All Aboard the Smoky Valley Railroad in Kansas, Where You Can Have Cinnamon Rolls With a View

We’ve all seen the nostalgic imagery of a man in striped overalls, tipping his hat beneath a plume of billowing steam rising to the sky. It’s a still frame from America’s yesteryear, an ode to the Industrial Revolution, a symbol of significant change, and now a reminder of a society long past. Trains represent many things to many people, but to a little boy like my own, the best interpretation is simply awe. 

Sometimes I feel like I spent the better half of my son’s first five years looking for trains and scenic train rides. Trains we could see, touch, hear, and ride. But not the modern subway, monorail, or Amtrak kinds, it was the big, beefy trains with a heavy nose, and a deep, throaty chugga-chugga that we were after. By the time I finally found one—running mini-trips at the right time, right place, and right price—he was a couple of years past five. We were in Kansas, road-tripping from east to west and back again, loosely following Interstate 70, when I stumbled across the Abilene & Great Smoky Railroad.

Abilene is a dusty little town with a rich heritage, its veins drawn by the tail end of the railroad boom. Upon exiting the interstate, we were greeted by a larger-than-life steel horseshoe and dozens of references to President Eisenhower, telling us this was his boyhood home. As charmingly Americana as all that was, we couldn’t be derailed from our mission to see the big hunks of red and black steel that Abilene is also known for. And we were going to ride one! 

We had our hearts set on the inky 100-year-old steam locomotive, with the promise of cinnamon rolls and a hot drink to sip on a scenic train ride through the  Kansas countryside. Unfortunately, the iconic grandfather train wasn’t running that day, so we got switched to a vintage, open-air diesel. But it was red, and the conductor waved as it rolled in, so in the eyes of a little boy, any perceived error was instantly righted once again.. 

The Coffee & Cinnamon Roll Train was a limited-edition experience that not many people had—a tester of sorts—before offering the now-very-popular dinner trains. Our family squished into the diner-style table on board, of course, giving the window seats to the kids. The simplicity of eating a cinnamon roll on a paper plate while taking a scenic train ride became that core memory we’d been chasing for so long. And it had an unexpected perk, windblown hair stuck to sugary cheeks, as they raced to the open car, barreling through the Kansas plains. 

We rode for maybe 30 minutes, first one way, and then reversing back in the opposite direction, giving our kids the impression we’d gone around the world and back to start, over nothing more than a cinnamon roll. Back at the depot, our daughter spotted the gift shop at Abilene’s 1887 Rock Island Depot, a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The charming interior made her feel like she was shopping back in time, and she picked out a surprise for her little brother while he played on the merry-go-round out back. A tiny teddy bear wearing blue and white striped overalls and a matching hat, plus a little round patch for herself that spelled out Abilene in stitched cursive letters.  

Visit the Abilene & Great Smoky Railroad to view a full schedule and a calendar of special train rides. Looking for more hidden gems in Kansas? Let Only In Your State's AI-powered itinerary planner lead the way.