STAYCATION DESTINATION:  Strasburg Railroad

STAYCATION RATING (1-10):  5

PRICE FOR OUTING (w/out factoring in gas mileage):  approx. $60

RECOMMENDED?  Yes (all ages)

Our family’s staycation adventure officially begins today and will last… well… hopefully forever for all intents and purposes. 

As an inaugural trip, my five-year-old son and I ventured to the Strasburg Railroad just outside of Lancaster, PA.  It was a journey I’d promised him for months now, and a weekday seemed the best opportunity to escape to the Amish countryside for some steam engine fun.

I must preface this staycation review by saying that my little guy loves trains and doesn’t hate the annoying shriek of steam whistles (too much).  There were other children visiting the railroad in Strasburg who obviously wished their parents had brought along ear plugs.

But I digress…

The trip from Harrisburg to Lancaster was about an hour and relatively uneventful.  We passed several touristy “hot spots” — Dutch Wonderland (I promised my son I’d take him there… but I didn’t say when… heh, heh, heh), the Tanger Outlets, the Sight and Sound Theatre.  Really, there’s a ton of potential for staycation destinations along and off Route 30 East. 

Parking was a breeze — lots of spots available (did I mention this was a weekday?  Come on the weekend and it probably is packed) and free for the taking.  However, I was surprised by how little ground seemed to encompass the Strasburg Railroad train station area.  There were a few buildings — stores, a cafe, ticket windows — but not what I envisioned.  I pictured some kind of grand central station in the middle of rural PA.  Um.  Nope.

Still, we were there for trains, and quickly purchased day passes for us both.  For our needs, they seemed the most economical and allowed us to ride the train (coach seats only — dining car and open air seats were extra) as many times as we liked.  My ticket was $20, my son’s $15.  Not bad considering nearby HersheyPark (which I admit isn’t the best comparison action-wise, but I’m just looking at the price tag) would charge me $49.95 for my ticket and $30.95 for my son’s.

Our first order of business was to take a ride on the train; it’s very authentic and wildly interesting.  It’s also kind of romantic, I suppose, or would be if you were there with a date.  (Hey — that’s a thought!  It would be kind of a cool place to visit with your sweetie!)

My son adored the train, and I did, too.  When we got off, we made a beeline for the souvenirs so he could purchase his own engineer’s cap.  (He didn’t have any interest in becoming a conductor, by the way.  Not sure what that means; perhaps a psychologist out there could throw me a clue?)

Eventually (after sniffing around and riding the Cagney and Cranky cars — both overrated, I’m afraid), I thought it was time to leave.  But no.  My companion wanted another 45-minute train ride.  So, being the loving (and tired) mommy I am, I obliged. 

All-in-all, I must say that Strasburg Railroad is very clean, very neat, very organized and relatively economical… IF you bring food with you.  Our mistake; we won’t shell out $2.50 for a bottle of water again if we can help it! 

We’ll probably go back to the area again in the fall to visit the corn maze at the Cherry Crest Adventure Farm.  (You can actually get there by one of Strasburg’s steam locomotives; if you do, though, you’ll want to upgrade your tickets to include Cherry Crest Adventure Farm admission.)  But when we do, we’ll pack a lunch and plenty of snacks.