If you were hoping to take your family on the famous Austin steam train this weekend, you’re out of luck—tickets for the North Pole Flyer are long sold out. Good news? Tickets for 2012 go on sale January 3rd, and gift certificates never sell out!
Holly Doggett directs the Austin Steam Train Association, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization located near Avery Ranch. “Gift certificates for train rides do make great Christmas presents! Folks can call us at 512-477-8468 ext. 206 and purchase them over the phone.”
Throughout the year, The Hill Country Flyer departs at 10 a.m. from Cedar Park for a 6-hour journey through the Hill Country. The depot is minutes away for families of the Ranch at Brushy Creek. Passengers may enjoy lunch and shopping at their leisure during the stopover in Burnet, or watch a wild west gunfight! For a shorter ride, passengers can take a 4-hour ride on the Bertram Flyer to visit the historic 1912 Bertram Train Station.
Did you know ASTA’s last-of-its-kind Engine 442 celebrated its fifty-first birthday this past June? Over 150,000 passengers have been carried through the scenic Texas Hill Country by this locomotive alone! “Our terrific volunteers work hard to make sure that the train ride is a memorable experience. We do have something to offer passengers of all ages, so step on board and step back in time,” entices Doggett.
Gift certificates could also come in handy for two must-attend adults-only events in early 2012. On January 21st and February 18th, ASTA will host a special train ride called “Murder at the Masked Ball”! Your evening on the train will include a box dinner and who-dun-it mystery, compliments of the Capital City Mystery Players. Visit the Austin steam train website for more information, and hurry—come January third, tickets will sell out fast!
P.S. Don’t forget, gift certificates go to a very good cause: the 20-year-old Austin Steam Train Association is on a non-profit mission to preserve and re-create the first-hand experience of historic steam railroading for the enjoyment of generations to come.
Give a gift that keeps on giving, and support ASTA this Christmas!
Austin REALTOR® Brian Talley supports local organizations like the ASTA. He also helps luxury home-buyers stay on top of the latest in Lake Travis home trends. If you’re on the lookout for an Austin home for sale, check out Brian’s Austin Home Search!