Snowflake Express

"Magic Mix Kids" is a charity linked to a local radio station that takes terminally ill kids to Disney World.  This year, in partnership with Northern Iowa Railway, they put together a "Snowflake Express" fundraiser using the Hawkeye Express passenger cars.  There were five hour-long train trips from the Rotary Reserve to Shell Rock and back.  During the trip Santa & Mrs. Claus visited the train cars, The Polar Express was read aloud and each child received a beautiful gold sleigh bell.  Tickets were a hot item and sold out in a week.  We kept it a secret from the kids until we were pulling into the parking lot.

Both of them were pretty excited for their first ever train ride.  I hadn't been on a real train since my college days.  The kids had a great time.  I got pretty woozy.  It was foggy, and our window was dirty with really scratched up tinting.  The cookies and hot chocolate afterwards were nice, though. :o)