We ended our trip with something Maggie has wanted to do since the I first told her about it, a ride on the train. the Heber Creeper now known as the Heber Valley Railroad has been around since I was a kid. I remember going for rides on in with my Grandma and Grandpa Jorgensen. I worked two summers during my college days for the Heber Valley Railroad. I worked in the ticket booth and gift shop which was just a trailer then but now is a beautiful rebuild of a train depot. I did go on the train every once in a while. It was a fun time.
Here I am in 1996 in front of the train station getting ready to greet people as the train came back in.
Grandma Margaret had worked hard to get us some discount tickets by listening to the local talk radio show that does auctions for different things. She gave us a treat and took all the family that could come. WOW what a grandma!!! Carolyn had two of her girls there, Risa and Mike came up and so did Tabitha with her two kids (and a friends little girl).
We took the short ride 1 1/2 hours due to the fact that we had little kids that we didn't think would make the full 3 hour one without melt downs as it was during lunch time and naps.
I was kind of bummed that we didn't have the steam engine but found that it didn't matter to Maggie. On the way home she saw trains along side the freeway and would say look mom it's like ours (meaning the one we went on). As we were heading out I think the kids were more excited to be standing up in a moving vehicle instead of being strapped in car seats.
It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun sitting in the open air cars. I couldn't stop taking pictures.
I didn't know but this was Mike's first time on the Heber Creeper that he can remember.
The hour and a half was perfect. We went out to the reservoir and back and got to watch them move the engine from the front to the back. The kids thought that was cool.
I couldn't figure out why Maggie kept going to Grandpa Fred until I noticed something in her mouth. Grandpa has a secret stash of chocolate covered pretzels. Yummy! Maggie loved being on the train and pole danced for us.
They had a little show with cowboys/train robbers that shot guns which scarred Mag's and the other kids a little due to the gun fire (blanks of course) but it was fun.
There were no tantrums or fighting the whole time and the little kids were great also (wink). It was great!!
The little girls wanted to go inside and see the other cars so on the way back we headed indoors. Kristianna (Tabitha's daughter) wanted to read her train book on the train. So we found some seats and turned them facing each other for a little story time.
Everyone had a great time!
After the train we took pictures of the Monkey's in the trees and the Grandkids with the Grands.
I just love the Heber Valley, it really is so beautiful!
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