Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VIA RAIL
tour the canadian maritimes aboard a luxury train
MONTREAL TO HALIFAX
I have travelled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American
Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for
simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all.
—Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), inventor of the telephone and
former resident of Baddeck, Nova Scotia
60 |
For more than a hundred years, Canada's longest running train, the
Ocean,
has been
transporting passengers from Montreal to Halifax. This 21-hour journey takes passengers
through New Brunswick and much of Nova Scotia, providing them with awesome glimpses of
the Canadian Maritime Provinces.
A couple of years ago, VIA Rail, the national rail service of Canada, decided to take this
service one step further by redecorating the cars, providing gourmet meals, and adding what
they call the “Easterly Class: A Maritime Learning Experience.” This unique trip combines
the best of luxury train travel (think Marilyn Monroe strumming the ukulele in an old Pullman
car) with the kind of educational component that travelers today tell marketing people they
expect from their vacations.
WHILE YOU'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
If you've got a few extra days, Sackville, New Brunswick, on the
Ocean
's route, is
a nice stop-off thanks to its location on the Tantramar Marshes. Make sure to check
out Mel's Tea Room, a diner with a general store and a soda fountain. Mel's has been
around since 1919, when Mel Goodwin opened it soon after World War I. The quirky
place is still in the family, now run by Roger Goodwin, Mel's grandson. It's a popu-
lar hangout for students from Mount Allison University.
Mel's Tea Room, 17 Bridge
Street, Sackville, NB E4L 3N6, 506-536-1251.
