The Great Smoky Mountain Rail Road

The carful of kids woke up with trains on the mind this morning.  We put on our conductor's hats with the train patches from previous trips.  My hat is vintage because I got it when I was 12 and I have the most train patches.  I made reservations on the Great Smoky Mountain Rail Road for today before we left on our trip.  We like to take scenic rail road excursions on our road trips.  Remember when I was herding my carful of kids through the Art Institute of Chicago hoping one day they would at least have an appreciation for art.  Well when I was a kid, my brother was a train kid.  He loved his model trains.  Because of that my mom would take us on the Amtrak Sunset Limited from Houston to San Antonio to visit our grandparents.  I liked the train trips just not as much as my brother--he was obsessed.  But the more we rode the train to Grandma's house, the more I appreciated the train.  Now I have been on more trains worldwide than my brother.  I love the clickety-clack of the train.  The nostalgia of the whistle, the crisp screech as it cuts through the air like a call for adventure.   There is something romantic about the back and worth sway of train.  Some of my best nights sleep as an adult have been on a berth in a sleeper.  My favorite trains have to be stream trains.  Riding a steam train is akin to driving a vintage car, you are reliving a little piece of history.

Last spring, while my son reading to me, I thought I heard a steam whistle.  No that can not be.  I asked my son if he heard it.

"Yeah mom, I think it is a steamy,"  he said, just happy for the distraction from his homework.

"I think so too.  Get your shoes, let's go find that train."  I told the carful of kids as I grabbed my purse and my camera.  Off we went and headed for the train tracks not too far from my house.  Sure enough I found my train,  the Union Pacific's fully restored Engine 844.  We should have been doing our homework that day, but I think the carful of kids will remember the day Mom flew out of the house to chase a steam train longer.

Riding a train is a great activity for kids of all ages.  I had my middle son on a train when he was 4 months old.  It was a short trip, but two years later I had my then three and a half year old and two year old on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad for a eight hour trip through the Southern Rocky Mountains.  It still has to be our favorite train ride to date, but I was prepared.  I had a backpack jammed with water, snacks,  jackets, extra diapers and lots of wipes.  So do not hesitate to take your family on a excursion train trip, it is worth the extra effort from Mom.

The carful of kids is taking the Tuckasegee River Excursion this time.  The Great Smoky Mountain Rail Road (GSMRR) offered a deal this summer.  For every adult ticket, you get a free children's ticket. Great deal, I found it under the daily deals section of their website.  It always pays to hunt around.   We have seats on the open air gondola car that is all fun and no luxury. They are converted flatbeds and baggage cars.  They have a solid railing and bench seats running down the length of the car.  They are a great value for families because people needing more comfort are inside a car with windows that close.  The GSMRR departs daily from Bryson City, North Carolina in route to Dillsboro, North Carolina some 16 miles away along the Tuckasegee River.  Our itinerary includes a lunch stop in Dillsboro before heading back.

The Amazing Model Train at GSMRR

We grab our tickets at will call.  We have a bonus feature on this scenic train trip, the GSMRR has a model train museum that is included in the train ticket price.  We have a few minutes before we board the train, so I herd the carful of kids to the museum.  But first, we have to make our mandatory bathroom break.  Sorry boys, no exceptions.

Is that the Lone Ranger?

Before long we hear the train blowing its horn.  I gather the carful of kids and climb abroad the train.  Before you can blink your eye, the train is pulling out of the station.   We are excited to find what lies around the next bend.  The carful of kids stand up at the railing, watching the scenery go by.  They wave at the people who stop what they are doing and to watch the train pass.  I guess they are also train people.  I heard a rumor that would be a visitor in the car today.   The staff on the train is great--the conductor answers every question that you can think of.  Low and behold the next thing I know I see the Lone Ranger working his way up the car.  And then off he chases the bad guy with his guns out.  I don't have to tell you that the boys love this.  My daughter, the tween is not as impressed.  We continue on our journey and criss-cross the Tuckasegee River towards Dillsboro.  Before you know it we are pulling into the station.

The rain has been threatening all day.  I forgot the umbrellas in the SUV because when we left the station the weather was sunny.  We have a layover  and decide to eat at Kostas Family Restaurant for lunch.  They combine Greek, Italian and American fare seamlessly.  I take a gamble and order the Chicken Gyros.  It is amazing and I love Greek food.  I used to live in the Greek neighborhood in NYC, so I have had some good Gyros.

While we are enjoying our lunch, the sky decides to fall and does not let up.  Our layover is almost over and the conductor said he will leave us behind if we are late.  The carful of kids have no other option than to run back to the train station.  We get there just in time and are soaked to the bone.  The good thing is the weather is nice and warm so it doesn't take us long before we dry out.

The ride back is just as fun.  The kids look forward to the tunnel.  We have an ongoing tradition of holding our breaths through the tunnel.  This is no exception.  With a long very dark tunnel behind us, we look at the river rafters making their way down the river.   In no time, our train pulls into the station.  Before we can get in the car, the kids have talked us into another walk around the model train museum.  That will to it for the carful of kids for the day, next stop Asheville, North Carolina.