All Aboard! Join me as I travel from Corinth to Greenfield Center aboard the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway.....
The Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway has been a dream of Hal Raven's for some time. Hal, a longtime railroad man, brought this dream to reality last year thanks to lots of blood, sweat, elbow grease, and support. It was worth all of that because the scenic train has been met with so much enthusiasm and success. In fact, USA Today just voted the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson the Readers' Choice 10th best train ride in the U.S. From a dedicated crew to a long line of passengers anxious to take part in the unique experiences offered....this is one very special attraction.
For Mother's Day this year, my sweet hubby presented me with a handmade certificate for one scenic train ride, of my choice, with the company of my choice. With a gesture so original and generous, I naturally chose him to accompany me.
We waited for a dry forecast before scheduling our ride so we could enjoy the scenic views (minus the snow on our first trip) and as soon as we pulled into the station we realized others had the same idea. The crowd didn't matter because reservations are made ahead of time online. Riders have several options. There's open air seating on the Spirit of the Glen flat car where riders can enjoy the trip as they ride behind the engine, experiencing the sounds and smells of a locomotive and get the most unobstructive views. Speaking of the engine - the Alco 5 was built by the American Locomotive Company in 1947 at Schenectady NY! Completely original, Alco 5 is an 660hp S-1 locomotive and was the last locomotive to leave the factory in 1989. (Obviously this text was borrowed from their website since I am totally clueless about what most of that means.) There's also traditional coach seating which accommodates about 40 passengers, seated first come, first serve. On both trips we chose first class seating which is in the dining car, with reserved tables and chairs. Eight seats are available in their rare 1916 Pullman observation car! This is also available for private parties up to 10 people! This car is at the rear of the train and has a view of the tracks directly from the end of the train! Prices for each of the options are on the business website.Boarding the train is done in an organized fashion, separate lines formed for each choice of riding options. First class is seated first, followed by coach then open air. Everything about this experience has been well thought out and carried out in an efficient and hospitable fashion. Conductor Cory was the man of the hour today and in addition to punching our tickets, Cory was a master storyteller and host, while Hal was our engineer and Melanie our hostess. Top notch friendly staff every time! The whole train has been restored and it shows, every surface sparkling and immaculate as if it just rolled off the assembly line.
Our 90 minute ride took us through several crossings and a variety of scenic views, many only visible from the vantage of the train.
The entire 90 minute ride was relaxing and entertaining with railroad themed music playing in the background. We had no idea there were so many songs about trains! It was a truly enjoyable trip and I know it won't be our last. Aside from looking forward to a fall scenic ride, the grandkids are already talking about riding the Candy Cane Express again!
There are themed rides for everyone - including pizza trains, sundae trains, beer and wine trains, dinner trains at the beautiful LaMothe Landing, pumpkin picking trains and so much more. I hope this encourages you to try something new and different with the family. Whether you're a train enthusiast or just enjoy fun family or couple adventures, the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway is the venue for you!
We're big Hal Raven fans in our family, so we decided to make this particular day, a "Hal Raven Day". We began the day on Hal's train and ended the day on a sunset cruise aboard Hal's Adirondack Cruise and Charter's General Schuyler. Thanks Hal for your devotion to local history and the people whose stories are part of it. To read about our sunset cruise, use the link below. More information about both of these great venues can be found at:
Thanks for allowing me to share this awesome business and entertainment opportunity with you. If you're new to the blog you may not be aware, but my blog is unsponsored and I do not receive payment for promotions. I do not take requests for blog coverage because I only share what I sincerely love and support. If I don't like something, you won't hear about it. That's just how I roll. On the other hand, the things I love.....I share over and over again. That being said, if you missed the Candy Cane Express blog post, check it out and plan your holiday fun early!
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