Harry Huckemeyer

The Short Model Railroad Club would like to extend our wishes to you all for a safe, and joyous holiday season. It’s that time of the year when we all join together and share our fond memories with family and friends and the fine weather we have to offer. The major malls put their best foot forward, along with many of the homes in the area with an abundance of festive colors and decorations galore.

By taking a short trip up north to Williams you can ride with Santa up to the North Pole via the Polar Express where children board the conductor driven Express Locomotive dressed in pajamas and in many cases to enjoy some special treats along the way. For additional information call 888-848-3511. The actual train ride lasts approximately 90 minutes.

If you have youngsters or visitors in town, you may want to spend an evening with them at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can count on it being well decorated with the holiday spirit and there are rides for the young and the old that you won’t want to miss out on. The train ride around the multi-acre park is a bargain at $3. This year’s tree lighting ceremony will take place on December 12. The Park hours run from 6:30-9:00 p.m. following the tree lighting daily up until December 23. Additional information can be obtained by calling 480-312-2312.

Once again, the ABTO Garden Club will having its annual Open House event covering two weekends leading up to the holiday season. Several locations around the Valley, including some located in the Sun Lakes area, will be open to the public from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The dates scheduled at this time are Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14th and Saturday and Sunday, December 20 and 21st. Once things are finalized maps and directions will be available at the ABTO website at www.azbigtrains.org.

Many thanks to those who stopped by to chat with us over the past couple of Community Days. If you’re looking for additional information, I suggest you check out our website at www.slmodelrrclub.org. There you will find a wealth of information as you surf through the different areas, as well as the phone numbers of all our officers in the club.

Have an enjoyable holiday season and look forward to an exciting New Year!