Take This Fall Foliage Train Ride Through Pennsylvania For A One-Of-A-Kind Experience
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
Embrace the rustic beauty of autumn on this fall foliage train ride in Pennsylvania. The breathtaking beauty of the Pennsylvania landscape will unfurl before your eyes like an artist’s painting as you travel toward one of the state’s most charming small towns.
Climb aboard a diesel or a steam train at Port Clinton, where you will wait to embark on a truly unforgettable fall foliage excursion along the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. The Autumn Leaf Excursions run the first three Saturdays and Sundays in October.
Book your seat(s) on the Autumn Leaf Excursion early because the popular fall foliage train rides sell out quickly. The daylong excursion boards at 8 a.m. and departs at 9 a.m. from Port Clinton before traveling the two hours along the Lehigh Gorge for a stopover at the charming town of Jim Thorpe. The train returns to Port Clinton at 5 p.m.
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You'll board either a steam engine or a diesel train for your fall foliage trip. On which train you will ride depends on the weekend you book your excursion and whether or not you travel first class or standard coach.
Sink into a luxury seat in the first class parlor car where you'll be served lunch on your journey to Jim Thorpe. On the return trip, indulge in scrumptious desserts.
Sit back and relax as the engine chugs and you begin your two hour journey to the quaint downtown of Jim Thorpe. The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway offers special events throughout the year, including an excursion starring the Easter Bunny, a Santa excursion, and the PA Dutch Treat Train.
Watch the rustic fall foliage pass before you. Pennsylvania's fall foliage season typically runs longer than other parts of the country with the peak usually occurring in mid-to-late October.
Snap photos of the colorful trees as the train meanders by.
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As you inch closer to two hours aboard your train, you'll begin to see the outline of a town forming on the horizon. You've almost arrived to your destination of Jim Thorpe where, as it happens, the small town celebrates the Fall Foliage Festival the first three weekends in October.
Disembark from your train for your three-hour stopover in Jim Thorpe. Join townspeople and visitors as they celebrate the autumn season. Fall Foliage Festival activities include live entertainment, an arts and crafts fair, tours of the haunted Old Jail, children's activities, and plenty of good food.
Return to the Mauch Chunk Railway Station in Jim Thorpe to board your return train, slated to arrive in Port Clinton at 5 p.m.
Enjoy the beauty of autumn aboard this fall foliage train ride in Pennsylvania then keep celebrating the season at one of these fall festivals in the state.
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