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n a typical night, inky skies above the wilderness of western Canada showcase thousands of glittering stars and create an incredible hush over the world. When the stars recede and the sun rises, thundering waterfalls, rushing rivers, pristine glaciers, and the snowcapped peaks of the Canadian Rockies grace the breathtaking landscape. Travelers who’ve seen its beauty can attest that no place in the world rivals the Canadian Rockies, and the resort destinations of Banff and Lake Louise. The journey is made more spectacular when it includes travel by train along tracks that cut through the heart of the mighty Rockies and where you can watch all the dramatic scenery unfold right before your eyes.
Collette Vacations’ Canadian Rockies www.collettevacations.com
There is a unique atmosphere about this destination that blends adventure with peaceful relaxation. Here, you can fill your days in the great outdoors, taking strolls by Lake Louise when you’re not off sightseeing or walking on a mass of glacial ice that is over 1,000 feet thick at the incredible Columbia Icefields. You can also fill your days by sitting back and enjoying awe-inspiring scenery from the vantage point of one of the luxurious Fairmont hotels and resorts nestled among the mountains and evergreens.
During the 7-day Canada’s Winter Wonderland tour, a cooking demonstration and kitchen tour at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise provides a behindthe-scenes look at this gem of a hotel, named for the daughter of Queen Victoria; while a hands-on lesson in the making of holiday pastries in the kitchen of the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel brings an added appreciation for how this “Castle in the Mountains” operates on a daily basis. Located in the middle of the Alberta Rockies, Banff showcases scenery so beautiful that it takes your breath away! Here, visit many shops, restaurants, and museums. And you'll definitely want to see Bow Falls – where the roaring Bow River spills over a limestone ledge – and
the Hoodoos, ancient rock formations that overlook a scenic river valley. Another not to be missed experience is the stretch of highway linking Lake Louise to Jasper called The Icefields Parkway. It offers legendary scenery which includes mountain streams, majestic waterfalls frozen in time until spring’s thaw, and glaciers. In fact, you can see more glaciers from the Parkway than from any other road in North America!
When you travel to the heart and soul of Western Canada on a journey that embraces the romance of rail and the excitement of the open road, you will return home forever changed by all you have seen. Perhaps it’s the mountain sheep you glimpsed grazing along the Ice-