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A Few of FR's Finest.Every Day.12-22 to 25-06..Polar Express - Christmas Weekend
December 22, 2006
| Dolly Howard
Posted on 12/22/2006 7:42:47 AM PST by DollyCali
The magical train ride found in the Book and the Movie are the backdrop to the glorious adventure held nightly for 5 weeks in NE Ohio as part of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway (CVSR) offerings leading up to Christmas .
The story in a nutshell: A little boy, Jammie clad in jammies(FReeper material ) doubting Santas existence any longer, is whisked away one night on a magical train, that picks him up AT HIS HOME & takes him to the North pole where he views the magic of Santa, the elves and the life there. It is a short book with wonderful art work & was released in 1985.
At the Ohio Polar Express, this is captured in the several hour ride that parents & kids alike arrive in Jammies to participate in the fun. Thanks to the Polar express we now have a new dress category to add to Business casual etc. There will be Nighttime Jammies perhaps!
So very much goes on behind the scenes. For the ride of several hours for youngsters in wonderment along with their parents and grandparents, there is an amazing amount of ground work that is done. Professionals and volunteers all work together to make this a memorable part of the participating family holiday experiences. Many US cities have similar programs, we feel fortunate to be one of them.
Do you just decide THAT day, hey, lets go for the train ride tonight? Well, no NOT EXACTLY. The ride is sold out in late Summer and tickets chosen by lottery. There are actually two trains that converge in the North Pole. One begins in Akron heading North & the other begins in Independence heading south. They arrive at the N Pole about 15 minutes apart to gaze out the window at the merriment of Santas workshop, all the elves dancing (town folks, who have caught the spirit, Santa on sleigh, drummer boys, reindeer etc.
The deluxe Saint Lucie train car.which goes out each night is a luxury charter smf is sold out for next 3 years.. To say this activity is in demand is perhaps an understatement. This popular train, which runs in part through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park holds several other Christmas related series of Rides Mr. Jingeling's Holiday Express and Christmas Tree Adventure (train to neaby Peninsula & pick out /buy tree, return
In the story Polar express (as viewed in the movie) Director Robert Zemeckis revolutionized the art of animated film in 1998's WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT by dropping cartoon characters into the same frame with flesh-and-blood actors. In THE POLAR EXPRESS, live action and animation have merged seamlessly, resulting in sparkling super-realism. A landmark technique Zemeckis and his Sony Pictures Imageworks team call "Performance Capture" perfectly suits the tenor of this wondrous children's Christmas story by Chris Van Allsburg
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A disillusioned little boy, just old enough to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, has the adventure of a lifetime one fateful Christmas Eve. Clad in his pajamas, he climbs aboard a magic train to the North Pole, driven by a kindly train conductor (voiced by Tom Hanks who starred in both of Zemeckis's Academy-Award winning films FORREST GUMP and CASTAWAY). Among myriad jaw-dropping moments, the train plummets brakeless through crystalline mountains in a simulated roller coaster ride. Going off the rails, skidding sideways, and snaking violently across a frozen lake, the train arrives at the North Pole (a vast, glowing city of brick buildings)
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At that moment, the car carrying the kids detaches and they're sent tumbling down never-ending chutes and slides until they land in the middle of Santa's Workshop.
In the body of the thread are pictures/commentary from the last regular run of the season. Try to check back regularly for new additions. Your are invited to join in the magic
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TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christmas; polarexpress; santa; trains
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To: La Enchiladita
281
posted on
12/25/2006 5:30:59 AM PST
by
MEG33
(GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES.)
To: DollyCali; ST.LOUIE1; Billie; dutchess; GodBlessUSA; JustAmy; Mama_Bear; The Mayor; Aquamarine
Merry Christmas to FR's finest crew!
282
posted on
12/25/2006 5:44:35 AM PST
by
Issaquahking
(Trust can't be bought)
To: Issaquahking
Merry Christmas Issaquahking! :)
283
posted on
12/25/2006 5:47:36 AM PST
by
GodBlessUSA
(US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
To: DollyCali
Magnificent thread! I'm also enjoying all your photos :)
Merry Christmas Dolly :)
284
posted on
12/25/2006 5:49:38 AM PST
by
GodBlessUSA
(US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
To: DollyCali; All
Good Afternoon FR Finest!!!
I wish all of FR Finest,their Families and all that come to visit here.... A Merry and joyous Christmas and a blessed New Year.
Jesus is the reason for the season.
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285
posted on
12/25/2006 5:59:47 AM PST
by
Mrs.Nooseman
(Proudly supporting our Troops,Allies and our President GW!!!)
To: La Enchiladita; Purple Mountains Maj; Billie; Mama_Bear; jkphoto; ST.LOUIE1; snugs; silent_jonny; ..
Wishing all My FinestFRiends a very Merry Christmas!
From:
286
posted on
12/25/2006 6:07:44 AM PST
by
stopem
(God Bless the U.S.A the Troops who protect her, and their Commander In Chief !)
To: DollyCali
287
posted on
12/25/2006 6:19:27 AM PST
by
MEG33
(GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES.)
To: Purple Mountains Maj
Merry Christmas Maj!!
Hugs!
288
posted on
12/25/2006 6:31:34 AM PST
by
GodBlessUSA
(US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
To: The Mayor
Merry Christmas The Mayor and Family! :)
289
posted on
12/25/2006 6:33:34 AM PST
by
GodBlessUSA
(US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
To: Jack Deth
Thank you for all your wonderful posts. I hope you have a wonderful Merry Christmas, Jack!
290
posted on
12/25/2006 6:45:23 AM PST
by
GodBlessUSA
(US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
To: stopem
Merry Christmas Stopem! :)
291
posted on
12/25/2006 6:46:07 AM PST
by
GodBlessUSA
(US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
To: La Enchiladita
Thanks La Enchiladita,
I've tried them and like some of them. There are times I do not follow instructions on the package very well.
But I'm learning, I just think it's easier to take candy out of a package, nuts, and cookies.
I'm learning more each day.
bernie
292
posted on
12/25/2006 6:47:36 AM PST
by
DaBearOne
(she is always with us)
To: La Enchiladita
Gorgeous Dita!!
A Merry Christmas to you! My FRiend :)
HUGS!
293
posted on
12/25/2006 6:47:38 AM PST
by
GodBlessUSA
(US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
To: DollyCali; All
Merry Christmas to everyone.
294
posted on
12/25/2006 6:48:16 AM PST
by
SoldierDad
(Proud Father of a 2nd BCT 10th Mountain Soldier fighting the terrorists in Iraq)
To: Billie
Love the card Billie, and a very Merry Christmas to you.
295
posted on
12/25/2006 6:49:58 AM PST
by
DaBearOne
(she is always with us)
To: SoldierDad; All
Good Christmas Morning To The Finest
296
posted on
12/25/2006 6:54:09 AM PST
by
MEG33
(GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES.)
To: DollyCali
Dolly!!!
297
posted on
12/25/2006 7:03:26 AM PST
by
Mrs.Nooseman
(Proudly supporting our Troops,Allies and our President GW!!!)
To: ST.LOUIE1; Billie; dutchess; DollyCali; GodBlessUSA; Mrs Mayor; Mama_Bear; Aquamarine; JustAmy; ...
December 25, 2006
A Fitting Present
READ:
Matthew 2:11-15Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. Romans 12:1
A little boy was somewhat perplexed by all the exchanging of presents on Christmas morning, for he had been taught in Sunday school that it was the birthday of the Savior. Finally, after a long period of silence, he asked, Mommy, when are we going to give Jesus His present? I thought it was His birthday!
Strange, isnt it, that most of us give gifts to everyone but the One whose birthday we celebrate. A good question we might ask ourselves is this: What am I going to give to the Lord Jesus this Christmas? If you have never trusted in Him as your Savior, the thing He desires most from you is a believing heart. Why not put your faith in Jesus sacrificial death on the cross so you can be saved from your sins?
If by faith you already know Christ as your Savior, then the most wonderful thing you can do this Christmas is to present to God the one gift He most desires to receive from youyour body (Rom. 12:1).
Our bodies are to be used for Gods purposes. Because we have accepted the gift of salvation from Him, its only reasonable that we should present ourselves to the Father. When we give ourselves, we give the one Christmas present that truly fits the occasion! Richard De Haan
What shall I give for Christmas
To Him who gave Himself for me?
To Him I give my life, my love,
For time and for eternity. Anon.
Give your all to Christ; He gave His all for you.
298
posted on
12/25/2006 7:05:25 AM PST
by
The Mayor
( http://albanysinsanity.com/)
To: Purple Mountains Maj
Majee!
299
posted on
12/25/2006 7:05:57 AM PST
by
Mrs.Nooseman
(Proudly supporting our Troops,Allies and our President GW!!!)
To: ST.LOUIE1
ST.LOUIE!!!
300
posted on
12/25/2006 7:07:25 AM PST
by
Mrs.Nooseman
(Proudly supporting our Troops,Allies and our President GW!!!)
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