Heavenly Palate: [Train motel] The Red Caboose, Strasburg, PA

Well, it was almost a month ago when we drove down to

Amish Country in Pennsylvania.

You can see the Amish village post here ,

and Pennsylvania dutch Smorgasbord post here.

We stayed our last night at a famous train motel in Amish country, The Red Caboose.

It was so popular that we had to book a night already back in August, for a night in October.

The boys were super excited, of course.

A little bit of history about the motel:

(You can read more on their website.)

In 1969, Don Denlinger won a bid on 19 old cabooses being auctioned off by the Pennsylvania Railroad, for $100.

He moved them to a parcel of land near the Strasburg Railroad and turned them into train lodging in the heart of Amish countryside. (where did he get such a weird and funny idea?) He continued to add to his collection of train cars over the years.

Now, the motel has 26 train-car rooms.

From the photos of the website, any car room didn't exactly show features what I would expect from a room at that price.

However, it is kind of understandable as most,

if not all, train cars are well used over a half century.

So it's definitely not new~ as you see.

We booked a room for 4 people.

There was a bunk bed and a double bed.

Kids loved it.

Well, but a train motel has very powerful and distinctive attractions

which you can't find at any other places.

I'm sure you may find these kinds of lamps at a flea market.

At least, the air conditioner in the room was not so old. (Thank God!)

It is turned into a stayable hotel room

and you feel like you are in a train, both outside and inside of the room.

and it is so cool that all the train cars are actually on a railroad.

At one point of their lives,

Remi and Pablo were enthusiastic about trains and they still like getting on a train,

even on a subway. Unfortunately, we don't have a subway in Ottawa.

So there haven't been many chances for my little guys to hope on a subway train.

To make a long story short, Remi and Pablo loved the Red Caboose train motel. :)

Well, any little boy or girl would like it.

That is why each room(train car) was occupied by a family with young kids.

Don't they look like they are leaving on a train? :)

In truth, they are actually on a deck of a motel(train car) room.

Pablo was managing or trying to manage to balance.

It almost looks like a real rail road.

As said above, the motel is located just next to Strasburg Railroad and you can see the trains passing by every now and then.

Pablo, on a steering wheel out of our room.

As soon as Mr. D unpacked our baggage, we went to the observation tower on site.

(Oh, by the way, I never pack or unpack any baggage when we go for a trip, not to bother my husband's hobby which is packing and unpacking the luggage. I promised him I would never dare to do it. :)

I know I am such a good wife)