What to Know

Several scenic pleasure trains can be found around California

The Skunk Train in Mendocino County, Roaring Camp Railroads near Santa Cruz, Railtown 1897 in Gold Country and the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento all offer holiday-themed experiences and outings

Tickets, details, and dates are available at each train's site; weekends and holiday-close dates can book up quickly

It's a super-long flight, as any busy elf knows, and anyone suddenly arriving unannounced would likely disrupt the festive flow of the World's Most Famous Toy Factory. Still, there are shorter seasonal excursions, closer to where we are, and while they might not all be inspired by the North Pole, some are, while others embrace the general upbeat air of the holidays. Those journeys occur on

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