Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountaineer

Enthralled by eagles? Impressed by elk? Itching to get close to a grizzly? All these are signs you need to head to the Pacific Northwest.

Given the scenery, the wildlife and the Canadian hospitality, the Pacific Northwest could be described as abundance overflowing. It certainly was a favorite destination of mine during the two weeks we spent there.

Interestingly enough, some of the best views are available only via rail. This was our experience in Alaska as well. Somehow, years ago, those engineers grabbed some great real estate upon which to build their tracks.

Rocky Mountaineer operates the largest privately owned rail service in all of North America. In November 2009, Rocky Mountaineer was honored with a prestigious World Travel Award as “World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train” for the fourth time and has been recognized by National Geographic as one of the “World’s Greatest Trips.”

To continue reading, please go to my full article on Examiner.com.