On a Sunday afternoon whim, I decided to venture out with my boys the short distance from where we live to Tilden Park. Isaiah had been asking me for the past several weeks to go on a train ride, and while he would’ve settled for a BART outing, I wanted something a little more fit for my little man! I had heard about the steam train rides through the park, we had visited the adjacent Little Farm last year, and on this day, we finally made the trek out to Tilden. And, before you go, always be sure to check the steam train website aka Redwood Valley Railway.
The single ride tickets were just $3 each, so it wasn’t going to break the bank and it’s super safe, even for the little ones, so that made it more enjoyable for me. The ride was about 15 minutes through the tall trees of the park, there were some fun turns and a couple passes through the tunnel too which were perfect because Isaiah was wearing his glow in the dark shirt, so he got a kick out of seeing it “light up” when it got dark in the tunnel.
Anyhow, we must’ve timed it just right because after out steam train ride, we walked down to where they had the Golden Gate Miniature Railroad and we hopped on one of the last trips of the day! This was a no cost ride, but they happily accept donations. I believe it is run by retired train enthusiasts who are all too happy to share their hobby with the public.
Since our two train rides didn’t take up much time, we decided to venture over to the Merry-Go-Round. This is not something you can walk to, it’s a little more than a mile away from where the trains are…so we got back in the car and made our way over. It’s an old-school antique carousel with beautiful, carved wooden animals for the kids (and adults) to ride. They also have a snack bar there and seating where you can sit back and relax. Rides on the carousel are $2 a pop.
All in all, I’m so glad we made it an afternoon adventure at Tilden Park. We had a great time and it was the perfect place, activities and day to burn off some Sunday Funday energy.