Sleeping in a Train Car in Lancaster, PA

In the uncertainty at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was longing for an escape from home, a place where we could still be socially distanced, and within an easy drive. I found the Red Caboose Motel in the middle of Amish Country and the idea of sleeping in a train car in the middle of farmland during a stressful time sounded like a wonderful adventure.

At Motel 6 in Amish Country, I wonder if they leave the light on for you?

Jay London

I had been to Lancaster before but it was my family’s first time. We took our two teenage boys, teenage girl, 6-year old girl, and my mother-in-law for the weekend. We were being COVID-safe and chose to visit places that we felt were safe and had outdoor restaurant seating. The Red Caboose and Lancaster, PA fit all of that and more. Note – we booked two train cars for our crew. Even their largest car would have been packed for our party of 7.

2-Day Itinerary with 4 Kids

Day	To	From	Mode	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Trip Notes
1 Fri	Red Caboose Motel, Ronks, PA	FredCo, MD	Car	5:00PM	7:15PM	The Red Caboose is a unique train car motel. There are window AC units and there are bathrooms with showers in each train car. The showers and bathrooms are very small but it is a wonderful experience if you don’t mind the loud AC units at night. The staff was very friendly and helpful.
	Red Caboose Petting Zoo, 50′ Silo climb, and Strasburg RR train watching	Red Caboose Motel	Walk	8:30PM	9:00PM	The free Petting Zoo and 50′ Silo Climb are all on the motel’s property. The teenagers did the silo climb and my 6-year old loved the petting zoo and watching the train go by in front of the motel.
2 Sat	Breakfast at Casey Jones Restaurant, Ronks, PA	Red Caboose Motel	Walk	9:00AM	9:05AM	There is a great restaurant at the motel called Casey Jones Restaurant built into a converted train car. We happily ate most of our meals here. Everything we ordered was fantastic!
	Just Press Play, Litiz, PA	Red Caboose Motel	Drive	10:30AM	11:00AM	This family-owned video game store was a great find for our teenage gamers!
	Lunch at Bird-in-Hand Farmer’s Market, Bird-in-Hand, PA	Just Press Play	Drive	12:00PM	12:30PM	A fascinating small-town America experience in the midst of the quaint village of Bird-in-Hand.
	A is for Amish Buggy Rides, Ronks, PA	Bird-in-Hand	Walk	1:30PM	1:35PM	Do not miss it! Buggy rides depart from the motel and include a stop at an Amish farm for homemade root beer and cookies.
	Doll Outlet, Ronks, PA	Red Caboose Motel	Drive	3:00PM	3:15PM	Do not miss it if you have a 6-year old girl doll lover! There’s a newborn doll nursery and the “nurses” there stay in character, helping weigh the baby, demonstrate swaddling, and other unique photo opportunities.
	Lost Treasure Putt-Putt Golf, Lancaster, PA	Red Caboose Motel	Drive	5:00PM	5:15PM	We ended our stay in Amish Country with some putt-putt golf which was a lot of fun.
3 Sun.	Home	Lancaster, PA	Drive	9:00AM	11:15AM