Saturday, December 4th, was a blistering day in Deep Creek Lake. With the holiday cheer in the air, I decided to take my son on his first ever (and mine as well) train ride. We went on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and chose the Santa Express in Cumberland (only about 45 minutes east of Deep Creek Lake). What a sight was the large steam engine as it rolled into the station and Santa Claus waving out of the conductor’s window! Brody was so exicted, not only to see Santa Claus, but to get on his first Choo Choo Train. The train was huge, we had to go through 8 carts before getting our seats. Santa came through each cart giving out candy canes and talking with the kids. That was the only time I could get Brody away from the window. The ride to Frostburg took about 1 hour. We went and had lunch at a restaurant pub in Frostburg before heading back to Cumberland. The narration on the train was excellent and we got to hear about the caves and horseshoe tracks along the way.
Couple of helpful hints.
- If you can splurge, get the 1st class tickets (they are a bit more but they include lunch and great seats), and you get to your seats quicker (only matters if it is freezing outside)!
- Brody had a blast, but he is 2 – perfect age. If I had taken my older neices and nephews I would suggest to bring snacks, drinks, and a DVD player to keep their interest going.
- The tickets are free for any lap child. Brody was on our lap the whole time so he could see out the window.
- Stroller was key for the Frostburg excursion. You can keep it between the seats folded up during the train ride.
- If you have infants bring a blanket – it was a bit chilly for Jorja, my newborn.
We had a great time and will be looking into the Murder Mystery Ride the Spring!