Canada by rail

I've wanted to travel Canada from coast to coast since I was a little girl growing up in Michigan. Our northern neighbor has one of the most varied landscapes in our hemisphere--misty seaports, dense forests, placid farmlands, cities of glass and steel, imposing mountains--and I wanted to see it all. It would take a year to plan, right?

Wrong. I satisfied my fantasy last fall with a transcontinental trip on VIA Rail Canada. A single ticket bought me a berth with unforgettable views and a chance to get off now and then to mingle with the locals.

My rail journey was spread over 14 days and included visits to several cities and towns. You can do it in five days if you limit stopover time.

Shortly after the first "All aboard!" I found myself feeling a bit claustrophobic. Even though modern train berths are masterfully designed to use every inch of space, you won't be spreading your arms and twirling around much. But after a few hours, the gentle swaying of the train lulled me into relaxation. I finally settled into the freedom that comes with captivity--the freedom to relax, catch up on my reading, writing and needlework, and experience myself as a human being instead of a human doing.

Still there's plenty to do on the train. VIA Rail's raised glass-domed cars allow unobstructed views. The lounge car serves champagne and hors d'oeuvres daily before dinner. The activity car is stocked with magazines, games, books and videos. And the elegant Art Deco-style dining car serves three delicious gourmet meals a day prepared by an on-board chef.

My journey began in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the final destination of the Underground Railroad. It has an indigenous Black population of about 35,000. Dartmouth, the province's largest Black community, is home to the Nova Scotia Black Cultural Centre and Black Heritage Tours Inc. (www3.ns.sympatico.ca/black.heritage). Both provide fascinating glimpses of the local history.

I got off the train again in Montreal for an overnight stay. The sidewalk cafes, outdoor markets, street musicians, galleries and jazz clubs remind you of Paris without the jet lag or language barrier (most people are bilingual).

I boarded the train again for a westward trip through pasture and farmland and got off in Toronto, which has about 300,000 Black residents. Many of these brothers and sisters come from Caribbean cultures, so it's no surprise that Toronto hosts Caribana, North America's largest Caribbean carnival (July 24 through August 4 this year).

Back on the train, we sped into Jasper. It was heaven by rail--snowcapped mountains, cavernous valleys, rushing rivers, natural hot springs, palatial ice fields and wildlife sanctuaries. I spent the night at the luxuriously "rustic" Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

My last stop was Vancouver, a cosmopolitan seaport nestled between ocean and mountains. Then it was back to my California routine. But for two weeks I was treated like a queen!

Elaine Lee, a writer who lives in Berkeley, California, edited Go Girl! The Black Women's Book of Travel and Adventure.

On page 176, author ELAINE LEE tells us about her trip across "Canada by Rail." What does she love about the country? "Canada is foreign yet familiar, beautiful, exciting, safe and friendly," she says, "and you don't have to learn a new language or leave the hemisphere." Lee has visited more than 33 countries and travels regularly. She has written for magazines such as Heart & Soul, Emerge and Black Enterprise. Her last ESSENCE travel piece was on Artesia, California, which ran in the April 2003 issue.

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