Winter and trains make for a special combination - photo courtesy of pixaio via stock.xchng This magnificent, fabulous, exciting and awesome news came to me via the Houston Chronicle and my mom (thanks, Mom!), and if you have any childhood enchantment left in your heart, you will be just as excited! Do you remember reading The Polar Express as a kid, and vowing to encapsulate the spirits of Christmas and Santa in your heart for as long as you live? Do you remember sitting in school, tying a jingle bell to a red string and unsuccessfully trying to quell the starbursts of excitement every time it gave that familiar ring? I know you do! As a kid, once you learn that the sound of a jingle bell represents your own enduring belief in Santa, you just dread the day the noise fades away. That day comes for most of us, but the spirit of belief is renewed when you have a fresh, unblemished young generation with which to share the story. Luckily for us Texans, the magic of The Polar Express doesn't end with the turn of the last page; nay, we have our very own, REAL POLAR EXPRESS STEAM TRAIN, and tickets are available now! Departing from Palestine in East Texas (about 160 miles north of Houston), this real steam train takes children and their families on a 70-minute trip. Red and gold passenger cars are bedecked with all manner of holiday festivity and lights (there is a fancier double-decker 1954 Sky View dome car with larger windows at an upgraded cost); hot cocoa and cookies sate young appetites; and the iconic story of The Polar Express is read over the speakers for both young, medium-young, middle-aged, and the finely-aged to enjoy. The immersion is total. Once story time is complete, the train approaches Santa and his elves on a brightly lit platform at the "North Pole," and Santa boards the train to pass out silver bells. The Polar Express is the only operating steam train in Texas, and an estimated 40,000 people take this special ride each year. The Polar Express Train runs daily though 12/29, with the exceptions of 12/24 and 12/25. Tickets cost $40-$99 for adults, $20-$75 for children ages 2-12, and $10 for new humans held in arms. Call 1-877-726-7245 or go to www.texasstaterr.com for tickets and details!