Living in sunny Southern California makes it a bit difficult to get in the holiday spirit with temperatures in the 80's and palm trees blowing in a warm breeze.
The perfect trip to fill you with the Christmas spirit may be an early December trip to Alaska..
Don't get me wrong.
I'm not suggesting the 40 degrees below zero temperatures of Barrow, but the much more moderate winter temperatures of Anchorage, and the Kenai Peninsula.
One of the Alaska Railroad's Winter excursions called the Holiday Train can further help put you in the Christmas mood.
The excursion departed out of Anchorage the first Saturday of December.
There are several Coastal Vacations hotel deals in the Downtown Anchorage area within walking distance of the train station.
I would suggest the upscale Anchorage Historic Hotel or the Hilton, but there are lots of other fine choices.
Tickets were sold out two weeks before last year's excursion, so book early.
Your holiday mood begins as passengers gather in the station, and the conductor utters the words "all aboard.
" You walk across the snow covered platform to take your seat in one of the passenger cars specifically decorated for the occasion with cheery Christmas lights..
A contingent of elves are on board to assist and entertain passengers.
The elves are actually high school students that also serve as tour guides on the train's summer runs.
Your seats are assigned, and there are adult cars, as well as family cars where the elves help keep the kids entertained with various craft projects, coloring contests, and more.
This is Alaska in the Winter.
As the train slowly pulls out of the depot with 500 souls on board at 7AM it will still be over two hours before we can see the light of day.
First, we pass through some of the residential areas, then pass the airport, and we make a stop at Potter's Marsh to welcome a special guest.
It's Santa, and he will work his way from the rear of the train to the front en-route to Seward.
Alaska is about as close as you can get to the North Pole, and still stand on land.
Santa appears quite comfortable in the freezing temperatures, but seems happy to be on the climate controlled train.
Santa slowly makes his way through the cars, as he frequently stops to chat, and take pictures with children, and adults.
Everyone is entertained as Christmas carolers start in the first car and slowly work their way back throughout the trip.
Most of those on this special holiday run are Alaska residents, but we were not the only tourists.
We met a couple from Australia, and a group from Arizona as we rolled along the tracks.
Locals were happy to share their state with us.
They seemed to have real respect for our contingent dressed in long underwear and down jackets, who braved the weather to visit in the off season.
As a veteran of over 20 trips to Alaska, I have found the locals always willing to share their story of how they became residents of the last frontier.
It's a different kind of life, and most of them would not trade it for big city life for anything.
About an hour into the trip we pass the lights of Girdwood, and the Alyeska Ski Resort, and an hour or so later we begin to see a dimly lit landscape as the sun begins to peek over the horizon.
As the light brightens we are treated to picture postcard views of snow covered forests, waterfalls, rivers, and lakes.
Occasionally, we pass small clusters of homes, and small towns until we arrive at our destination of Seward.
In the Summer tourist season, Seward is where cruise ship passengers disembark for a train or bus trip to Anchorage.
Those who booked a cruise/tour package will begin the land portion of their Alaska adventure in Anchorage.
The most popular land tour for cruise ship passengers includes Denali National Park, and Fairbanks.
Of Alaska's many national parks, Denali is by far the most accessible because it is one of the few you can drive to.
Other tour add ons like Nome, Kotzebue, Barrow, and Kodiak can be quite costly because they require the purchase of airfare.
It was quite apparent to me, on my first trip to our 49Th state, that it would take years to see this mammoth state.
As the train pulls up to Seward's cruise terminal, passengers gather their belongings to disembark, and prepare for the four and a half hour stop.
There are several possible activities for the day trippers.
Some head for the small boat harbor and excursions to Resurrection Bay, where they will see tidewater glaciers, sea otters, and whales.
Others make their way to the marine aquarium, and see the marine mammals from inside a heated building, The best thing is that you can do as much, or as little as you like.
Some veteran Christmas train riders take in an arts, and crafts show at the cruise terminal, and then head into town for a hearty lunch, some shopping in the quaint little stores, or just a stroll around town in the brisk air.
Some of us found a group of bald eagles feasting on salmon within a short walk of the cruise terminal.
Soon we started to gather at the cruise terminal, in preparation for boarding the train for the ride back to Anchorage.
We share stories with our fellow passengers about the day's events,as the train makes it's way back in the darkness.
The elves resume activities for the children, but some are fast asleep.
The adults, and children take part in a raffle hosted by the railroad as they give away numerous gifts.
As we near Anchorage, our attention turns to admiring homes along the tracks that have been colorfully decorated for the holidays.
Then, our adventure ends as our train returns to the Alaska Railroad station near downtown Anchorage at 9:30 PM.
It's sad to see the excursion end, but it certainly was a complete day, and if this does not get you ready for Christmas, nothing will.
Many locals head home, and we do too as we pick up our luggage at the hotel and make our way to the airport for our late flight back to the land of warm air, and palm trees, We are now filled with the Christmas spirit, and ready to take on the season.