I'm sure most of us have seen the movie, either when we were a kid or with our kids. The Polar Express. Remember the magic? The simple joy of Christmastime that is found in that movie? How about the book Train to Christmastown by Peggy Ellis? Once upon a time, kids could find that same magic aboard our local train, the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad (RGSRR), because every December they would run a "Polar Express" or Train to Christmastown for the families of the San Luis Valley. Sadly, I have learned that this tradition has come to an end as of this year. Why, you may ask. Apparently, the valley doesn't need a Polar Express. We're too small. Our kids and future children in the San Luis Valley come second to the rest of the nation, and the railroad cars RGSRR would normally use are being sent to other railroads that already possess cars, because they need more cars and we don't. Not only is something I can imagine most kids here in the valley look forward to no longer going to be available to them, but many of the beloved staff are being laid off for the season because there will be no events.

The San Luis Valley is a rural community. We're not like Denver or Pueblo or Colorado Springs that always have something going on. We have a few time-honored and much-looked-forward-to events that almost every valley family attends year after year. The Summerfest on the Rio, Pioneer Days, and several others happen from late spring on through early fall, but once winter comes there's local light parades and those are always wonderful. However, they aren't the Polar Express. Please, please, help the valley keep its Train to Christmastown (Polar Express).