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US: Santa Trains, Polar Express Adventures, and Magical Holiday Lights – Quick, Easy Fun. 417VBHolidayLightsRoundUpPageTaking a break from the often hectic holiday season means finding fun in small doses and we have assembled our annual mini holiday adventures for your review. From riding the marvelous Polar Express to enjoying miles of magical lights we have plenty of yuletide excursions to make enjoying season with family and friends more fun.

Ride the rails; walk through a fantasy land of twinkling lights; meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus; sip hot chocolate with Christmas elves; sing carols together; climb aboard the Polar Express; ride a special “Yule Train”. It’s all about having fun whether it’s a getaway for a day or an escape for a weekend, enjoying time together and making memories matters.

Here's the scoop. Assembled from reader’s suggestions and staff favorites, our list is a resource for the fun stuff. Spanning eight distinct US geographic regions - Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Great Lakes, Southwest, Mountains West, and Western Edge - the collection of holiday trains and twinkling lights is enchanting. Ride the Polar Express at dozens of spots across the US, climb aboard a Santa Train in Florida, ride the rails in Britain - the fun is waiting. From miles of lights along the Boardwalk at Virginia Beach to the magic of Winterfest in Pigeon Forge celebrating is in the air. This year’s lists of reveal a plethora of ways to share the magic with kids including unique lists for Florida and Britain. Review the collection and make plans to get away for a day or two.
 
US: Northeast - Santa Trains and Holiday Lights.
Storybook travel is pure fun and during the winter months traditional “Santa Trains,” make enjoying Christmas even better. From New Hampshire and Vermont to Maine and New York pretend journeys to the North Pole are more fun than ever.

US: Mid Atlantic, Santa Trains and Holiday Lights. Looking for a terrific day trip to launch your holiday celebrations? Secure tickets and ride the rails with your kids. From New Jersey and Pennsylvania to Virginia and Maryland traditional “Santa Trains,” and miles of twinkling lights enhance the spirit of Christmas.

US: Southeast - Santa Trains and Holiday Lights.
Looking for a quick, fun holiday family adventure? Find a train and climb aboard. From Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia  to South Carolina and Arkansas storybook travel is pure fun, and during the winter months traditional “Santa Trains,” and miles of twinkling lights make enjoying Christmas even better.

US: Great Lakes - Santa Trains and Holiday Lights.
Looking for a quick, fun holiday family adventure? Find a train and climb aboard. From pretend journeys to the North Pole on the Polar Express to miles of magical lights share the joy and magic of the season with your kids. 417NVRPolarExpress
 
US: Southwest - Santa Trains and Holiday Lights. Need a mini break, something easy and fun to do with your kids? During the winter months traditional “Santa Trains,” provide quick, easy fun.  From Texas to Arizona and New Mexico pretend rail journeys to the North Pole in winter and miles of magical lights provide ways to celebrate together.
 
US: Mountains West - Santa Trains, and Holiday Lights. Looking for a mini break which includes fun for the whole family? Featured below you will find our favorite train excursions for families. From pretend journeys to the North Pole on the Polar Express to miles of magical lights share the joy and magic of the season with your kids.
 
US: Pacific Northwest - Santa Trains and Holiday Lights. Featured below you will find our favorite train excursions for families from Washington and Oregon to California it’s all about doing the fun stuff with your kids. From pretend journeys to the North Pole on the Polar Express to miles of magical lights share the joy and magic of the season with your kids.
 
US: Florida - Santa Trains and Holiday Lights. From St. Augustine to Orlando and the Gulf Coast the holiday season sparkles. Even with sunshine and palm trees swaying in the breeze storybook travel is pure fun and during the winter months Florida destinations adorn trees with twinkling lights and excursion trains run just for fun. 

US: California - Santa Trains and Holiday Lights.
One of the best ways to slow the advance of the sometimes hectic, often crazy holiday season is narrow your focus, turn off electronic connections and live in the moment.

Britain: Holiday Trains in England, Scotland and Wales Make Celebrating Easy. Storybook travel is pure fun and during the winter months traditional “Santa Trains,” make enjoying Christmas even better. From Scotland and Wales to the Midlands taking a train with the kids is more fun than ever. 

To expand the list for the future, we encourage you to “Tell Mom” about your own family’s favorite festival or fall getaway and to browse our Festivals and Events folder for even more ideas.

About the book, The Polar Express. 417HolidayBookOn Christmas Eve, a boy boards the mysterious train bound for the North Pole. During the story Santa gives the boy a bell from the harness of the reindeer. On the way home, the bell is lost but in the morning the boy finds the bell under the tree. While his mother thinks the bell is broken, he knows it is not but only true believers can hear the sound of the bell. The book received the prestigious Caldecott Award.  More great reads by Van Allsburg. Other delightful stories include Two Bad Ants, Ben’s Dream, and The Wreck of the Zephyr and Jumanji which became a movie starring Robin Williams. More details at www.polarexpress.com and www.chrisvanallsburg.com

Content researched and assembled by FTF. Images by Virginia Beach, Nevada Northern Railyway, and Houghton Mifflin Company. Copyright 2012.


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