Cass Scenic Railroad, WV

Ever since Paul and I rode the train up to NYC last fall (so that I could run the marathon) Pierce has been begging to ride on a train.  We looked into riding the train up to D.C. but to be honest, with luggage and logistics it would've been so much easier to drive.  Then one day I was flipping through a magazine and saw an ad for Cass Scenic Railroad in WV.  This sounded like a fun way to let Pierce experience a train.

 The train was awe-inspiring with the black smoke billowing out the top.  

The twins were not impressed.  The moment it rolled up and let out that LOUD rush of steam they both took off running for the woods, screaming the whole way.

We wrestled them down and got them on the train.  Cort recovered quickly and started enjoying himself, as seen below.  Reid - not so much.  He was scared.

As the train chugged up the mountain, the kids were able to walk around as they pleased.  They enjoyed watching the beautiful scenery going by.  The train moves slowly - less than 9 miles an hour, so there is plenty of time to watch and relax.  Our round trip took about 4 1/2 hours.

There were tons of other little boys on the train, and Pierce made several friends during the trip.

On the ride up, the train stopped at Whittaker Station.  Beautiful views, and a historic logging camp to check out.

It was a gloomy and cold day for pictures.  Even bundled up we were still chilly.

This is how I spent the ride.  Poor Reid.  He was so terrified. I confess that even though I didn't want him to feel scared, I certainly enjoyed 4 hours of snuggling.

The Mountain Ash berries were thick and ample.  Paul said that there is a bug killing these trees, and they will eventually be extinct.

I think the word "scenic" in the title Cass Scenic Railroad is well earned.

Finally we arrived on top of Bald Knob, at around 4700 feet.  It was cold!

The boys posed for a pic on the observation deck, but note that Reid wasn't going to let down his guard for a second.  He knew that scary old train was still there.

Doesn't the observation deck look like something out of Survivor?

There were several deer on the mountain that were very friendly.  We saw a few that were eating out of people's hands.

Finally, we began our descent down the mountain.

Reid was willing to get off my lap a few times, so long as he was still holding on to my leg.

The view - as the train went around a curve.

As our family of five snuggled up under the warm blanket we'd brought for the train ride on the final stretch back to Cass, we definitely (well, except maybe Reid) thought it was a fun day, and one that we'll remember for a long while!

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