All Aboard: Tatamagouche Train Station Inn

 Last year I had been looking into potential local getaways since I would not be able to travel because of Covid. I stumbled across the Train Station Inn: Tatamagouche and knew instantly that I wanted to stay there. This year I finally was able to stay a night in one of their cabooses.

My friend and I decided to stay in Caboose #7. We had initially wanted Boxcar “Jimmie” but with both of us being nurses with varying schedules, we had to take what we could get. (We ended up loving #7 regardless). 

On the day of our departure I drove up from Sackville to meet my friend in Truro. As I had driven an hour to get to her place we decided on taking her car the last 40-45 minutes to Tatamagouche. In my rush to move some of our supplies to her car I absentmindedly locked my keys in my car with the doors locked. I had never done that before and was mortified. Luckily I had CAA and we had someone within the half hour to let me back into my car.  We finished packing and were quickly on our way. I told my friend that you would have thought it was me just coming off a night shift and not her. It was a good laugh to begin our journey. 

We arrived at the Inn around 1500, so right on time to check in. It was very easy to find. Only a couple minutes in from when you arrive in Tatamagouche. It was really exciting to see all the train cars lined up along the tracks. Most were on the left hand side, but there were a few along the right as well. The gift shop and check in was the first building to the left. It had a lovely little pathway with a wooden arch entwined with plants that led up to the door. The employees were very friendly and gave us the run down on times for the dining car, cafe, informed us of the live music that night, and of the car open to the public that we would be able to walk through. The employee then walked us to our caboose. Caboose #7 was the second last one on the left. 

Our caboose was red. To get to the door we climbed up metal grate steps. The door was quite hefty looking and made of metal. Probably the original door from when it was used in the past. On the inside we had a single person bed to the left and a small table with a TV. On the right there was a chair and table with some information on WIFI, things to do around town, and contact numbers for the Inn. Further into the caboose we had a little kitchenette on the right with a microwave, minifridge, and sink. On the left down the small hallway was the bathroom with a standup shower. The other side of the hallway was almost a mirror of the beginning of the caboose, with the single bed on the right hand side and a small desk and chair on the left. There was another door on this side as well. The layout reminded me of a camper trailer, especially the bathroom with its tight quarters. My friend and I are both on the smaller side and had no issues in that respect. It was neat to see the other cabooses out the windows on either end. I would love to stay in the other ones to see what they are all like. Caboose #7 is one of the smaller ones. 

After getting our belongings settled into our caboose we decided on going for a nearby hike at Drysdale Falls. It was only about ten minutes away and only a few kilometers to hike it. At first we had some trouble locating the trail head. Google maps led us to the location but we did not see a parking lot or any indication of the trail. This is where Alltrails saves the day again. I looked up some comments to see if anyone else had trouble locating the trail. One mentioned that it was just after the bridge and to the right of the river (depending on what way you are driving into the trail). We saw a spot that looked like the beginnings of a trail and parked on the side of the road. Even after reading that we should follow the river, we did not in fact follow the river. The obvious trail led more upwards, so that is the route we took. I had thought it would eventually lead us along the river… I was wrong. It all worked out in the end. We had a nice walk through the woods. It ended up taking us to the top of the waterfall. Getting down to the bottom was a bit more of a challenge. The trail led us down a very steep downhill, to the point where we practically slid down on our bums. But we made it in the end! After admiring the waterfall, we made our trek back along the river this time. A much more straightforward path than the trail through the woods.

Now back at the Train Inn, we changed into some clean clothes and went to get some supper from the dining car. Me being a picky eater, there was not much I would eat from the adult menu, so I ended up getting the mac and cheese from the kids menu. The seating area was packed at this time for the live music. It seemed as if the whole town had come out to enjoy the show. We did manage to find a bench along the front of the main building. We were still able to hear the music.

We did not find the kids' meal very filling. We ended up driving up the street a couple minutes to Derado’s Pizzeria and each got a slice of pizza. 

Back to Caboose #7, we played one of the board games I brought: Seven Wonders: Duel before heading off to bed. One of the staff members had told us that our caboose had the least comfortable beds of all the trains. Maybe I am just used to hostel and motel beds, but I found the bed to be very comfortable!

We awoke early to go out for a morning walk along the Trans Canada Trail. We went about an hour out before turning back to the Inn. We walked up one of the side trails that led to the main street so we could walk back through the town. The trail itself was well groomed, as to be expected from a part of the TCT, and featured some nice views along the water. With some of the trees overhanging the trail, it would have looked really nice later into Autumn when the leaves start changing. 

We then treated ourselves to a muffin and iced hot chocolate from the Inn cafe. Yes, “iced hot chocolate”. A sign said that any drink could be made “iced”. So we both ordered our oxymoron of a drink. I think we confused the cafe worker for a second with the bizarre order. He told us no one had ever ordered it before. The outdoor seating was more vacant in the early hours, so we were able to find ourselves a seat next to the trains to enjoy the fresh morning air.

Our original plan had been to go to one of the nearby beaches, but since it was a bit chilly we thought we would start to head back home. It was near check out time anyway and I had to work the next day in Liverpool. We made a little pitstop on the way back to Sackville, and stopped by Mastodon Ridge. I had not been there since elementary school I believe, so it was nice to revisit some old memories.  We bought ourselves some DQ blizzards and walked around the little park, taking pictures in front of the infamous Mastadon you always see driving along the highway. We ended our short little adventure by going down the slide at the playground. 

And there ends our two day adventure. This was the first time my friend and I had stayed at a place like the Train Station Inn, so it was a lot of fun. It would be really neat to revisit again next year and stay in another caboose and visit during the warmer months so we can visit the beaches! I really enjoyed the experience of sleeping in a train and hope to do it again soon!