So, this is a little embarrassing to admit, but I didn’t know Cleveland had a National Park until a few years after I moved here. In my defense, I’M NOT FROM HERE!!!! And then even after I figured it out, I haven’t really taken much advantage of it until the past few years.
But I think I really made up for it this weekend, when Nick and I took a train ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park!! We were supposed to go with our friends Sunny and Aaron, but Aaron ended up getting the flu, so we asked our good friends and neighbors Josh and Kevin to join us instead.
Have dinner on the train with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad!
Our “train ride” was dinner on a train, in vintage California Zephyr train cars that have been lovingly preserved and restored.
Dubbed “the most talked about train in America,” the California Zephyr made its inaugural eastbound run on March 20, 1949 with service between San Francisco and Chicago that covered 2,525 miles and took an average of 2.5 days to complete.
The dinner rides are now a 2-year dining excursion, with 4 courses and a complimentary bar service. There are several seating options, including the dome car that includes windows on every side, including the ceiling!!
The dinner train pulling into the station at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
A closeup of the vintage California Zephr rail car including the dome!
And guess what? WE WERE IN THE DOME!!! Stepping into the rail car was really like taking a step back in time — the seats were smaller than we’re used to now, and all the tables were set for dinner - it was like watching Murder on the Orient Express but in real life and without the murder!!
So excited for this magical train ride.
Our table was set with a cheese and meat board and a champagne toast, and as we left the station, cocktails were served. The cocktails did take some time since there was a single bartender serving two cars, but we did eventually get them. The lights are all turned off in the cabin, and the tables are lit with a lantern so you can look outside, but unfortunately, it was too dark and cloudy to really see much. There was a salad course and an entree, followed by dessert. The food was ok - better than airline food, but definitely not as good as some of the restaurants that we’re used to eating at in Cleveland, but it was really more about the experience anyway.
Overall, I would definitely do this again, and highly recommend you do too - it’s fun, it’s something very different, and absolutely charming. But before you get ready to book your tickets, here are a few tips:
Definitely go as a foursome or more - the seats are in sets of 4, and while I suppose you could sit with strangers, going with friends makes it way more fun
Pay the premium to sit in the domed section of the carriage - they are really magical and worth the extra price
While this is a fun way to get out of the house and do something different in the winter, it would be a LOT better in the spring/summer/fall. Mainly because it’s so dark by 7 pm in the winter that you can’t really see much outside, but I imagine that dusk on the train is truly magical.
If you’re interested in having your own magical train ride, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad offers options: There’s the Dinner on the Train that I described above but there are also wine tastings, beer tastings via Ales on Rails, Cocktails on Rails, Breakfast on the train, and more. They also have child-friendly events available. You can also do a daytime ride (yes, the dome is an option) which sounds amazing and is probably what I will do next!!
No matter what you pick, you really can’t go wrong on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad - it’s a lot of fun and a really unique experience. Highly highly recommend!!!