The Polar Express
Since our family had so much fun on our Polar Express outing last year, we decided to venture there again this year. This time, we invited the LeCompte Family (Anne, Allison, and Kristy), as well as Lauren’s friend, Julia. In order to get rooms at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and tickets for the Polar Express train ride, we had to book our reservations in March for a December vacation. That’s how popular this adventure has become.
We left our house early Saturday morning and, rather than taking two vehicles, we packed our luggage, pillows, blankets, games, snacks, and the eight of us into Anne’s Chevy Equinox. We were surprisingly comfortable. We had great conversations and fun road games on the way. My suggestion to sing show tunes was overwhelmingly ignored. We stopped at Denny’s for lunch and reveled in the huge smiles and laughter that Katie and Lauren had with their good friends.
Later that afternoon we arrived at the hotel in Williams and, after checking into the hotel, took a walking tour of downtown Williams. Katie, Allison and Kristy particularly liked an old furniture store, where they wanted to buy the hip, artfully designed, luggage. We certainly had no room for additional baggage on the way home, so we declined. The weather was cold and crisp, but not snowy and chilly like it was last year. After getting back to the hotel, we relaxed in the hotel lobby near the warm fireplace, enjoyed hot chocolate, and played Apples to Apples.
Prior to the train ride, which was scheduled to depart at 8pm, we had dinner at the Grand Depot Cafe. In addition to a full buffet, the restaurant offered us selections from a pasta station, carving station, salad and soup bar, and a desert corner. After dinner, we made our way back to our rooms where everyone got bundled up for the train ride. The kids put on warm pajamas, scarves, and gloves. Lauren and Julia had matching pajamas that Julia’s mom gave them to open as gifts after dinner, in keeping with their Hanukkah tradition. The hotel grounds were filled with adorable children in festive pajamas, and several adults even joined in the fun.
We made our way to the train depot and waited outside our boarding zone until the train chugged it’s way to a complete stop. Everyone cheered as the conductors and crew got off the train to welcome us aboard. On the train, we sang Christmas carols, enjoyed chocolate chip cookies, and watched the colorful lighted town displays along the way, including a stop at The Polar Express. The girls particularly liked Angel, and elderly lady who served us on our ride. She was quite feisty and exuberant for her age and she played right along with the girls. What a job Angel has, it must make her stay young at heart being around such joyful youngsters every day. Amidst all the cheers and laughter, we listened to the Polar Express story book being read to us by one of the crew members, and then Santa Clause made his way through the aisles and handed each child a bell as a reminder to “believe”.
The following morning we had breakfast at the hotel before heading to Flagstaff to play in the snow. We found a nice place to park near the top of Mount Humphrey’s and, after getting out of the car and putting gloves on, immediately engaged in the long-awaited snowball fight. Lauren wasn’t too excited to be hit by snowballs, but she sure liked throwing them and most of all eating them. Anne was the brave one to lay in the snow and make a snow angel, and Katie, Allison and Kristy climbed a tree. We tried to lob snowballs at them in the air, only to get the snow crashing back down in our faces. It was a great way to expend energy and get some snow play in, but without the proper attire Lauren and Julia started to cry because they were so cold. With that, it was time to pile in the car and head home. Poor Lauren got car sick on the way and we had to stop and let her ‘paint’ the side of the road. We then enjoyed great burger and fries and Bun Hugger’s restaurant in Flagstaff prior to making our way home. Kristy especially enjoyed the burgers as seen here. What a great time we had on this mini-vacation, and how grateful we are for the LeCompte family and the friendship and fellowship they provide. What a great start to the Christmas season!
