Nevada Falls Dining Car.
Our Glacier Point Dining Car
The view of the river was breathtaking
This was the trio that played in the back cars all day and they were really good
The RiverTrain crossing the longest wooden trestle in the West.
The engine getting ready to engage for the train ride
Train depot for purchasing tickets
During heavy rains the open plains under the Fremont Trestle have a much different look!
Christmas Train
Having fun on Beer Train
Tiffany K.
Aug 15, 2011
Mom had a Groupon for this trip and decided that I should go and take my daughter. Very thoughtful of her as this is not something I would normally do. Firstly, kids would probably enjoy this trip. It was the Thursday trip featuring kids "entertainment, face painting, etc." The train itself is impressive! Two open air cars, four closed cars and the locomotive. One of the enclosed cars had a small wooden dance floor and assorted bamboo furniture. Another featured a cantina of sorts selling sandwiches ($5), sodas ($2) and snacks ($1). The other car had art deco lighting, wooden seating - very picturesque and one car seemed like being on Amtrak complete with freezing A/C. You can walk from car to car freely. At one point we moved because it got waaaay too noisy with all the kids. Secondly, if you've ridden Amtrak or trains in Europe and Asia (heck even BART), this train will seem like a snail's pace in comparison. It doesn't move very fast, but this allows you to enjoy the open fields and some of the Sacramento river. Honestly, I don't know if kids really look outside the window, they just like being on a train. It would have been nice if we were given some sort of handout explaining what we were viewing or the history of the train/tracks, the route we were taking, points of interest, etc. A simple two-sided copied piece of paper would have been fine. Since I used to face paint at one of my jobs, I was a little surprised at the face painting here. I find it easier to use face paints, a good brush and some body glitter. Instead, it looked like liquid eyeliner and pencil eyeshadow was used. Not only does that take longer to do your job, but the effect isn't as nice. Oh, and no one actually got their face painted, but were convinced that it "would look nicer" on their hand or arm. Where this really gets my three stars (as opposed to four) is when we reached the final destination, no one told us to disembark. I knew they had to switch the engine around and there was talk of adding a second engine on to repair (?) so when the train stopped, I waited. Another party also sat around. About 20 minutes later (!!!) we decided that we could probably walk to our car - hey it's Woodland, can't be that complicated. We then found out that we WERE at where we started but no one told us. Everyone - except the people in our car - had already left, gotten in their cars and were practically out of the lot. You couldn't tell from where we were seated that we had arrived. The staff themselves - which in this case was the owner, his wife and their two kids - were very personable. The wandering guitar-playing musician (imagine if Maria Von Trapp emigrated to the US and couldn't retire) had me humming "I've Been Working on the Railroad" all day. So in a nutshell, I would probably not go again if I had to pay full price. The only reason I would go again is because daughter liked it and wants to do it again. I would also sneak a flask on board.
Read MoreRussell G.
Apr 24, 2016
My wife found a special for the Sacramento Wine train. The trip took about 3 hours and we were able to sample wineries from all over the region from Sonoma County through Sugar Mill around El Dorado County the list was impressive. For the most part the wine pours were generous though there was one station just outside of the open cars that decided that their wine was worth one ticket per one ounce pour. My thinking was if you have people that have paid $60 to try your wines don't treat them like you're at BevMo. We are your target audience. So we avoided that station and the rest were quite good.My suggestion would be to check how many people are on the train as best you can. The train yesterday had around 80 to 90 people and it was beautiful. Plenty of room to relax have a quiet conversation just taken the environment beautiful. The staff said anywhere up to 200 people on the train is still relatively comfortable but once it gets towards maximum capacity 250 - 300 it gets really hard to move around and I could see why. The passages between cars is wide enough for one person. Natural bottle necks.All in all it was a good trip and one that I'm looking forward to doing it again with more friends.
Read MoreMichael A.
Jul 27, 2010
So, as a historical enthusiast, and having spent a good deal of my time lately playing Red Dead Redemption, I thought it would be a fun thing to do to take a train ride around the Delta with my girlfriend. This train kept coming up in searches, and seemed pretty promising, so we decided to check it out. That was when things began to get strange (insert DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNN here). First and foremost, we were a little disappointed before even booking a trip, as all of the more quiet and relaxed train trips, like the brunch, lunch, and dinner trains, were not running until September, and even then were only running one single day. We had no choice but to book a trip that included the Great Train Robbery event...which is as dorky as it sounds if you're an eighteen-year old guy trying to enjoy a relaxing three and a half hours on a train. I'll address this later, but we ended up listening to a man dressed as Wild Bill Hickock talk about his acre of land and his massive grass garden. Alright, back on track now: buying tickets presented its own kind of shock, as the whole thing was roughly $130 for two adults, which included the ride, a barbecue lunch, and the entertainment provided by the character actors and their skits. Regarding the "scenic train ride" along the Sacramento River, I don't think there could be any more of a misleading description of a trip, as we saw about five minutes of the river total. The train departs in Woodland, travels through Woodland parallel to the beautiful freeway, and stopped in what can be best be described as a mini-park, complete with a sketchy boat dock. So, we were at the least moderately disappointed in the view, which was unfortunate as we were very excited to the point of me brandishing my steampunk pocketwatch, but we still maintained hope. Once the train stopped at what appeared to be a railroad crossing, sans terminal or stairs or pavement. All passengers were basically led off onto a dirt and gravel path on a hundred-yard trek to what was described as the "campground area" where we'd be having lunch. The train's website noted that it would be a relatively brisk walk, but that seemed to be a bit of an understatement, as other travelers resorted to walking sticks and leaning on fellow passengers to make it down a gradually steeper walk through the brush. To women, please for the love of God do not wear open-toed shoes or "super cute stylish sandals" that my girlfriend wore, you will suffer. Now comes the barbecue, which was catered by Woodland's own Ludy's. The delivery truck decorated with a pig in a chef's hat provided an awesome backdrop for a lunch not so well-equipped for large parties like our own. There were few tables, so we decided to grab our food first before searching for a seat. It was reminiscent of a cafeteria, walking in line, grabbing food, and finding a seat. The food...hm...certainly wasn't the best, so I'll leave it at that. After lunch, the actors put on a little show and demonstration which wasn't too bad, but to those with sensitive ears, be warned of the six shooters that will undoubtedly be going off. After that brief intermission, everyone got back on the train to head back to the station. We did our best to enjoy the two minutes in which we saw the river, but the remainder of the trip home was spent listening to casual conversation between the actors and passengers. I think for families with younger children, this may be a fun, though expensive jaunt, but for those just wishing to feel the nostalgia of train travel and enjoy a quiet trip, I'd look elsewhere.
Read MoreShannan W.
Dec 7, 2012
I feel like the Grinch giving the Christmas train 2 stars, but paint me green if you must. Here's a summary of our experience.It starts by checking into a white, semi-permanent tent structure with tiny, uncomfortable, plastic chairs facing a stage. The train "actors" introduce the story of the little girl who loses her teddy bear. The teddy bear was a gift from Santa himself to the little girl's grandmother when she was a little girl because she needed a boost of "Christmas sprit." Naturally, the grandmother passed the bear to her daughter, and so on, which is how this little girl ended up with it. When we board the train, we know we must help the girl find her lost teddy bear. Fine, that's a cute enough story.So the bear (a human size mascot that looks more like a rat than a bear) is on the loose on the train. (Sounds scary but isn't.) His face is too pointy to be a bear; he's a lot like Chuck E Cheese but without the charm or whimsy. Whatever, the kids get a kick out it. There's a lot of, "Have you seen my bear? Which way did he go?" The know-it-all kids love to shout, and the shy kids point.When you are seated on the train, you are provided hot cocoa (in disposable cups) and perhaps-fresh-yesterday cookies. The train is not decorated - no garland or swag. I guess you can't actually SEE the Christmas spirit; it's something you have to feel.So the story goes on for a while. A guy with a guitar comes around leading Christmas carols. Finally, Santa comes. And, serioulsy, honorable mention to Santa. He's the real deal. Real beard. Real jolly.The whole ride is probably two hours long, which feels like an eternity if you're stupid enough to go without kids. Bless my husband's big, child-like heart for getting us two full price tickets to this thing, despite the fact that we have no children. Basically, we felt captive for 2+ hours on a train full of screaming kids, really crappy cookies, and a low budget rat-bear, and because it was the evening train, you couldn't even see a stitch of landscape out the window. To be fair, I'm not sure it would have mattered though because the tracks pretty much follow I-5 from Woodland to the airport - not much to see.So for our money (about $99), we felt a little ripped off. I guess Christmas is for kids, and we should have known better. Still, as adults, we would have appreciated some Christmas lights/swag and fresh cookies. It's definitely a kid thing. If you have kids and can get the Groupon price, you'd probably give this 3 stars.
Read MoreCharlene S.
Oct 29, 2012
First of all y'all, we aren't talking about some train out in NAPA. This train is in Woodland, which really isn't Napa, so the comparisons are really kinda silly. Get over yourselves already!!! Secondly-- we have taken trips on this train twice. Once for Father's Day (the food was excellent, catered from Ludy's, so don't let those Napa Snob people confuse you-- the food is really good!!) and then just a few days ago for the Pumpkin Train. Both trains were enjoyable, although the singing entertainment was a little tedious at times. Thirdly-- yes, the prices can be a little steep. Everything costs money these days, so get over that one too. Watch for a Groupon or just figure that you're helping a local business enrich our community and enjoy the ride. Lastly, there is no train station. And?! So, go ride the train already!
Read MoreDebbie Downer D.
Jul 24, 2011
Nice experience on our first dinner train ride. Very friendly service. There's live music (a man with a microphone and his buddy on the keyboard!). Dinner was good...the potatoes were wonderful, left us wanting more! What I liked most about the train ride was seeing the residence stand on their porch waiving at us as we passed by! Great for an intimate dinner or a double date.
Read MoreRosemary T.
Aug 24, 2014
I took the river train with a party of 40 people for the murder mystery. Overall, it was a good experience, but one I would not repeat.The train ride itself was just OK; but sparse views of the river; a lot of views of farm land, woods, and Woodland.Food was just average. I have made better chicken dishes myself, but the beef medallions were tender and tasty. The champagne toast was glasses of Cooks champagne (could it be any cheaper?) and the dessert was weird. Berries on some kind of cream or cheese nestled in something chewy?!The live action with the murder of someone, was not lovely -- very thin plot, forced laughter and a contrived stupid ending. But, the actors were all splendid, with excellent speaking voices to carry (hopefully) in the long train cars. Why they didn't have portable mics on them was beyond me.I would say go on this train trip if you're looking for something different to do, but make it a once in a lifetime experience....
Read MoreTerry A S.
Sep 19, 2010
So you wanna be a Cowboy? Well, the first thing you need to do is learn the routine and going through a real old west train robbery can give you an idea of what it may have been like. A ride on the River Train out of Sacramento/Woodland, CA was a blast for my family. It's not fast, it's bumpy, it's old, and it absolutley wonderful. I get a good chuckle when I see reviews of an old fashioned ride where people are expecting modern day comforts. Can you imagine what it was like back then for the people who didn't have any of the modern day luxuries provided on this ride like, a variety of cold beverages, hot food, and a bunch of fun loving people making you laugh during your entire trip. To me it's funny what we expect when we want to experience a little something different the way it is supposed to be experienced.As for me and my family we have always had a great time on train rides. This train is no exception. Great food, good stories, and really good people to become friends with if only for a few moments of a day an deven though it may cost a little more than some would want to pay take a look around and ask yourself what doesn't these days??Have a good time and enjoy it for what it is a different slice of the pie.
Read MoreAlisha C.
May 5, 2013
Just went on this 3 hour tour. It was a blast. My husband and I just moved up here from San Diego, so we are always looking for new and fun adventures. Well this one definitely one. Between all the different groups of people to the great beer (Black Dragon Brewery was hands down the best) we will be looking forward to the upcoming events.
Read MoreLiz P.
Sep 1, 2014
We took on grandson on the Old Sacramento Excursion and it was great. The train docents were helpful and informative. My grandson is two and was in awe the whole time.
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