The Magical Ride on The Polar Express

In Williams, Arizona there is a special train ride called The Polar Express. We were lucky enough to be able to take Jack on the train to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus in person. It was a total surprise for him. First, we had dinner at Cruiser's Route 66 Cafe. Then we headed to the Grand Canyon Railway station to turn in our tickets for the ride of a small child's life. It was magical. Snow on every tree, weather cold enough to freeze your breath, the glow of Christmas lights and pajama clad children everywhere anticipating this special ride. Once we were on the train, the conductor read The Polar Express story, they passed out fresh chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate(as thick as melted chocolate bars just like the story Jack pointed out). We rode the train and sang carols waiting to get to the North Pole. We saw elves, reindeer and Santa himself! The children were so excited to see him on his sleigh, but the big surprise was a personal visit from the man himself. He spoke to every child and presented them with the "first gift of Christmas," a silver sleigh bell. One look at Jackson's face tells all. Here are some pics from our adventure.