This past weekend my family and I went to The Gold Coast Railroad Museum to experience a magical recreation of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. This delightful experience takes you and your family to the North Pole on board an actual train ride. Each golden ticket gets punched by the conductor, all while watching the dancing and singing chefs who serve hot cocoa and a tasty treat. Everyone also gets to interact with different characters of the movie like the hobo, the children in the movie and of course Santa himself!
How did Annemarie like it?
She loved it, especially when we arrived to the North Pole. Her eyes were filled with wonder which made everything worth it. She was a little hesitant and held me a little tighter when Santa arrived, but she clapped and danced with the chefs and even gave a high-five to the hobo.
Which tickets did we select?
Since we all wanted to sit together, we did purchased "First Class" tickets. This enabled us to sit at two tables across from each other. We also received adorable Polar Express mugs as a souvenir.
Something extra I took away from the experience.
I think one of Annemarie's favorite treats was the bell she received which represents the magic of believing. It got me thinking that even though everyone has a different belief or tradition during the holiday season - everyone does believe in something. I don't know if as Annemarie gets older I will continue to build on the idea of Santa or if I will teach "Santa" as a symbol of hope, giving and exactly who he was - Saint Nicholas. I do know that I want to keep that awe in her eyes and the magical spirit as long as I can!
Here are a couple of pictures from our magical experience on the Polar Express.
