The Lollipop Road

Posts Tagged ‘holiday activity’

After much uncertainty earlier this year, Edaville Railroad announced that it would remain open for yet another fun filled season. Hooray! This past weekend gave folks a preview of the park with a frightfully ghoulish “Ghost Train”. Although the rides were not open, it was a scary fright fest that had patrons excited about the upcoming 2011 Festival of Lights at Edaville Railroad.

Edaville was started back in 1947 when Ellis D. Atwood (EDA) purchased two-foot gauge rails from Maine and brought them back to his cranberry bog plantation in Carver, Massachusetts. He built a 5 ½ mile loop around the bogs to simultaneously service the bogs and give sightseeing tours to paying customers. He added amusement rides and lots of holiday lights to give New Englanders and tourists alike an amusement park experience like never before.

From November 25th through January 1st, families may enjoy Edaville’s traditional Festival of Lights, along with all of the rides that make little ones squeal with delight. Weekday hours will be 4PM until 9PM, with weekend hours from 2PM until 9PM. Please review the full schedule before heading out.

In addition to the traditional train ride, there will also be The Polar Express train this year, as well. The Polar Express will run at 4:30PM, 5:30PM, 6:30PM and 7:30PM on the following dates: November 18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30 and December 5, 6, 12, 13, 24, 31. With the exception of the last two dates, the remainder of the park is closed during this event. The cost is $30 per person (under 2 free) and includes hot chocolate, cookies and a small gift. Please make reservations in advance.

For additional information about Edaville’s specific attractions, be sure to read our full review from the 2010 season.

Edaville Railroad is located in Carver, Massachusetts. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the busiest days, so if you’re looking for maximum enjoyment and minimal crowds, visit on a weekday or as soon as the park opens. Admission is $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and free for kids under 2. Watch for coupons on their Facebook page.

Disclosure

You know spring is here again when the Easter Bunny trains begin pulling out of their stations.  So, to kick off the season we climbed aboard the Black River & Western Railroad’s Easter Bunny Express in Flemington, NJ this past weekend.

We arrived about 20 minutes before departure, just in time to see the train pulling into the station carrying lots of children with smiling faces.  Our two kids were revved up and ready to go!

Climbing aboard a few minutes later, we settled into our seats as our youngest glued himself to the window in anticipation of the changing scenery outside.  The passenger cars used on this line are vintage with the “flip” style seating that is great for families; and the warmth radiating from the well stocked potbelly stove in each car is just enough to take the chill off.  Oh, and remember…NO SPITTING!

With a big thud, the engine was coupled to the passenger cars and the whistle let out a loud toot; we were on our way.  At first, we were worried that our 4 year old would not be receptive to the Easter Bunny.  After all, he isn’t exactly the type to embrace furry, life-sized characters, no matter what they have to offer (even candy).  Surprisingly, this time was different; he was quite excited and kept close tabs on Ms. B’s progress throughout the passenger cars.

When the fluffy life-sized Easter Bunny finally arrived, the kids eagerly dipped into the basket to claim their “prize”.  It was great – the adults also got to partake…I can’t tell you how long it has been since I’ve had Sour Patch Kids…yummy.  During the remainder of the 25-minute ride down to Ringoes, the kids ate their candy and continued to stare out the window.

Upon arriving in Ringoes, you are required to disembark the train while it repositions for the return trip (they tell us for safety reasons).  During the 20-minute stopover, we made a quick round through the gift shop, then checked out some of the old railcars in the yard.  There is a cool Amtrak car that is used as a residence, a caboose being used as an office and plenty of other railcars of various shapes and sizes and in various states of repair.  The highlight was the big black locomotive (Old #60) sitting in the shed.  Of course, our son seems convinced that it could be Hiro.

After dragging the kids back on the train, we settled in for the 20-minute return trip to Flemington.  The folks that put together these trains do a great job and our kids look forward to each and every trip.  So, if you’re looking for a fun family activity this Easter, chugging down the line with the Big Bunny is a sure bet.  Check out an Easter Train near you!

Black River and Western Railroad is offering the Easter Bunny Express again on April 2nd and 3rd at 11:30AM, 1:00PM and 2:30PM.  Each trip is approximately 75 minutes and costs $14 for adults and $7 for children (3-12).  Children under the age of 3 are free.  You can obtain tickets at the box office at Flemington Station between 11:10AM and 2:30PM on the day of departure.

Disclosure

We all thought that it would be a much bigger deal than it turned out to be, but it’s still a memory that will remain with us forever.  If you’re Irish, married to someone who is Irish, or just love drinking a good Guinness now and again, visiting Ireland should top your list of things to do with your kids before they’re out of college and have long forgotten about vacationing with their parents. 

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, I’m flooded with wonderful memories of a family vacation to Ireland taken many years ago, right around this time.  To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we’d planned on trudging out early into the cold, damp morning to marvel at the entertainment of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  It was quite a long walk from our hotel to the parade route, but we were so looking forward to this once in a lifetime experience, I mean, it’s St. Patrick’s Day and this is Ireland.

Strange...

We’d anticipated large crowds of people vying for a good spot from which to view the spectacle.  When we arrived at the place where we thought we should be, we wondered if we had taken a wrong turn.  There were fewer than a thousand people within our sight – perhaps as a result of the inclement weather, we thought.  The crowd did grow a bit by the time the parade started, but it wasn’t until later that we’d realize that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade back home was a much bigger deal than it was in Ireland.

What the heck...?

There was some strange stuff in that parade!  Oh well, we enjoyed it all the same!  It was a once in a lifetime experience.  Enjoy the photos and check back with us again to read more on traveling throughout Ireland.

Playing The Bagpipes

Enjoy the photos!  For more amazing photos, please visit Photo Friday at DeliciousBaby.   

Disclosure

New Year’s Eve activities always seem to be directed toward adults, however, as a kid, it was the second of two days each year that I got to stay up late, so I was always eager for the day to arrive.  Since we’ve had kids of our own, our “tradition” has been to be in bed well before midnight, but that seems so boring.  What is there really to do with kids on New Year’s Eve?  Fireworks, First Night and Family Friendly Parties top the list. Read the rest of this entry »