Williams Family: A Ride On The Sugar Express

 

We had tickets to ride The Sugar Express, a 2+ hour round-trip train ride on the grounds of U.S. Sugar in Clewiston, Florida. 

The train was pulled by a 1920 steam locomotive that is now fueled by vegetable oil, or diesel fuel if needed.  It is one of three steam engines in the United States certified to run at 40 mph, which it did!  Stepping on board is like stepping back in time.  I kept imagining the train scenes from the movie White Christmas.  Even the lavatory on the train was a throwback. 

In addition to the train ride, sweet treats are served including ice cream sandwiches, drumsticks, and bars followed by cookies.  The ride is also known as the Ice Cream Train. 

As we were driving south on highway 27, I noticed the change from frequent populated areas dotted around lakes to more expansive land spaces featuring orange groves and cattle ranches.  We were sharing the road with a truck and trailer hauling a lovely young bull who was checking out the view from all angles and eventually laid down.  And, given the number of financial intuitions we passed on the drive, I said to the husband, "there's agriculture money here." 

U.S. Sugar Plant in the distance

U.S. Sugar, a privately owned agricultural company in Clewiston, employs 2,500-3,000 people at the plant and farms over 230,000 acres across several counties.  The plant sits on 270 miles of land west of Lake Okeechobee and has created its own wireless network that spans those 270 miles and features driverless tractors that utilize precise GPS Navigation.

The miles and miles of crops are irrigated with runoff from Lake Okeechobee through canals crisscrossing the fields.

U.S. Sugar produces sugar, molasses, and many other crops. The conductor told us that U.S. Sugar produces enough food to feed 165 million families each year. 

This was not our first train adventure or even our first steam locomotive train adventure, but it was our first with John and Diane Williams, who drove from Lakeland and met us at the train.  John and Diane enjoy searching for adventures, especially ones involving ice cream as John is a decedent, as is Todd, of the Williams Dairy family.

We ended our afternoon with a lakeside meal in Sebring at Sunset Bar & Grill.  

Click below for more Williams Family train adventures!

Riding the Rails. . . Moravia to Albia and Back

Tickets to Ride. . . To The North Pole!  Another steam locomotive trip!