For our anniversary weekend, 32 years!, Wifey scheduled a surprise trip on Rail Explorers…read more
It was one of those "Just drive. I'll tell you where to go" situations.
Five years ago, we rode the Bluegrass Scenic Railroad, so I was a little surprised when I pulled into the same parking area and walked through the train platform. While I certainly wouldn't have minded riding the train again, she quickly said, "Nope. Not this time."
As it turns out, you have to walk through the railway platform to get to Rail Explorers.
And then we found ourselves checking in.
I'd seen ads for Rail Explorers before and thought it looked pretty cool, so this was a very unexpected treat.
Check-in is easy. The gift shop doubles as the check-in area, and, importantly, it's air conditioned.
Keep that in mind.
After checking in, we waited for the safety briefing. There are plenty of Adirondack chairs, tables, and umbrellas for your waiting comfort.
All red.
The Adirondack chairs are comfortable, but getting back out of one can become its own recreational activity. The seats are kind of low once you settle in, so keep someone nearby who loves you enough to help haul you back to a standing position.
Each seating area also has a fire pit, making it a very pleasant place to wait for your ride/exercise session of the day.
After the safety briefing, you board your rail car. Each one is labeled with the name of your party. There are Duo bikes with two side-by-side seats and Quad bikes with four seats.
Once seated, you can put your belongings in the basket between the seats, buckle up, and start pedaling when you get the thumbs-up.
The bikes are motor-assisted.
This is important.
Once you begin pedaling and reach a certain speed, the electric motor kicks in and helps you along. So no, you are not sentenced to an hour of Leg Day just to keep the thing moving.
The motor does quite a bit of the work.
You'll top out around 10 mph, and the breeze you create while moving feels surprisingly nice, especially on a warm day.
The trip is an out-and-back route and takes roughly 45 to 60 minutes each way.
When you reach the turnaround point near the bridge, you'll get off and have about 15 minutes to stretch your legs while the staff turns the rail bikes around on the track.
After disembarking the Unexpected Leg Day Machine™, there are chairs, benches, and umbrellas where you can relax.
You also get a great view of the now off-limits bridge and surrounding scenery. It's actually quite beautiful. We were told that during dusk and evening excursions they sometimes have fires going at the turnaround area, which sounds like it would make the experience even better.
After your little intermission, it's back on the bike for the return trip.
The motor assist really shines along the few slightly uphill portions of the route. Under normal circumstances, an incline means "pedal harder."
Not here.
The motor contributes quite a bit, so you never really feel like you're fighting your way uphill.
About another 45 minutes later, you're back where you started.
And then your ride is over.
:(
The staff was excellent throughout the experience. Friendly, organized, and clearly having fun with what they do. Honestly, it looks like it would be a fantastic summer job, assuming I were younger and significantly more ambitious.
Rail Explorers was A LOT of fun, and nowhere near as torturous on my legs as I had imagined.
One important piece of advice:
Wear good walking or running shoes.
Trust me. Your feet will send you a thank-you note later.
All in all, it was a fantastic anniversary surprise, and I'd absolutely do it again.
