Our Indiana Train Excursion: St. Patrick’s Day Edition

All aboard the Irish Express for local brews, gourmet popcorn and live music!

We stepped back in time and rode inside a 1950s passenger car from Atlanta, Indiana, through Arcadia and Cicero, then back.

Hamilton County’s Nickel Plate Express offers themed excursions, and its Irish Express ride was the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

The festivities started before we even boarded, with a piper setting the mood and filling the air with his boasting bagpipes.

Once aboard the hour-and-a-half train ride – which costs $35 per person – we dined on popcorn from local Just Pop In! (we LOVED the cheese and ale pretzel popcorn!) and drank beer samples from Indianapolis’ own Sun King Brewery:

• Pachanga Mexican-Style Lager
• Wee Mac Scottish-Style Ale
• Alrye’d Alrye’d Alrye’d IPA

Cans were also available for $6 each. Mike enjoyed a pint of the Wee Mac and I sipped on the Pachanga Mexican-Style Lager.

“Charming” doesn’t even begin to describe this train ride. From the pleasant country-folk musician playing just a few feet in front of us to the sights and smells of yesteryear, the experience was as nostalgic as it was fun.

The ride takes you through miles of trees, open fields and a few small towns – plus a brief, but beautiful, ride over Morse Reservoir.

The experience wasn’t complete without the great company of our seat neighbors, Randy and Nena, another husband-wife duo that shares our passion for traveling and who were kind enough to pass along some of their wisdom.

Want to hop aboard the Nickel Plate Express? Reserve your seats, then head to 105 E. Main Street in Atlanta. Don’t forget to snag some fun pictures by the train before boarding!