It’s the fifth day of sharing ornaments and today is all about something we did with the two older boys when they were quite young. I absolutely love picking up ornaments from places we visit because it gives us a reason every year (and years down the line) to recall the fun and exciting moments created there. Today, we’re going back to when we lived in Arizona. You’d be surprised at what we were able to find to do during the Christmas holiday in the desert. In fact, we saw snow, wore coats and even felt cold! Here’s the story about the time we took the boys on the Grand Canyon Railway’s version of the Polar Express. Â
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Twenty-Five Days of Ornament Memories
Day Five – The Polar Express Adventure
Whoa – we’ve made it 20% of the way to Christmas and through this holiday series! While that’s exciting and thrilling ~ it’s also quite scary. Why? Because I haven’t even STARTED Christmas shopping yet! LOL. I’m having too much fun sharing these stories with you guys ~ even those these posts are so easy to write.Â
Today is all about an adventure we took the older two boys on back when they were little. I think our middle son had to have been just under the age of two and the oldest was just about ready to turn five. The movie The Polar Express (based on the 1985 book) had just come out that year and was growing in popularity. Imagine how surprised I was to hear there were actual Polar Express adventures that could be taken around the country. Who knew there would be one in Arizona!!Â
A Little Background First
While we lived near Phoenix, which is all sand and cacti, there are some more New England style landscapes found further north. Just about three hours straight up from Phoenix and just east of Flagstaff is a town called Williams. In that region of the state, which looks to be at the northern tip of the Coconino National Forest, there is much more greenery and potential to see snow in the winter.
There in Williams, visitors can also find the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel. The railway was established back in 1901 (the same year Walt Disney was born). While it suffered through some fear of closing down when automobiles came into the picture and road tripping became popular (around 1968), they somehow found a way to preserve the railway and keep history alive over the years. While the train doesn’t take travelers to the Grand Canyon anymore, the station still serves as an educational and entertaining journey for those who visit.
**You can find out more about the history of the Grand Canyon Railway here: Grand Canyon Railway
Our Northern Adventure
Since both boys were into the Polar Express, I was beyond elated when I came across the news that there was one just a few hours away!  After chatting about the idea with Hubby and finding he was all “on board,” I was off to design a fun and exciting adventure for our family!
Before we knew it, we were packed and headed north to meet Santa just before Christmas!
The Experience
It was everything I dreamed it would be – and more! We explored the grounds, enjoyed a meal at the Fred Harvey Restaurant there on the property and then changed into matching pajamas before boarding the train that evening.
The ride was exciting – filled with singing, storytelling and treats! I know this will sound crazy, but it was the boys’ first time having hot cocoa and cookies (long story and there are health reasons involved). So, it was a very memorable trip and the smile on those adorable little faces meant more than the world to me.
The Best Memory of All
In the story The Polar Express, we all know that one of the pivotal moments is when Santa hands out “the first gift” of the season. It’s an iconic scene that tugs at everyone’s heart strings when they read it in the book or see it in the movie.
When our adventure reached “the North Pole” during our train ride, we all saw Santa just outside the train. He was waving to us as the train came to a stop. The man in the bright red suit got out of his sleigh parked there in the snow and then made his way to the back of the train.
Our little family of four just happened to be in the very last train that evening. In fact, we were in the very last set of seats in our car.
So, what does that mean?
That means that we were the first ones to see Santa as he boarded the train that evening to ride back to the Grand Canyon Railway Station with us.
AND….
As he boarded the train, he belted out a merry “Ho, Ho, Ho” and wished us all a very Merry Christmas. Santa then turned to his right and looked straight into the faces of my very excited little boys. Santa smiled at them both, crouched down just a little and started talking with them. As he spoke, he slipped his hand into his bag and pulled out…the first sleigh bell.
At that moment, I wanted to cry.
HE HANDED THE VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS GIFT OF THE SEASON (so to speak) TO OUR OLDEST!
(and the second to our other son)
The magical grin that appeared on our four year old’s face was priceless. It became the brightest memory of the trip for me. In fact, I think he wore that smile for the rest of our adventure!
If you can “believe it,” we still have that bell to this day…(I just don’t know where the boys put it this year…..Boys???)
Have you ever taken a Polar Express Adventure with your kids?
It truly was as amazing as we had dreamed it would be. If you’ve ever taken a ride on the Polar Express (anywhere in the country), I’d love to hear your story. Share your adventure down below and whether or not you picked up an ornament to mark the occasion!
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Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or just the idea of being with family and friends this time of the year, we all have traditions. We all have those things that bring us back to holidays from times past. My hope is that these posts bring you back to a place in your life where you smiled, felt joy and experienced happiness.
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Did you miss the first few days of this Holiday Series? No worries – you can catch them all here:
The Story Behind The Ornaments:
Amazon Favorites for the Polar Express fan in you!
I would love to take my kids on a polar express adventure especially after reading this post! Thank you for sharing
It’s such a great holiday adventure for the whole family!! It makes for a great memory.
I love the Polar Express we had an amazing experience!
Awesome!!! I love hearing that!!!
My town in conjunction with the MBTA does the Polar Express. We took the boys when they were small and they loved it. In fact, the memories just popped up on my FB page and it was so much going back over them.
Awwww – that must have melted your heart when you saw those photos!!! I know mine did when I was looking for more to include in the post. That’s such a memorable experience to have and the kids really connect with the story.
How precious! I love the moment when Santa gifted your boys the first bell-how special! Just like you love to collect ornaments from places we have visited and love the memories that flood back when we take them out each year. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure!! Do you have one ornament you’ve collected that stood out in your memory as you read this piece?
Love it! We just had opportunity to ride the Skunk Train and it too was a magical experience! My daughter commented it was just like riding the Polar Express… trains are just magical!
I have never heard of the Skunk Train – hmmm….something new to research, I suppose. Yes, I agree – train rides are definitely a magical way to travel!
I haven’t done the Polar Express but would like to. There was one in Orlando area last year that I looked into but wasn’t sure if it was worth the money or the two hour drive there. I love ornaments that have a story behind them. I try to pick one up whenever I visit somewhere new.
Lora, I didn’t realize you were so close to central Florida! I did hear that there is a Polar Express experience nearby – but I haven’t checked into it since the boys are so much older now. Of course, I won’t lie – I’d LOVE to do it again! LOL.
Yes, we went on a magical express a few years ago. It was so fun! Great experience.
I was trying to tell my daughter that I have been on the real Polar Express and she totally thinks I’m joking! She had to go around to all my extended family at a wedding we went to recently and ask them if the Polar Express was real. I still don’t think she believes me. Maybe I’ll show her this post! haha
Looks like the polar express would be a great family experience! Thanks for telling us all about it!
The Polar Express is such a fun experience! You are a talented storyteller. Your boys are adorable 🙂
What a lovely experience and memory for your boys! I would love to do this with my kids, even now that they’re a bit older. The Polar Express is one of my favorites!
We have a local Polar Express here – so much fun. I recommend anything like this for everyone.
We have not done a Polar Express Train Ride, but we have done a Thomas the Train one when my boys were small. I love your matching Mickey Mouse plaid pjs. We try to do matching Disney pjs each year.
What a great holiday experience for your family!
What a special time! Thanks for sharing
My pleasure!!
My mom LOVED the Polar Express! She went with her second grade class to see it then was determine to take me to go see it with her soon after! I think it’s been one of the few times where my mom was more excited about going to see an animated movie than I was, and I majored in that field! 😂
What a precious memory to have of spending time with your mom!!! I love this!!!
What a touching and priceless experience! So special. We also like to collect ornaments from our adventures!
It’s such a fun way to mark that moment in history – don’t you think?
What a great experience y’all had! We also love to collect ornaments from our trips and experiences Makes decorating the tree extra fun!
Right? Every year, we pull out the ornaments and have so much to remember!!
Polar Express looks fantastic! We will have to place it on our things to do. Thank you for sharing your adventures.
My pleasure!! Thank YOU for taking the time to read about them.
What an absolutely lovely memory!
Thanks! We think back on it fondly.
I need to take my boys for a ride now! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Lina!!!
What an amazing experience! We love the polar express but we’ve never done an experience though. I think it would be so amazing even though my boys are teenagers now!
Mine are, too, but I want to take them again!! LOL. It would make for a great memory, don’t you think?
It looks awesome and fun. I will have it in my places to visit list. Thanks!
This is such a fun series! I’ll have to write up our special ornament memories for a scrapbook!
That would be a great project!!! I need to get back to finishing out the series. LOL. I got caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season that I’m a little behind. I hope you enjoy remembering the stories behind YOUR ornaments!
The Polar Express is such a sweet Christmas book and my boys love the train experience in Duluth, Minnesota as well! It’s such a great memory of that time of year!
Right? Such a fun experience to have as a family during the holiday season. I am determined to get my boys to do it again – at least one more time. If I have to, I’ll wait patiently until the grandchildren start arriving (looooong way off)…but we will do it again. LOL.
Train rides are so magical, especially when they involve Santa Claus! What a fun memory.