This weekend, we were able to go on the First Candy Cane Express of the Season. On Black Friday, they offered BOGO Free tickets, and we thought why not try it out! The 2-year-old LOVES trains and we thought he would enjoy it. The 2 little ones were free, so we only had to pay for 6 of us, and with BOGO tickets, it was a fairly reasonable family outing. The Candy Cane express is run by Santiam Excursions in Lebanon, Oregon.
I am a sucker for Christmas Activites. I LOVE Christmas and everything about it. I love all the different activities that are around for Christmas and we try to fit in as many as possible, so I was excited to try the train out.
There are 4 train cars. A passenger car with tables and chairs and a coffee area. A car with a few tables, an arts and crafts area, and a place to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” They also had Hot Chocolate and Popcorn in here. Next was an open-air car. Finally, there was a car with tables for games and a bar area.
You show your tickets and get your hand stamped for the ride. Then you get some hot chocolate and a candy cane before you board the train. They give safety instructions and then you all board for an hour train ride. We headed to the farthest car – the one with board games and the bar. The big kids wanted to check out the games! Plus it was super warm in this car, nice for the baby. Also, since it was the farthest back, not many people made it back right away. The kids grabbed a table and started to play games.
We got a picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus before the Train started moving – while they were still getting ready to go. Then, while the big kids played, we found some chairs right next to the window (well, the table was next to a window too, but the chairs were easier for a little one to see out) and sat there with the 2-year-old and baby.
The 2-year-old was just thrilled. He got pretty excited when the train started to move. He just sat in the chair and watched the train move and the scenery go by. He would wave at people and cars out the window. This was right up a 2-year-old’s alley!
You go one way for a half an hour and then turn around and go back. About 45 minutes into the ride, we told the kids to finish up their games so we could explore the rest of the train. I think we did it right by staying in the WARM back car as long as possible though – especially with a little baby! Plus, the kids really enjoyed playing games together on the train.
We enjoyed the open air car for a little bit. The baby wasn’t a fan of the cold air, so he huddled under his blanket. The other kids enjoyed looking around as we moved and waving to cars and people. Then we went into the arts and crafts area, where the younger ones all made and created some pictures. The 2-year-old surprisingly really got into making his picture (he’s never been into coloring much… but maybe that will change?!?!). Then it was about time to get off, so they sat and watched “Charlie Brown Christmas,” while everyone disembarked. We were the last off the train (didn’t want to fight the crowd getting off!)
It was a fun activity for a Saturday afternoon. The kids all gave it a thumbs up and would do it again. I thought the big kids wouldn’t enjoy it, but they said they had a great time playing games. As long as we can get the BOGO tickets, we will be doing this adventure again! Especially fantastic for those kids obsessed with trains!
