(Post written by guest blogger, Michelle Evans) Instead of taking a car ride to see Santa at the local mall, this year we took a train ride with him at Jim Thorpe’s Olde Time Christmas. Surprising my daughter, Sofia (age 4), and my friend Lisa’s son, Jake (age 7), with such a novel experience turned out to be a holiday treat for us moms too!
The Santa Claus Train ran for three weekends in a row from December 1st through the 16th. Weeks of rescheduling from miserable colds and ear infections led us to a perfect sunny day for the 70-minute trip. Parking was quick, ticket lines short and restrooms handy for the non-negotiable potty stop. Minus paper towels, we grumped about wet hands and tried the “shake it off” approach, but warm gloves solved our dreaded icicle-grip dilemma.
What else helped make the trip so sweet? Food! We stocked up for the ride with hot cocoa, a hot dog, sloppy joe and of course, cookies. The train rides were scheduled for 11 AM, 1 PM and 3PM. We got there early hoping to nab the best seats at the 2:30 boarding time, but the train was running late and didn’t start boarding until 3:00. It loaded quickly but was sold out, so somehow we ended up on a railroad car they had just attached… which was brrrrr, cold.
Our kids didn’t seem to notice, so frozen toes aside, we settled the little ones in window seats and awaited the conductor. Spiffed up in uniform and punching tickets left and right, he started the ride off on just the right note—polar express style! Ongoing narration about local history and landmarks helped us adults point out features the children would have overlooked in their every-which-way wonder.
Half-way through the train stopped and Santa showed up, taking time to chat with each child and allowing parents to snap beloved photos. Free. Sight-seeing attention spans maxed out on the return trip, when tickle fights and poke battles ensued. Afterwards, we nabbed a conductor for one more photo and headed for the heat, and home.
The Santa Claus train turned out to be a wonderful delight, rewarding everyone with special memories minus the glut of commercial Christmas gimmicks. The tickets? $12 for adults, $9 for children. The journey? Absolutely priceless.
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