All Aboard the Holiday Trains!

The South Coast Plaza Holiday Train gets Santa's blessing this season!

As I’ve mentioned many times before, T loves trains, and the holiday season is extra special because of all the wonderful holiday trains running this time of the year!

I’ll share some our more recent visits around town to some of the smaller train displays (and riding trains) that T just loves this time of the year.

One day I picked up T at school and asked what he wanted to go and do. He promptly reminded me that the "pumpkin patch train" was back, so we headed down there for him to take a ride. This time of year this spot is better known as Snowy Pines Xmas Trees in Long Beach.

First up is our local tree lot, Snowy Pines Xmas Trees (6701 E Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, CA, 90803-4237. Phone: (562) 596-7741. Website unknown.). Do not blow off the local Christmas tree lots or other pop-up markets this time of the year because you never know what kind of extra holiday fun they might have on-site for the wee ones! This train is the same train T rides during Halloween season, and it’s actually why we always end up here at least once during the holidays for a ride on this train. It’s not fancy, but T doesn’t care; it’s a train, it’s running, and it’s close to the house. Sounds like a trifecta of train terrific-ness to me! Kids ride free with a tree purchase, or each ride is $3.

Happy rider! T enjoys this year's run on the South Coast Plaza Holiday Train. If you can see in the background, SCP also features a small electric train display one level below, too. Win-win!

Later that week, we went down to South Coast Plaza for their holiday train ride! This train also is one that T has ridden on since he was a little dude, and he looks forward to it every season. One ride is free after a visit with Santa, or you can pay $1 per ride. We usually just bring a few one-dollar bills for rides since by the time we trek down that direction T’s visited Santa already. I love how much joy a few dollars can buy T, let alone how it also buys me a few extra minutes for last-minute holiday shopping, too! The riding train along with a small electric train display are in the Crystal Court area of the mall (second and first floors respectively).

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, T has it stuck in his mind that he only needed to see Santa one time to tell him what he wants… OK, that works for me!

T could lie on the floor like this all day long and watch the electric train and trolley holiday display at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Finally, this past weekend I took T over to the Aquarium of the Pacific for their small electric train and trolley tree display. This is another seasonal favorite that we discovered years ago when T was just a baby. Let me just tell you, I’ve never seen anything captivate T like this train does. He’s obsessed with watching this tree go around the large tree (and the trolley back and forth) for literally 1-2 HOURS, all while I can sit, relax, and watch the fish (and T of course).

T happily waited it out as Aquarium of the Pacific staff and volunteers fixed the electric train and trolley display during our visit.

Although the train was having some technical difficulties on our visit (all thanks to another young train lover and their over-zealous parent who tried to “fix” the derailed train cars, whoops), Aquarium staff and volunteers were able to get it all back up and running – all while T patiently waited and watched the entire repair process! Like I said, it’s patience that T has here and nowhere else on Earth. So if you have a little train lover like I do and they enjoy aquariums, too, I encourage you to go and check out the Aquarium of the Pacific this season for a nice mix of both worlds. Viewing the train is free with admission.