I've been thinking about taking the wife and little man(18 months) on a train trip. Either a day trip or a 1 night stay somewhere. Maybe 2-3 nights if it's extra fun. Scenic ride through the mountains or along the coast would be a plus. Something with a fun destination for kids would also be a plus.

Suggestions?

I'll be going on the Polar Express this Christmas with the kiddos. It's a short 90 minute trip, which is good because I'm not sure if they can handle a super long one. We'll see how that goes.

https://mtrainierrailroad.com/train-exc ... r-express/

A couple of years ago, four of us did the Alki Snow Train to Leavenworth:
https://www.alkitours.us

We paid the $$ for the "dome seating" and that was really nice . . . we had zero regrets about spending the extra money.

Now of course, Leavenworth at Christmastime is either "heaven on earth" or "hell on earth," depending on your perspective. You can probably guess my view on it.

First look for a sale. Amtrak often has 30-90% off sales going on.
Used to take the kids from Edmonds to Everett for less than a kiddie train ride at a fair.
Wife and I took the Amtrak from Edmonds to Wenatchee and back for $18 on a sale.

You didn't mention how soon you wanted to go, but....

If you go with Madpick's selection & head to Leavenworth, they have sleigh rides you could do as well.

Since you're up north, a train to Vancouver, or Banff might work....great restaurants in Vancouver, too.

I've done a train trip to Portland, and stayed in a B&B, and taken the train back, before.

They had a Bar Car

Thanks for the recommendations on the polar express and Christmas train guys. Unfortunately the Christmas train is all sold out but we may look at the polar express.

Thanks for the idea guntrader. I'm all for saving money but I'm also not opposed to spending a pretty penny for a special experience for my family. Can't take the money with me, I'd rather see the little man's eyes light up. Wenatchee in winter could be a fun ride though. I'll have to check rates

See that? Bar car. This guy speaks my language

Day or overnight trip to BC then take a ferry back south. Now would be a good time to do this since they will be going back to the talgo sets soon. The older horizon and amfleet cars ride pretty good.

The trip from Everett or Stanwood to Portland is quite scenic. I make that run a few times a year when I can for work vs flying or the I-5 slog.

Yes, Portland is liberal, weird and not 2A friendly, but if you can set all that aside for a day, it can be quite entertaining .

While there, the Tri-Met light rail and streetcars make renting a car quite optional
Grab the train north the next day or so and you have a nice family adventure.

We did the Leavenworth Christmas train a few years ago out of Everett and, unless they've changed things around, I can't recommend it. The way the timeline was set up, we were able to watch the tree lighting (good) but then had to literally run so we didn't miss the bus to take us back to the train station (bad, especially since it was icy). Plus, when I say "bus" back to the train station I mean "school bus." I don't know if they were out of regular buses or too cheap to rent something nicer, but everyone on our train had the pleasure of squeezing themselves into a fleet of off-duty school buses. Cramped, not exactly plush, and I don't remember them being heated. With the cost of the trip I expected something a little less junior high. I hope they've given the whole thing an update, I'd be willing to do it again if they have.

I'll check that out too. May need to get some docs in order for the little man to cross the border, it would be his first time out of the country.




Great recommendation brother! I'm sure there's got to be a side to Portland that isn't all skanky liberal hipster douchebags with vape pens.




That's pretty crazy considering they're asking $259-$379 per seat on the train depending on options. For a train ride with only continental breakfast and dinner served you'd think the travel accomodations in Leavenworth would be a little nicer than a school bus.

Take the train to Portland or Eugene and stay the night. Cheap. I’ve done it a few times.

Take the Amtrack from Seattle to Whitefish Montana (Big Mountain). Stay at a lodge overnight (I recommend the Kandahar Lodge), then come home.

This. :)

What's interesting is The Cascade Tunnel. Longest RR tunnel in the US.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Tunnel

"Ventilation operations

Because of the length of the tunnel, an unusual system is used to ensure that the air inside remains breathable and reduce problems with excess fumes. For example, as a train enters the west portal of the tunnel, doors close on the east portal and huge fans blow in cool air through a second portal to help the diesel engines. As long as the train is within the tunnel, the fans work with reduced power to avoid pressure problems.

After the train has left the tunnel, the red-and-white-checked door closes and the fans operate for 20 to 30 minutes with maximum power to clear the tunnel of exhaust before the next train passes through. In the opposite direction, the door opens when the train is within 0.6 miles (1 km). The fans are powered by two 800-horsepower electric motors, clearing the air through the seven miles (11 km) of tunnel within 20 minutes. Present-day train crews carry portable respirators for use in the event of a fan failure or a train stalling inside the tunnel. In addition, there are emergency/safety stations spaced 1,500–2,500 feet (460–760 m) apart, depending on the location within the tunnel, that provide additional air tanks and equipment to be used in the event of a ventilation/other failure.

The tunnel door is protected by an absolute signal near the east portal; at Scenic on the west side, another signal with dual flashing lunar aspects indicates to eastbound trains that the tunnel fans are operating.