Weekend Spotlight: Oswego Holiday Express

Updated on Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 9:25AM by Tara Burghart

So you meant to sign up for your town’s “Polar Express”-themed trip on the Metra, but it sold out before you filled out the registration form. Or maybe you meant to buy advance tickets for the “Polar Express” event at the Fox Valley Trolley Museum in South Elgin, but those tickets sold out, too.

Photo courtesy of the Oswegoland Park District.Well, the “Weekend Spotlight” brings you good news: The Oswegoland Park District is running its popular and unique “Oswego Holiday Express” this weekend, and there are still spots available.

The Oswegoland Park District says a Metra-based “Polar Express” event it organized in 2004 was well attended, but surveys with participants indicated the kids wanted more time with Santa and that everyone was cold waiting at the train station.

So the park district’s special event coordinator, Kristie Vest, started trying to imagine a different kind of event in a spot that could evoke some of the mystery of the classic holiday book by Chris Van Allsburgh.

The result is the Oswego Holiday Express, which features a trolley train ride leaving from Santa Station (Hunt Club Elementary School), during which the conductor reads “The Polar Express.” When the trolley reaches the “North Pole,” passengers will find a roaring bonfire, elves and live reindeer.

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Holiday Baking: Mint Peekaboo Bars

Editor's Note: Every Thursdsay in December, we’ll post a different holiday treat recipe. This one comes courtesy of Amy Hatch, the co-founder and editor of chambanamoms.com. If you have a favorite recipe that you especially love during the holidays, please send it to editor@gowestyoungmom.com and we’ll share it this month with your fellow Go West readers. --Tara

Just before my daughter Emmie was born in 2004, I got together with three of my closest friends from grade school and junior high: Meg, Jen and Sandy.

Andes chips are very important. Photo by Amy L. Hatch.The four of us have been friends for a very long time, indeed. I met Sandy on my first day of third grade: I was new at the school, having just moved into the neighborhood. She and I were wearing the same dress.

That was 31 years ago. In 2011, we all turn 40, a number so high as to make my head spin.

That winter day in Jen’s kitchen, we baked and laughed together, and I felt surrounded by warmth and love at a time when I really needed it. We all brought our favorite recipes and made enough to share.

Sandy made mint peekaboo bars, and I snuck a few — sweets were forbidden, thanks to my gestational diabetes. They were so delicious, both salty and sweet, something my pregnancy made my crave tremendously.

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Weekend Spotlight: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

If you don’t have weekend plans yet, there is an embarrassment of riches to choose from. Nearly every town that hasn’t already held its holiday celebration yet will be holding one this weekend. That includes Geneva’s “Christmas Walk,” Oswego’s “Christmas Walk Celebration,” Elburn’s “Christmas Stroll,” Sycamore’s “Walk With Santa,” Sugar Grove’s “Holiday in the Grove,” and the lighting of Elgin’s city Christmas tree.

This Sycamore cottage is one of Santa's many "time-shares" he stays at when away from the North Pole. Photo courtesy of Discover Sycamore.When it comes to writing the Weekend Spotlight, this might truly be the “most wonderful time of the year.” You can find details about all of the above celebrations in the Go West Guide to Winter Holiday Fun. Just a note: Some of them start Friday night.

This weekend also marks the opening of many of the “Santa Cottages” that dot the area. How charming are these? When I was growing up, giving Santa your toy list meant standing in long lines in the middle of a mall, under fluorescent lights, sweating in your heavy winter coat.

When I first moved to Geneva, I wondered through two Christmas seasons about  the “Gingerbread House” (OK – so it’s a decorated trailer) parked near the downtown courthouse.

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Traveling with Triplets: Not Glamorous, But It’s Getting Better

Many of us will be traveling over the coming weeks, as we look to spend some time during the holidays with our extended families. Guest columnist and Geneva resident Edith Tarter, a mom to 7-year-old triplets, reflects on how her travels have changed over the years – from “glorious” trips to Europe to mixing formula at roadside rest areas.

I confess … I have not always loved traveling with the children. Whew – that’s off my chest now!

The author's triplets, at the age of 3, during a roadtrip to Mississippi.Before kids ("BK," as so many of us call those childless years), my husband and I traveled the world. We journeyed to Turkey and Greece over the New Year’s holidays during Y2K. (Yes, we were adventurous and no, we were not spooked by end-of-the-world talk). We toured England, France and Switzerland on a bus with 48 other tourists (mostly Americans and one 78-year-old Spanish lady traveling alone who spoke not a lick of English). We ventured to Mexico countless times and even bought a Mexican timeshare on one trip. This was back in the day when we were DINKS (dual income, no kids). We had plenty of cash to splash around on travel. Ah, those years were glorious!

Fast forward a few years, convert Mama from a working gal to a housewife/mom and we found we had to trade rapid jet travel for slow-paced car trips. We’d roll down Interstate 55, headed south in an overstuffed minivan on a 12-hour quest to visit my family in Mississippi, with three infants in tow.

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Classic Holiday Movies and Specials on Television

Sure, you can watch many of these via DVD, Netflix, or Hulu anytime of the year. But there is something so nice about stumbling upon one of your favorite classic holiday movies on television and knowing that people across the country are enjoying it as well. Here’s a chronological guide so you don’t have to stumble so much. Note that these movies are listed under the date on which they first appear on television, but might have showings afterward as well:

"White Christmas," from 1954, is one of my family's all-time holiday favorites.Nov. 29

“Scrooged,” starring Bill Murray as a modern-day Ebenezer: Monday, Nov. 29 through Thursday, Dec. 2 at  7 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night on AMC.

Nov. 30

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” -- the animated classic: Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. on ABC

"Christmas in Rockefeller Center," with the lighting of the huge tree in the plaza: Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m on NBC

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” in which Rudolph is helped by Hermey the elf: Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m on CBS

Dec. 1

“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” -- the big-budget film with Jim Carrey: Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7 p..m. and 9:30 p.m. on ABC Family

Dec. 2

“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” with the voices of Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney, telling the story of Santa vs. Burgermeister Meisterburger: Thursday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. on ABC and afterward several times on ABC Family 

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