Verde Canyon Railroad is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living.
The magical journey to the North Pole begins at the Verde Canyon Railroad depot in Clarkdale. The spirit of Christmas will be aglow and visible from afar, beckoning all to experience this dream. Festive lights will be abundant, as will holiday treats available to enjoy while perusing the decorated depot grounds. Luminarias will light the Southwestern-style depot roofline and icicle lighting will adorn the depot's wrap-around porch and pergola.
Prior to boarding, families will be able to tour a miniature village featuring 10 tiny houses on a town square with a flight path for children, wearing provided eagle wings. A walking path for adults offers an eagle's eye-view of what these majestic birds see in flight. This unique "flight" is inspired by Verde Canyon Railroad's relationship with Liberty Wildlife of Arizona. An educational bald eagle that visits Verde Canyon Railroad regularly will be at the depot to greet the children and give "wing-flapping" lessons prior to entering the village.
Children are asked to drop their "letters to Santa" in a mailbag which will be delivered to the North Pole during the train ride.
The beautiful Christmas princess "Noel" will greet the children at the depot patio, signing her books and joining for photographs before everyone boards the train for the magical train ride.
Verde Canyon Railroad's train cars and open-air viewing cars are festively ornamented and illuminated as the cheerful staff call "ALL ABOARD!" The one-hour round-trip travels into the dark of night, through a mystical tunnel, onto Santa's private tracks to the North Pole and back.
Remember that Verde Canyon Railroad is the only train in North America that offers inside and outside seating for the price of one ticket. The train cars and open-air viewing cars are all adorned in the same festive illumination.
Along the route, silhouettes of resident canyon critters will be featured in three-dimensional brilliance, lighting the journey to the Santa's special depot at the North Pole.
Soon the train arrives at Santa's Workshop. Out the window a village comes alive. Passengers soak in the Christmas spirit aboard the train, awaiting the sight of jolly Ol' Saint Nick and Mrs. Claus.
At the magical North Pole passengers will see creatively-decorated buildings featuring Santa's Workshop, Mrs. Claus' Bakeshop, a naughty children's coal mine, Elf School and the Ugly Sweater Factory, among others.
Mrs. Claus and acrobatic elves will wave good-bye to Santa Claus as he boards the train for the return trip to Clarkdale. The man in the big red suit will interact with all the children and gift them with a little train memento as a reminder of their Christmas Adventure aboard Verde Canyon Railroad.
The Christmas train is an abbreviated adventure from the train's standard 4-hour excursion, which is still available throughout the month, making any December train ride a perfect Christmas trip for even the tiniest tot.
To book your ride to the North Pole, call 1-800-293-7245, or go to VerdeCanyonRR.com.
It's Not the Destination, It's a Magical Christmas Train Adventure!
