The Polar Express

Every Christmas season, the 'Saratoga and North Creek Railway' runs their "Polar Express" train excursion. Since we were in Saratoga Springs for the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train fundraiser and Christmas show, we got to see this great holiday "Polar Express" train up close as we watched it come and go.

After seeing this train and experiencing Saratoga Springs, we decided that if we were going to take the grandkids on any Christmas train excursion, it would be this "Polar Express"! We're also thinking of also doing one of their other scenic tour excursions in warmer weather too but this blog entry is about "The Polar Express".

The biggest difficulty in arranging for a trip on The Polar Express would be getting tickets before it is sold out. The class of tickets we want are already sold out for the season. So, this season is out of the question. We'll have to aim for next Christmas season.

Next year we'll need to start planning this trip in the September/October timeframe if we want to ride in December. Hmmm...  maybe we'll need to book even earlier than that?

The train journeys to "the North Pole" and the kids get a view of the North Pole from their seats. The children dress in their Christmas pajamas just like in the movie. The train is decorated for Christmas... white linens on the tables... hot cocoa in mugs which they can take home with them... and they get their golden tickets punched by the conductor. The waitstaff, dressed in their uniforms, sing and dance in the aisles. 

When the Polar Express returned to the station on this particular night while we were present, they were greeted by thousands of onlookers who were waiting for the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train. It was a busy night in Saratoga Springs! You could tell by the looks on the kids' faces that they were surprised to see so many people greeting them as they made their way to the station. Most of them were a bit sleepy, yawning and rubbing their eyes, but they were all in open-mouthed awe at the number of people greeting them.

Parents hurried their children through the crowd... dressed in Christmas pajamas with feet... wrapped in blankets... into the station... while the kids were wide-eyed wondering what the heck is going on!  

This "Polar Express" train excursion seems like the one to ride... and one which we would like to ride in the future! We'll have to see if we can make next Christmas work for everyone involved...

Here is a short video (above) of "The Polar Express" arriving at Saratoga Springs... and then a clip of Amtrak departing Saratoga Springs... as we awaited the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train.