Polar Express, Part Three

So -- what happened when we ARRIVED AT THE NORTH POLE?? You simply won't believe it...

To get back to our Kick-Off Christmas event -- the wonderful Polar Express Train Ride...

The Polar Express train pulls into a long building (at the other end of the park -- I think the train went around two or three times to give the illusion of traveling to the North Pole)...

It is like cave darkness...and every body gets very quiet...Then -- POOF -- all the bright lights come on, and the music starts to play, and the kids can hardly wait to jump off the train....

This long building has train tracks right down the middle -- with stuff going on on both sides

The kids run up and down, because they can't decide what to see or do first.

There was a Snow Princess, giving out gifts

That was our first stop...

A big attraction was the NINE stations where kids could run the model trains.

And bubbles came down from the ceiling -- giving the illusion of frsh snow

Our favorite was the crafting room

There were so many decorations, and free hot chocolate and cookies...

That blue back drop was the station where a professional photographer took your group picture (yes, that's a guy wearing a kilt)

Everything had lights...the reindeer, dozens of Christmas trees.

The kids got to climb around the caboose

And they took several turns to run the model train boards.

But Warren would just as soon be building his own track system, thank you very much. AND THEY HAD PLENTY OF THOMAS TRAIN STUFF available at various stations...

Honestly, people, it JUST DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS. I have never been to anything that was so well done and beautifully organized. THANK YOU, MOUNT PLEASANT IOWA and all the people at the Midwest Central Railroad...

But we're not quite done.  Really...I haven't even told you about my favorite thing at the North Pole...