My dad and I set out for a day of adventure in Lebanon, Ohio yesterday. When I was searching for a Father’s Day gift for the man who has everything, I decided it would be best to give him an experience rather than more stuff. So I gave him three options and, of them, he chose a ride on the Lebanon Mason and Monroe Railroad.

This non-profit scenic railway gives visitors a peek into what travel was like in yesteryear. We rode in a deluxe car called Mingo County that a railway volunteer said dates to the late forties or fifties.

Concessions are located in an old Army Medical car and, yes, there’s a caboose too.

The ride last for about 75 minutes – long enough to travel a few miles out of town, stop and travel back in reverse. The gentle swaying of the car as it click-clacked down the tracks was incredibly relaxing. It was almost like being rocked to sleep.

The volunteers and staff on the train are super nice and even the passengers in our car were extremely cordial. The group even joined in singing Happy Birthday to five year old twins who were visiting with their grandparents. Decked out in bibbed overalls and engineer’s caps, the little red haired boy and girl seemed excited to be there.

While it is called a scenic railway, I think it would be better enjoyed in fall than this time of year. You travel past the backs of some less than scenic buildings and some fields of crops but most of what you see is brushy. There’s a lot of green brush everywhere you look here in southern Ohio so that’s not exciting. However, I imagine the trip is beautiful in October. You do catch a glimpse or two of a stream that’s pretty.

All the same, Dad seemed to enjoy it and I certainly did. This was his first train trip so I was excited to give him that. He joked that he has now traveled by plane, train and automobile!

The thing I liked best is that it was like stepping back in time. Aside from the fashion choices of fellow passengers, it’s hard to discern the year just from looking around the rail car. It encouraged me to consider what travel would have been like back in the day when rail was the quickest and cheapest means of transport and how exhausting those trips must have been.

If you have a chance, go for a ride someday and experience it for yourself. Click here to find just the right ride for you!