Experience the Beauty of the Southern Adirondacks Aboard the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway

 All Aboard!  Join me as I travel from Corinth to Greenfield Center aboard the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway.....

You may remember that back in December I shared our holiday adventure aboard the Candy Cane Express, our first trip on the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway. (https://www.lifeasiseeitphotography.net/2022/12/enjoying-snowy-adventure-aboard-candy.html)  We had so much fun, despite the snow storm that day, we couldn't wait to experience another ride on this special train.

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.

Conductor Hal

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:

Cruising Into the Sunset Aboard the General Schuyler

https://corinthtrain.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CorinthTrainRide

https://www.facebook.com/AdkCruise

https://adkcruise.com/

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!  

https://www.lifeasiseeitphotography.net/2022/12/enjoying-snowy-adventure-aboard-candy.html

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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.'  

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