What fun! If you are looking for something new to do in the Pacific Northwest - I recommend this trip! Plan on a whole day, and enjoy what the area has to offer adventure seekers!
The tour is from the town of Ione, Wa to Metaline, Wa. It is approximately 45 minutes one way, and then the engine hooks up to the caboose and pulls the cars backwards for the return trip. After reserving my tickets in advance (recommended) at
http://www.lionstrainrides.com/, I picked up my friend and off we went! Sunday turned out to be an extremely gorgeous fall day in the Northwest! The sun was shining, the temp was about 55 degrees, and we had no where to be but in the communities of Ione, Metaline, and Metaline Falls.
We arrived 30 minutes in advance, and were lucky to find "standing" room only in the last open car available. There are 3 closed cars, 3 open cars, and a caboose. The Pend Oreille Lions Club members were very helpful, and very knowledeble about the area. We viewed the only remaining piece of the old town of "Cement", and then found ourselves stopped along a trestle overlooking Box Canyon and the Box Canyon Dam.
From here, we went through a tunnel over 800 ft long, and then found ourselves overlooking the Pend Oreille River. At one point, you get an incredible view of the town of Metaline from across the river. Near the end, Ma Cutter and the Gang robbed us! All proceeds "robbed" go to support the Pend Oreille Arts Counsel in the community.
After our train ride was over, we headed down towards Metaline, Wa. We stopped at the Box Canyon Dam overlook, and then found ourselves in the City park at Metaline. The trees were beautiful with their fall colors exploding in shades of red, orange, and yellow. The park sits right on the Pend Oreille, so it allows a very pleasant stopping place for lunch.
If you continue down the road to Metaline Falls, Wa - and then up towards the Canadian Border, you will find Boundary Dam and Crawford State Park, which is home to Gardner Cave. For more information on these - visit my
website.
Make sure to make the stop at Sweet Creek Rest Stop. There are picnic sites, restroom facilities, and a waterfall approximately 150 yards from the parking lot. You can hike right up to the upper waterfall, and will find a cave in the hillside right off the trail!
One last stop we made, which was an unexpected surprise, was Sullivan Lake. We saw the name of the road, and decided to turn and see what Sullivan Lake was all about.
All in all, it was a great day, with great company, and the perfect way to spend a Fall Day!
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