The Portland Holiday Express W/ SP #4449 Part 1

I've had Portland holidays before, but never one like this. I love trains, though, and I would love to take a ride on the Portland holiday express. Apparently the Portland holiday express is the Southern Pacific Daylight #4449. I don't know if this is the train's name, or if this signifies that it is part of a larger line of trains or something, but it sounds like fun. I've been to Oregon before, but haven't spent a lot of time on Portland holidays, and a train sounds like a great way to explore it. I'm a gluten-free vegetarian, and I hear Oregon is a great place to go if you are vegetarian or vegan. I'm not sure, though, if the Portland holiday express would have that kind of food on it or not. But I love the holidays, and the Portland holiday express sounds like an awesome experience. There's something very nostalgic about the holidays, and even more so about trains and Christmas. This explains the whole Polar express thing, and why I find the idea of the Portland holiday express so fascinating. To top it all off, I'm a huge fan of the Pacific Northwest, especially Oregon, and so this sounds kind of like a dream come true. I'm just a little afraid that by the time I make it out west on my Portland holiday, the Portland holiday express won't be running anymore. Or worse, that it will be too pricey.

To me, true Portland holidays would be more than just a trip on the Portland holiday express. I would want to visit the surrounding areas, cities, and other destinations. I would definitely want to spend some time on a beach. If I had the money, I would say some fine dining would be in order. As it is, dining would be in order. Hopefully the weather would hold up. That's one of the keys to turning Portland trips into Portland holidays; manageable weather. Of course, you don't have any control over that, and people have varying degrees of tolerance to inclement weather, but hopefully it stays sunny and cheerful. I think that unless you are the kind of person that likes drab, gray weather, you need promising weather to turn ordinary vacations into Portland holidays. After all, anybody can spend their whole time in the hotel room, or just going from place to place. It's the in between times, the walking around outside times and just plain enjoying life times that truly define Portland holidays, or any other kind of holiday.

But if you are going to go around Christmastime, or around the time that the Portland holiday express is running, I think it might be worthwhile to give it a go. Especially if it is something you don't normally do. Who knows, that might be just the thing to turn your visits into the perfect Portland holidays. So happy holidays and happy travels!