An Unforgettable First Train Trip to Seattle

Last December Sherry and her daughter Jennifer, who were both first time riders on Amtrak, made lifelong memories during a mother-daughter trip to Seattle. The first sign the trip was going to be a memorable one? Santa greeted them on the platform.

“We had no idea how it all went about,” says Sherry who was traveling the Cascades with her daughter for a Seattle Seahawks game against the San Francisco 49ers. “We got to the station in Portland and we were thinking, ‘What do we do?’ But we figured it out as we went.”

That actually would be an understatement.

As the women were walking along the platform to board their train car, they caught sight of a man in a red and white suit. The red and white suit, in fact. Yep, it was Santa himself.

Quickly the women snapped one of the best souvenir photos we’ve seen in a while!

“When we approached him, of course we wanted a picture because we were on this wonderful trip together,” she says. “It was just so perfect! It turned out really well.”

Once onboard, mom and daughter took their seats but couldn’t contain their excitement for long.

“We decided we needed to find the Bistro Car,” Sherry says with a laugh. “We decided we were going to have a cocktail. We’re on this mom and daughter vacation, after all.”

Sherry and Jennifer didn’t have much trouble finding the fun once they arrived in Seattle, either. They chose a hotel within walking distance of the station, the stadium and shopping and even asked perfect strangers for restaurant recommendations.

“We walked the whole trip,” she says. “We never needed a car.”

And how about those Seahawks? “Of course, they won,” Sherry says. “I wasn’t even that much of fan until I went to that game. It was such an experience that now I watch all their games on TV.”

Have you ever taken a family trip on Amtrak? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Read More: Blogger Bound for Seattle Shares Tips, Advice