All Abooooard! A Stop at Steamtown NHS

Trains greet visitors as they arrive to park at Steamtown National Historic Site.

Where can you find a Park Ranger wearing overalls and an engineer's cap instead of the iconic green uniform and Ranger hat? Where can the magic of the Island of Sodor and the Polar Express be touched by a 4-year-old's little hands? Where can you climb inside the rail cars that most children can only imagine from stories like The Little Red Caboose and The Boxcar Children series?

Only at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA.

If you live outside of Pennsylvania, its very possible you've never heard of this little gem under the National Parks Service umbrella. I know I never had and I have two train-loving boys and only live two states away. And that's truly a shame, because this is one of the most unique National landmark we have yet been to. And it should be on the must-do list for every steam and smoke loving child under the age of 95.

I actually stumbled across Steamtown while doing some pre-trip planning for our short jaunt up to Massachusetts. I was scrounging around the internet looking for something to do or see on our way home that would help make it feel like more of a fun road trip and less of a marathon drive for a quick friend's wedding. Of course, since I have the National Parks Passport, I inevitably ended up on the National Parks website to see if we'd be passing by someplace where I could get my book stamped. There were quite a few participating locations on our route, but when I checked Pennsylvania and saw the words "Steamtown National Historic Site," I knew I had a winner. A park filled with old-style trains would most definitely be more interesting to the kids than walking around a battlefield. Plus they not only had a stamp for my book, but a Junior Ranger program as well. Sounded like a slam dunk to me!

So I told the Hubs a little about the place and that we were going to play the stop by ear depending on how our return trip was going. Scranton wasn't precisely on the route back home, and would require about an hour detour plus a few hours to explore the site. Adding three or four hours to an already 12 hour trip sounded daunting, but I already had my heart set on stopping... for the kid's sake, of course.

About three years ago we were in the Great Smokey Mountains (for another wedding, go figure) and had the opportunity to go see and RIDE the 'real' Thomas the Tank Engine as he traveled across the country on his "Day Out with Thomas" tour. It was awesome. My oldest was four at the time and in full-blown Thomas heaven. My youngest, though, was only about 6 months old at that time, so now with him just a month away from turning four himself, it seemed only fair to give him a chance at an unforgetable train experience.

The return trip was going quite well (shockingly) and so we veered off course shortly after entering Pennsylvania to head towards Scranton. Having spent some of my childhood living in a town outside of Philly, I recognized the look and feel of an old PA city right away. The site was easy enough to get to and located just on the opposite side of a small downtown district. Pulling in to the lot, the kids faces were nearly smushed against the window glass as they took in the trains littering the rails surrounding the parking lot.

By then it was past lunch time, so we diverted the kids eyes as best we could and walked first over to the adjacent mall for a hurried meal in the food court. (Yes, there's a mall right next to the site, and its even named "The Mall at Steamtown." A Ranger joked they were the only National Parks site with a mall named after them!) Then we diverted my eyes from the mall stores and walked back over to the train yard.

Right out front of the site's ticket counter we were greeted by an enourmous engine which we later found out is nicknamed "Big Boy." The boys were in awe of the massive size of him, and that was only the beginning of the fun.

The kids in front of "Big Boy."

Our first stop was the gift shop to be sure I didn't run out of time to pick up patches and pins to remember our visit. The second was to the Park information desk so we could get the Junior Ranger booklet and see if it would be doable on our short visit (it was). Then we hurried off to the next (and last) train ride of the day. Billed as a 20 miute ride for a low cost of $3 per person over 6 years old, The Scranton Limited ride sounded like a great chance to experience what a real trip was like on an old-timey train.

For me, the grown up, though, I was slightly dissapointed in the fact that A) it wasn't a steam engine pulling the train (it is called Steamtown, after all), and B) the ride was just a quick back and forth on a small section of track contained within the park site's boundries. The Ranger explained that to go off the park's portion of the track meant they had to pay the company that owned the other portion, and that just was not feasible for such a short, cheap ride. Well, I could understand that problem, and the boys didn't seem to care at all that we hardly even went anywhere. The bouncy seats and views of even more dilapidated and antique trains in the back of the yard were enough to make the boys happy, so it was worth the small price to see their smiles. P.S. - Other, longer rides are available for a higher cost if you have time, and also special excursions for things like fall foliage viewing, Halloween rides and the extremely popular Polar Express rides. Don't bother to look at the Polar Express ride for this year though, they're already sold out! If we had more time I would have gladly paid for a longer ride through the countryside!

Train bliss for a nearly-four-year-old.

With all the important business out of the way, we then proceeded to begin our exploration of the various buildings and exhibits around the area. Most of the public portion of Steamtown is contained within an old fasioned roundhouse, one of the few left standing in the country. We even got to see the turntable actually turn when a steam engine puffed into the roundhouse toward the end of our visit and was turned so it could be put to rest in its shed for the night - just like Thomas!

Different sections of the roundhouse had been converted into themed exhibit/museum spaces. I must say the park's designers really knew their audience, becuase nearly everything in the exhibits was hands on. There were buttons to push, levers to pull, wheels to turn, and fun things to look at everywhere we went. Far from being a stuffy museum with lots of boring photos and explanations of trains (though it does have those too if that's what you're interested in), Steamtown encourages kids and adults to naturally be involved in the history and technology of trains by immersing you in them as much as reasonably possible. Pull up a crate and watch a short movie inside a real box car. Lay down on a cot inside a real red caboose. Take a walk through a long mail car and see how you might sort the mail in days of old.

A steamy steams into the roundhouse
for a spin on the turntable.

The boys try their hands, and arms, at a real working hand car. Not easy!

Perhaps the most surprising experience to me, though, was the walk through the original 1907 portion of the old roundhouse. It was dark, it was dirty, it was smokey, it had huge engines looming eerily in the dim light, one of which was still quietly steaming from its recent trip into the shed. Try as I might, I couldn't imagine ever happily working in such a place. Even with the windows and electric lights, there seemed to be no stopping the sence of gloom in that other-worldly place. And amazingly, people still actually do work on the trains in there!

A Percy look-alike inside the 1907 portion of the roundhouse.

My oldest train enthusiast thouroughly enjoyed finding the answers to the Junior Ranger work book all throughout the buildings and was excited to be sworn in (again) as a Junior Park Ranger. Now he has another badge to add to his growing collection, (and I have another stamp in my book!). Though our stop was somewhat short, we had a great time exploring one of the lesser known National Parks and it was reasonable to get all the important sights in to our brief couple of hours. Some extra time would have been welcome so we could have taken a longer train ride and explored the trolley museum at the opposite end of the parking lot (and maybe shopped at the mall?), but with the time we had it was an afternoon well spent. Both boys had a wonderful time and were sad to leave such a neat place.

Working on the Jr. Ranger booklet in
one of the cabooses and learning how
people would live in that little room.

Though it hasn't been in any book on National Parks that I've picked up so far, even the ones listing the best parks for kids, Steamtown is a must stop place for anyone young or old who has ever longed to hear the whistle of a steam engine and the hoarse cry of the conductor as he yells out "All Aboooooaaard!" Make a stop at Steamtown on your east coast to-do list. Say hello to Big Boy and revel in the sights, sounds and smells of America's railroad heyday.

The boys pretend to buy a ticket to ride.

Book Review: National Parks With Kids

Get Kids Outdoors Book Review:

Open Road's Best National Parks With Kids
Paris Permenter & John Bigley



Let me just start by saying that I have recently become a National Park Nut. Yup. Certifiably crazy for them. That being the case, any book with the words "National Parks" in the title is probably going to get a good review from my brainwashed, um, I mean, well saturated brain.

If you're a National Park freak and outdoorsy science-minded mom like me, then you need to have your fingers rush to the nearest online book seller and order this book up, stat. If, however, you are a casual outdoor family or perhaps only have plans to visit one or two parks any time in the forseeable future, then I still highly recommend this book, but instead you may want to actually get in your car and visit your nearest library. Be warned though, once you pick up this book, you may find yourself making a bucket list for your 6-year-old!

It was our family's trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons this summer that really sealed the deal on me becoming a National Park fanatic. At both parks the kids had an incredible experience seeing the sights and the animals and earning Junior Ranger patches. Plus, I picked up a National Parks Passport book and so far it has far too few stamps for my taste. So now I find myself buying books titled "National Parks with Kids" and trying to figure out when our next big trip will be.

The family at the Gardiner entrance of Yellowstone National Park, July 2010

But enough about my fantasies, on to the book...

This is not a huge in-depth volume on every detail of every National Park. More like an overview, the book highlights 21 of the best parks to do with a family that includes young-ish children. Though not specifically geared toward any particular age, I would say that it is especially good if you have children between the ages of 4-12. Obviously younger and older kids will still have lots to do at these parks, but the types of activities mentioned in the book lend themselves best to this mostly elementary school age group. I had to concur with most of the author's choices of parks for kids. If you are able to visit every park in the book, your kids would get to experience a world of alligators, glaciers, caves, coral reefs, gushing geysers, dinosaurs, volcanoes, Native American culture and American history, just to name a few.

Each park section includes a general map of the park and subsections with titles like "Are We There Yet?" for directions and "What's There To Do Here?" for a list of kid-friendly tours, drives, hikes and activities. The latter section also lists special ranger programs or Junior Ranger projects that may be available at that park. A wonderful piece of information to have if you're patch-happy like my boys and I are. When applicable, the writers also feature a "Where Are We Going Next" section for the parks to mention other nearby noteable destinations that your kids will also enjoy, some of them even being other NPS destinations! The authors, who have been to most if not all these parks with their own families, also can't help but point out which parks they have special personal ties to, a nice touch for those who might be on information overload and need help choosing just one or two vacation spots.

Information on the major sights, how long you'll need to see them, and how to get the best experience for your time and money buck are all well covered in this travel guide. Many of the kid-friendly activities list base prices as well so you have an idea of how expensive the trip may get. A "Where to Stay" reference is also included for each park, noting when and how many camping sites are located within park boundries (and if they have running water!) and where and how far other hotel, motel and cabin rentals are for those that enjoy the creature comforts.

This is a great book to pick up if you're interested in travelling to some National Parks and are either making a list, like me, or just trying to figure out which one would be your best best for the family. With 21 parks to cover, it is not a comprehensive guide to any of them. I'd consider it light reading and easy to flip through to get to the places that most interest you. Throw it in your tote bag and bring it out whenever you have a few boring minutes to fill and start dreaming about your next family vacation.

As far as travel guides go, this is a good entry-level book to have on the shelf. The photos are small and somewhat sparse throughout the book, but the ones included are beautiful and often show kids enjoying the experience. My advice would be use this book as a starting point to plan an adventure or two, then go out an buy a detailed book on the park(s) you plan to visit. For around $11-$13 bucks though, this is an excellent resource to start your own National Park mania or fuel your existing addiction. Maybe I'll run into you at one of the MANY parks on my list one day. Happy travelling!

Graduate from Junior Ranger - Be a Scout Ranger

If you have kids and love the outdoors, you probably already know about the National Parks Junior Ranger programs which are available at almost all NPS locations across the country. While no two programs are the same (they are individually created by each park), generally the requirements are for the child to fill out a work book and attend one or more Ranger led programs. Most are programs designed to be completed in a one or two day visit to the park. Upon completion, the child is awarded a Junior Ranger pin or patch, or sometimes both, to show off their accomplishment. It is a wonderful program to get kids excited about learning, the outdoors, and to remember their trip by for years to come. I still have many Junior Ranger patches from my own childhood!

But for those overachieving Scout girls and boys looking for even more patches to add to their vests, consider checking out a lesser known program at the National Parks for Scouts of all ages. The Scout Ranger Resource Stewardship program is designed to encourage kids to do and learn even more about our country's incredible National Parks by offering a certificate for 5 and a patch for 10 hours of participation at any combination of parks. Participation can be through a service project or educational program offered at any National park. And yes, Junior Ranger requirements count as educational participation! Depending on the park, I estimate that most kids could complete the certificate hours by completeing 2 to 3 Junior Ranger badges, and could earn the patch with an additional 2 to 3 badges. Of course, vollunteering at a park clean up event or trail maintenance day for a couple hours would help diversify the child's park experience and speed up the Scout Ranger earning process!

Since the requirements can be fulfilled with a variety of activities and across more than one park, completion of the Scout Ranger program is verified with your child's 'Scouts Honor.' Information about the program and a log sheet to help keep track of hours is available here for Boy and Cub Scouts or here for Girl Scouts on the NPS website.

Encourage your kids to develop a lasting love and relationship with the outdoors and our National parks by getting them excited to earn this special award. Spread the word with your Troops and Packs to get the kids earning and learning together. Or don't. If your own child earns it on his or her own, have it presented at an awards ceremony or brought to a meeting as a show-and-tell. There's sometimes nothing better to get kids interested in earning an award than by having one child with a patch that the others then oooo and ahhhh over. You can bet those ogglers will go home and ask their parents if they can go to a National Park tomorrow and start working on their own patch!