In the Chicago area there are several Polar Express themed events to enjoy: Amtrak runs a PE train; Metra has candy cane expresses; Illinois Railway Museum has Christmas train rides and the CTA has a Santa EL. Here are a few photos from the events we went to this past week.
If you have a PE event in your neck of the woods join the fun and post your photos here too!!
My son Will, his wife, and I took the grandchildren to the event at Spencer, NC. The kids didn't know where we were going. That meant a three hour ride to get to Will's house and two more to Spencer. Imagine taking two boys, 3 & 7, to go "have fun" and then talking them into going up to a house to "get directions because we are lost'" only to be met at the door by two girls, 4 & 8, who screamed "What are you doing here."
Melissa had bought pajamas for each of them so they put them on top of their clothes and away we went to... still they didn't know. And of course "The Polar Express" was on the DVD player in the car.
Finally arrived in Spencer and there was the engine and cars blocking the road. It got kinda noisy. The entire event was very well done, we caught the 5:30 ride, and it was a foggy warm mist, perfect for the occasion.
After a train ride to the North Pole, complete with hot chocolate, cookies, candy, tickets, etc, we arrived and Santa appeared along with the four main characters from the movie. The turntable and roundhouse were perfectly decorated and it looked very a North Pole-like.
On the return, Santa walked thru and everyone was given a bell. Nobody there failed to hear their bell ring. It was a trainload of Believers that night.
If you don't know Spencer, it is home for the NC Train Museum, formerly Southern Shops complete with a working turntable, roundhouse, etc. The 611 was reworked here last year. Great place to visit.
If you go, we recommend going when it is dark. Check the website as I have left out much of what was there to do. Really done well.
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