Yesterday, Donna and I had a great time on the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat Ride . We had read about it about a year ago and finally had a chance to check it out.

It's a fabulous old train that takes you along part of the old Essex train line, that used to run towards Hartford. The train is comprised of old Pullman cars, many of which were built and in service in the 1920s or earlier. The seats, as you can imagine, aren't as comfortable as we may be used to in contemporary trains, but it does make you appreciate what folks had to put up with to go even relatively short distances in the days before we all had cars.

The trainride takes about an hour, with one of the conductors pointing out the sites along the way, including old trainstations and some of the original homes built in the area. For a few bucks more you can extend your journey by taking the riverboat up the Connecticut River for a few miles. It goes up as far as the Goodspeed Opera house, which once actually had opera performances, but it now used for shows preparing for Broadway or for revivals of older shows.

As with the train, several gentleman took turns telling us of the history of the Connecticut River. It's use by native americans, early colonialists and later as pre-train mode of transportation for cities along the river.

The website will let you know the schedule for both train and boat, as well as some of the special events throughout the year. Personally, I think the idea of having THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE actually taking the kids out each year. We also are considering the POLAR EXPRESS event, since I loved that book when I used to work for a public library, in Brooklyn, NY. Oh, and I can't ignore that on my birthday this year (Dec. 13th) they are having a "Merry Tuba Christmas" concert.

One of the nice views you have is of Gillette Castle up on a hill overlooking the river valley. It was built by turn-of-the-century actor, playwright William Gillette (no relation to the blade folks). When I was a kid a tour of his castle and grounds was the highlight of many summers. Donna and I plan on visiting the place. When we do I'll have more to say. (Sorry the link doesn't take you directly to the Castle site. Look under "Park Maps" and then under E-H. You get a nice photo and a bit of history.)