On Sunday, October 13th we made our way over to Niles Canyon Railway for my birthday present: tickets on the steam train! The weather was beautiful and we arrived right on time to line up to board the train. The train leaves from Sunol and you take about a 90 minute journey south through lots of lovely scenery.
I brought a bunch of snacks for the boys, which Aaron spent much of the ride down enjoying as we sat in our seats and enjoyed the views. At the end of the line, we were able to head to the back (now front!) of the train to see them move the steam engine to the other end of the cars and reconnect.
There was also a scheduled Amtrak passenger train that traveled by while we were stopped, which everyone enjoyed.
On the journey back, we spent a bit more time away from our seats, with Aaron and I venturing back to the front of the train to take in the breeze and see the engine operating up close. Then MJ and Adam took a turn.
Once back at the depot we got pictures of the engine! And then went over to the gift shop to get a couple post cards and magnet. They have a small museum there too that had some photos and text displays. The only downside is that we had just recovered from a stomach bug the week before and caused me to be a bit more queasy than I would have liked, but I’m grateful that we didn’t have to miss the excursion entirely, as it was our last chance in 2024 to ride on it.