The Rocky Mountaineer has a reputation. It's known for extravagance and breathtaking views.
From CNN to Travel and Leisure, the Canadian railway company has earned a spot on numerous lists highlighting luxury trains.
The company has four train routes, three of which depart from Vancouver and head east. All of Rocky Mountaineer's trains feature glass-dome coaches, and the company advertises "daylight trains," which means that passengers sleep in a hotel each night instead of in train roommettes.
While the price fluctuates based on the journey and time of year — the Rocky Mountaineer runs between spring and fall — the trips cost between $1,465 and $2,342.
Last year, the company launched its fourth route: Rockies to the Red Rocks. As the company's first US route, it's a two-day train journey between Denver, Colorado, and Moab, Utah, with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The route runs from May through October.
As a travel reporter, I've spent years dreaming of those picturesque glass-dome windows, and as a new Colorado resident, I couldn't imagine a better backdrop than Colorado's towering mountains and Moab's red rock wonderland.
This May, I traveled on the Rocky Mountaineer, sitting under the glass-dome windows admiring expansive canyons, powerful rivers, and historic tunnels. And with those impressive views came plenty of surprises.