Last December, my family drove to North Conway, New Hampshire for the most magical Christmas event that I had ever experienced. Dressed in our matching Christmas pajamas, our family ( 3 kids, ages 5, 3 and 6 weeks) boarded the Polar Express. The magical train ride is based on the children’s book, The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.
The ride is a fundraiser for the “Believe in Books” Literacy Foundation. It recreates the magical story with the lots of volunteers dressed as chefs and elves. Our train departed from the North Conway Village in the picturesque White Mountains of Northern New Hampshire. We were fortunate to have a snowy night, making everything even more festive. On the train, we were served hot chocolate and “candies with nougat centers as white as snow” (just like the book). As we finished our special treat, the train slowed down and we could see elves waving to us from the windows. It was all I could do to keep my two eldest children sitting in their seats because they were so excited. We were at the North Pole.
We climbed down the stairs of the train and the elves greeted us with lanterns and Christmas wishes. They asked my kids what they wanted for Christmas and if they had been good boys and girls as we ascended the path to a special theatre. Along the way we passed a little post office where we could mail a letter to Santa. Inside the theatre, we heard the story of The Polar Express and at the end, Santa appeared. He chose a child from the audience who asked for a bell from the sleigh. This child also said that he would like bells for all of the children on the train. On our return home, all of us received a bell. In the story, only those who truly believe in Santa can hear the sleigh bell. After this wonderful trip, all of us could hear our bells. Just as the boy in the story lost his bell through the hole in his pocket and found it under the tree on Christmas Day, our son lost his bell at the Old Field House. Much to his delight, he found that Santa had returned his bell to him. He found it underneath our tree on Christmas morning.
We stayed at our “home away from home,” the Old Field House Inn in nearby Intervale, New Hampshire which offered a package of lodging, a pizza party before the train ride and breakfast the next morning. My kids had a blast at this kid friendly inn, with a home movie theatre and all kinds of games in the finished basement. My kids feel so much at home at the inn that they are often asking us, “when can we go to Rod and Linnea’s house again?”
This was definitely worth the trip! We look forward to making this a family tradition and hope that we will always be able to hear the bell.
