My family and I had the utmost pleasure attending our first train ride facilitated by the California Railroad Association in Sacramento, CA. The pure joy emitting from my sons face made the small ticket price (and the fact that we almost missed the train because we could not find the shoes my threenager wanted) feel as though we were bandits. The value of the experience for us is insurmountable in comparison to the cost of the ride for our family of three.
Since I have my masters degree in recreation administration, I already was fascinated by the offerings of the train ride since this is another side of recreation I am not familiar with, uncharted territory. From the ticket process to choosing a seat and enjoying the ride, we were greeted with friendly faces from the train car attendants and staff. The ride itself provided a multi-sensory experience on all levels and any questions we had were answered with polite, confident information. From the white billowing steam from the engine, the audible howl of the train whistle, and the sights and smell of downtown and waterfront of Sacramento, the audience was captivated.
Besides my sons’ enjoyment of this experience, I was thoroughly impressed to learn that all of the smiling employee faces were VOLUNTEERS! What a wonderful way to give back to the community and participate in something they love. It was a truly moving to see people volunteering for intrinsically motivated reasons/beliefs. Without the volunteers’ contribution, the memories we received (that I will cherish for my lifetime) may not have occurred.
I am so thankful for the community I live in and all of the wonderful resources there are. If you are a volunteer for your community, THANK YOU! I cannot wait to continue to explore all of the countless offerings available. I also want to give a big thanks to the organizations that promote a culture of civic engagement for the betterment of the community, I feel like sometimes you may not receive the recognition you deserve. You are all wonderful!
If you would like further information on the train, you can find it here:
https://www.californiarailroad.museum/visit/excursion-train-rides