Welcome back, travelEARS! Today we have a double whammy for you with TWO places to satisfy your wanderlust.
The Disneyland Railroad is an iconic part of the park experience and if you are like me, you have been obsessed with trains for as long as you can remember. For me, after since seeing White Christmas as a kid, I always wanted to stay overnight in a train. The Disneyland equivalent of this would an overnight stay in a gorgeous parlor car like the Lilly Belle. Obviously, that’s not going to be happening any time soon so we’ll have to look to other ways to live out that childhood dream. And so we find…
Not just one but TWO amazing lodging locations that offer a similar chance to fulfill that childhood dream of sleeping in a magnificent train… and you don’t have to worry about leaving the world behind because these two trains are completely stationary. It’s a round-trip vacation that requires no tickets or passports! The first the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel in Chattanooga Tennessee, and the Red Caboose in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. They should prove to be quite the perfect vacation options, if there’s a shortcoming for either it would be that neither offers roundtrip service to any particular locations but with provided wifi you could always visit online casino canada or other gaming sites to help pass the time.
Both fanciful places offer unique experiences that will help satiate an obsession for trains.
The Chattanooga Choo Choo
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Location: | Chattanooga, TN |
| Typical Cost: | $100 to $209 / night | |
| Website: | choochoo.com |
The Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel features a “regular” hotel building and then the amazing Pullman Train Cars. The former is called MacArthur Building and is named for Southern Railway’s last steam-powered freight train that arrived in Chattanooga on June 17, 1953 behind Locomotive No. 6330 which was nicknamed “The MacArthur.” In this great piece of history you’ll find a reminiscent experience of the past but with all of today’s conveniences, renovated for today’s modern tastes.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TRAIN? That’s where you’ll want to stay in the Pullman Train Car guestrooms! All train car hotel rooms feature a queen size bed. Some train car hotel rooms also include option for more space with a daybed that include a pull-out trundle bed. And you’re squeezing yourself into an uncomfortable water closet here as the hotel promises deluxe bath amenities in each Pullman Train Car guestroom.
Chattanooga is known for gorgeous weather making it an idyllic stop most times of the year while you stay inside your private authentic train experience. But when the weather outside IS frightful, you can enjoy the heated indoor pool located in the center of the MacArthur Building year round.
Outside of the actual lodging options, you can explore the historic downtown which boasts over 13 miles of riverwalk the Songbird’s Guitar museum and even a concert venue with year-round entertainment.
The Red Caboose Hotel
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Location: | Strasburg, PA |
| Typical Cost: | $85 to $200/ night for Red Caboose | |
| Website: | redcaboosemotel.com |
Our next stop on this railway dream vacation is the Red Caboose Hotel in Pennsylvania. At this whimsical destination you’ll find 38 individual cabooses plus a baggage car and a mail car; all of them decorated in the paint schemes of America’s most famous railroads.
The charming location first opened in 1970 and owner Don Denlinger initially had just 19 cabooses, each of which was painted in that trademark red color. Today, you’ll find great accommodations including queen beds, bunk beds, and even private whirlpools! Any kind of vacation type should be covered at the Red Caboose! Plus, enjoy free movies at the barn, a petting zoo, arcade, and of course train rides! How would you NOT want to stay here?
The TravelEAR Abroad
What exactly is the TravelEAR Abroad? Every year, thousands of families pack up and make annual visits to the happiest place on Earth. The typical TravelEAR (that is, the typical Disney vacationer) is very much accustomed to hotels branded with “© Disney” symbols and Hidden Mickeys all around the property. TravelEAR Abroad focuses on OTHER lodgings around the globe; some of them international but even some in the United States, as well!
Each installment of this series takes a look at places with unique or magical twists beyond the standard double-occupancy non-smoking room. Touches that will evoke some of that special magic that you might expect from boutique Disney experience. With each installment, we invite you to sit back and relax as we take you, the TravelEAR, abroad!
