June, and I’m fully expecting it to be full of dinosaur bones and dude ranches. We’ve also got a road trip to Key West (I know, the Keys in summer…) and a grand circle tour of Maine coming up.
We don’t have any big theme park trips planned, but I know a lot of friends who do. If you find yourself here in Florida and DON’T want to just do the theme parks (Disney and Universal), there are also lots of wonderful state and National Parks you can visit from Orlando. And if you’re driving to Disneyland, you can totally add a detour over to Yosemite National Park or Kings Canyon and Sequoia…
We did have Denali National Park on our potential plan for July, but that got scraped for 2023 and hopefully we can make it work next year. There are just so many places to take the fam and just not enough time to do it all. I get FOMO about the places our kids haven’t been yet, and we haven’t even gotten them to Europe since there’s so much to explore here in North America. Someday…
Well, that’s everything on my mind for now. Hopefully my next newsletter will be written from our new house, but I’m not going to push the timeline on that anymore than I already have.
If you have any questions about anything I’ve shared, or want to share what you’ve got coming up, feel free to leave a comment or send a note. The best part of blogging is sharing with others, and that’s a two way street. :)
Have a great week!