Enjoying a Snowy Adventure Aboard the Candy Cane Express on the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway

 On this snowy day, what could be more fun than taking a ride on the Candy Cane Express?  I can't think of one thing!  Today we took the grandkids to Corinth and hopped aboard the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway on the Candy Cane Express.

The Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway is the brainchild of Hal Raven.  You may have heard his name here on the blog as I've featured his Adirondack Cruise & Charter cruises on Saratoga Lake many times.  Hal is a longtime railroad man and this railway idea has been a dream of his for many years.  Like most dreams, it took years of planning, renovations and resources to bring the broken down railway to where it is today and if you saw the beauty it is now, you'd never guess it didn't always look this pristine.  There's a lot of history behind this business, a lot of facts and figures which I'd normally share, but this story isn't about how the railway was born, it's about what I know will be a new holiday experience that is sure to be a family tradition for years to come.  I will tell you up front that this is a bit of a teaser post because the train is sold out till the end of the year.  Even if you can't make this year's Candy Cane Express, the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway has so many options available for a variety of excursions, including private charters.  Information on all the great rides they offer will be included at the end of this post.

Passengers are encouraged to arrive at the station in Corinth about 45 minutes before boarding.  Of course as luck would have it, our first snowfall of the season came today and though it made the commute a bit challenging (and terrifying at times) it added the perfect ambiance to an already spirit-filled experience.  A big fire was burning in the firepit for guests to warm up by while waiting to board.  The ticket booth, staffed by the perfect 'official ticket master' is filled with a variety of gifts and swag for those wishing to bring home souvenirs.  

We purchased first-class tickets so we had a table with four chairs.  Our tickets included hot chocolate, (with souvenir mugs), the best cookies we'd ever eaten, and candy cane lollipops.

As soon as we got settled in our seats, the sweetest elves came by with coloring sheets for the kiddos, and as we left the station, they delivered delicious, hot (really hot, not lukewarm or cold like we got on the Polar Express many years ago) cocoa and our cookies neatly tucked in napkins.  Our Conductor, Hal, made the rounds punching our tickets. 

Before long a mighty tall elf, Buddy, made the rounds chatting it up with the kids and adults, explaining that his favorite color is candy cane because that's the color of Santa's suit.  Of course, his visit was followed up by our ever-smiling, so friendly elves delivering everyone candy cane lollipops. 

Now what Christmas train ride would be complete without a visit from the big guy himself?   Sure enough, Santa arrived and passed out large jingle bells to each kiddo.  As soon as he finished handing out bells, he came back through the car, stopping at each table to hear what everyone wanted for Christmas and posed for endless photos and selfies.  All the elves did the same and graciously offered to take photos for families throughout the ride.   All the while Christmas music played in the background with gorgeous, snow-covered scenery flanking both sides of the train as we made our way 7 miles south before heading back to Corinth.

Despite the inconvenient snowstorm and driving conditions, the Candy Cane Express was the perfect addition to our holiday.  Hal and team have thought of everything when putting together this train ride. From the organized and hospitable team to the pristine rail cars, the decorations, music and atmosphere, I couldn't think of one thing he missed.   I can't wait to ride again this summer or next fall to really enjoy the gorgeous scenery.  

For more information about the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway, you can follow their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CorinthTrainRide and their website at: https://corinthtrain.com/  Thank you to Hal and his entire team for a wonderful adventure today!

I'm not sure but I think John was discussing whether I should be on the naughty or nice list. Judging from Santa's face, I'm thinking there might be coal in my stocking this year.  I think he may have mumbled, 'you've GOT to be kidding.'