lions club excursion train

Four of us thoroughly enjoyed the train ride next to the river. We sat in one of the "inside" cars, view was nice and we were cozy. Great volunteers who gave informative overviews along the way. Metalline Falls is a lovely and scenic small town where we had a pancake breakfast on the lawn of a local church during a fall town festival. A stellar B&B outside Ione, WA (nearby) was The Coop and we would recommend it without reservation. Beautiful setting, quiet, right on the river, squeaky clean, well decorated, lots of beautiful birds all around.

We had our young grandson visiting who absolutely LOVES trains and thought this would be a great adventure for him. Since it was Oct. The majority of people were there to see the scenery, the beautiful fall colors everywhere you looked. Very reasonably priced and all the volunteers were wonderful. Little gift shop area and food venders were all over. Best of all, our grandsons smile on his face!! Long drive getting to and from but would recommend supporting the Lions Club and experiencing the beauty of the fall colors.

Took this train ride with some friends in early October, hoping to take in some fall foliage. Turned out it was too early in the season for the real fall experience, as the trees were just starting to turn. Despite that, the train ride was a fun experience and well organized by the Lions Club. Cost was very reasonable, and although the train only travels about 10 miles, it was slow and scenic...taking about an hour and half round trip. Beautiful scenery. We opted to ride in one of the "open cars" and were glad we did. Air wasn't too chilly and the day was gorgeous, so we lucked out. On our car, everyone had a seat (plus a few wheelchairs), but once the train left the station, everyone stood so they could see out better and take photos. Once we reached Metalline Falls, the "conductor" had everyone switch sides, so that you could see the scenery on the other side on the return trip. Located in northeast Washington, it's a drive for most people, but it's well-worth it. I especially recommend it for families with children. Something about kids and trains...fun written all over that!. Heard there "might" be a train robbery on the way, and sure enough, we were boarded by outlaws (local theater group seeking donations). Our robbers were a woman and young girl. I think the kids were all looking for a little more thrill, but it was pretty friendly chit chat as they wandered around the car taking money. That all seemed a little hokie, but the kids seemed to love it. Everyone pretty much threw a dollar in the bag.

Purchasing our tickets online for this excursion was easy. The confirmation letter stated that seats were on a first come basis and advised us to arrive 30 minutes early for better seat selection. Our trip left from Metaline Falls rather than Ione, so it was a 2 1/2 hour drive to get there. We arrived at 10 AM, 1 hour early, picked up our tickets at will-call, and waited in line to board one of the open cars. Since my husband wanted to take photos, we selected an area without any obstruction and asked the conductor what side to sit on for the best photos. He said it didn't matter because you can see everything from both sides, so we picked a side and sat down. Little did we know that late comers and even those with seats, would be standing throughout most of the trip, blocking views on both sides. At 5'0" tall, even standing I couldn't see the dam because I was on the wrong side of the train, and several people that didn't have seats were standing in front of us, so the views on my side of the train were also blocked. I saw the backs of lots of people on this train ride and couldn't find a place to stand to actually see the scenery. My husband is taller so he was able to snap a few shots above the crowd. This is a great fund-raiser for the Lion's Club, a wonderful organization, but it wasn't worth a 5-hour round trip drive for me.

definitely worth the drive to get to; only $10 for a senior fare, for about a 2 hr ride. Limited schedule, tho: 27 and 28 July, 31 Aug and 1 Sep, then all 4 weekends of Oct for the Autumn colors ride. Can sit inside, or, there are some cars where you can stand, more in the open air.And a caboose. No real assigned seats, so you just line up a bit early for "first come, first served."Normal fare is $15: not bad. Children 2-12, also $10. Seems to me the train is under-utilized.

Beautiful scenery and fall color was spectacular! You can see the canyon and dams from the train like you can't see from anywhere else.