January 29, 2026:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I wore the Great Wolf Lodge sweatshirt I bought when I first went to Great Wolf Lodge back in 2024. I went downstairs and had breakfast. As I finished breakfast, I saw that “Yoga Tails” was ending. I then played Magiquest some more.

 

            I saw that Brinley Bear was the first character of the day to show up. I photographed Brinley.

 

 

            I went back to Magiquest until lunch. I bought lunch and then went to the lobby. At the lobby they were going to tell the story of the Great Wolf Pack. They had wood cut outs with pictures of the members of the Great Wolf Pack on them. The staff asked for volunteers to hold the cutouts. When no one stepped up to hold the cut out for Oliver Raccoon, I volunteered. I was the only adult until what looked like a kid’s grandma held the cutout for Brinley Bear.

 

            This told the origin story of the Great Wolf Pack. The story was made into a 45-minute movie on the Great Wolf Pack’s Youtube channel but there was more drama on the animated special than the story we reenacted. I took some photos of the cut outs.

 

 

 

            A little while later, Oliver Raccoon came out again. I photographed Oliver.

 

 

 

            After seeing Oliver, I decided to go climb the rock-climbing wall. I was able to climb two of the three walls. I then photographed them.

 

 

            Next, I did a ropes course similar to the one at Destiny USA in Syracuse and at Union Station in St. Louis. I photographed the course.

 

 

            I then tried another obstacle course and photographed it.

 

 

I then went to the water park again. Between this time and the last time, I had been on all 12 waterslides. I then went back to my room. I headed out to wait for the next character to appear. The character who did appear was Aloysius Otter who goes by “Wishes”. While Wishes is not a member of the Great Wolf Pack himself, he has been known to assist the pack when possible. He has shown up in the original movie and in three episodes after. I photographed Wishes.

 

 

I had heard there was a Wishes walk around character at Great Wolf Lodge and now I have seen him. Between this trip and last year, I have seen all six characters at least once. The only character I did not see was Sammy Squirrel. I had one more chance the next morning.

 

I played Magiquest and got stuck on the final round of one quest where you have to fight a dragon named Charlock. Timing was pretty much everything, but I couldn’t get it right much to my frustration.

 

I went back to the lobby for another “Hustle and Howl Dance Party” which was identical to the one the night before. I went back to Magiquest and struggled to fight Charlock. I returned to the lobby for another reading of The Legend of Luna. Afterwards Violet Wolf came out. I photographed Violet.

 

 

            I then went back to my room. I packed a bit and went online. I also phoned a taxi to take me to the Amtrak station the next day. I set the alarm on my phone and called it a night.

 

January 30, 2026:

 

I got up and got dressed. I went downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast I went back to my room and finished packing. I went downstairs and checked out. The taxi was coming at noon. I still had just under two hours. I played a round of Magiquest but still lost to Charlock.

 

I went to the lobby to see who the last character would be that I would get to see before I left. It turned out to be both Brinley Bear AND Wiley Wolf! I photographed the two.

 

 

 

 

 

Of the six Great Wolf Pack characters, between my 2024, 2025, and this trip, the character I have seen the most is Brinley Bear with five times. In second place is Oliver Raccoon with four times. Violet Wolf is third with three times. Wiley is fourth with two times. There is a tie for last place between Sammy Squirrel and Wishes Otter. Sammy of course never showed up while I was at this Great Wolf Lodge.

 

I then went to play Magiquest and lost to Charlock twice. I went to ask for help. I returned to face Charlock one more time. Someone else was fighting Charlock with an employee from Great Wolf Lodge watching and giving hints. This person managed to defeat Charlock. I asked her to stay and help me.

 

I then faced off with Charlock again. This time with the help of the employee, I managed to beat him! I had finally completed the quest.

 

There was still one more quest to do but I would not have enough time to complete it. I figured it could be something to do if/when I returned to Great Wolf Lodge; either this lodge, Niagara Falls, or a third location I have yet to visit.

 

In the lobby they were having a ceremony for magis who have completed their quests. I asked if I could be included in this despite the fact that I hadn’t finished the last quest. I was told I could. I proceeded to do just that.

 

I photographed a sign outside the lobby that read “Thank you for visiting Great Wolf Lodge”.

 

 

I still had 30-45 minutes before my cab arrived. I hung around the lobby for that time. The taxi came four minutes late. It was the same driver who took me to Great Wolf Lodge last Tuesday.

 

I found out the fare would be $90. I got to pay the taxi driver right away. We headed out and a little while later we arrived at the Worcester Amtrak station. I went inside the station to wait. I had over an hour before the Lakeshore Limited was scheduled to depart. I decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch. After lunch I returned to the station. I continued to wait for the train. I called Julie and found train #449 was running on time.

 

A few minutes before the train was scheduled to arrive, I took an elevator up to the platform. There was an MBTA commuter train at the station platform. It was scheduled to depart a few minutes before the Lakeshore Limited would arrive. I photographed the commuter train as it departed.

 

 

I hoped the Lakeshore Limited would arrive soon. Moments later, it came into view. I saw it was short. It had a locomotive, Viewliner 2 sleeping car, an Amfleet 2 lounge car, and a single Amfleet 2 coach.

 

 

I was seated in Amfleet 2 coach #25059 which was the only coach on the Boston section of the Lakeshore Limited. The coach was rather full. I sat next to someone who was getting off at Springfield which was the next stop. The train departed four minutes late. I went to the lounge car and went online. I learned that the actress Catherine O’Hara who played Kate in Home Alone and Home Alone 2 had passed away.

 

At one point, the Amtrak crew announced that in order to get around freight trains we would stop and have to back up onto an adjacent track and then go forwards. A few minutes later, we did just that.

 

A little while later, we stopped at Springfield. My seatmate got off. The Amtrak crew had quite a bit of trouble getting the coach door open, but they eventually did. I asked if Springfield was a smoke stop. I was told no. As we departed, I attempted to photograph Amtrak’s Vermonter.

 

 

After leaving Springfield we traveled through a scenic area. The train stopped at Pittsfield.

 

At Pittsfield, the Amtrak crew announced that because the line was single track, we had to wait for train #448 to pass us. It would take at least 20 minutes. We sat as the sun went down. Train #448 passed. As it passed, I attempted to film it. We were soon underway.

 

I checked my Iphone’s tracker to see where we were in relation to Albany. The crew announced that we would combine with the New York section. As we got closer, we learned that the New York section hadn’t arrived yet and would not arrive until we did.

 

When we got to Albany I stepped off and photographed the train.

 

 

I went upstairs and bought a Pepsi. I saw a headlight in the distance and determined it was the New York section of the Lakeshore Limited. It turned out to be right.

 

            I had been assuming that the New York section would have one or two P32AC-DMs, the coaches, dining car, sleepers, and baggage car. Instead, it had two P32AC-DM locomotives, and the coaches were in reverse order. I wondered how it was going to work. I was told the New York section would be turned around and then the Boston section would be coupled to the front. I watched the New York section pull out of the station. I saw the coach seats were facing backwards. I believe the reason for this configuration is because of track work being done in the area around Penn Station.

 

As the New York section pulled out. I took some photos including P42 #93 being coupled to the front of the locomotive on the Boston section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New York section returned. I filmed it pulling in. I took some photos around the station.

 

 

 

 

The Boston section pulled ahead and switched tracks to couple up to the New York section. I took a few pictures.

 

 

I filmed the Boston section coupling up to the New York section. I then got back on the train. The train ended up leaving just over an hour late. My train now had two locomotives and 13 coaches. The New York section also had an Amfleet 2 lounge car. I would find out it was not open and the only open lounge car was on the Boston.

 

I attempted to film the Amtrak yard in Albany. 20 minutes later we stopped at Schenectady. After departing Schenectady, I walked to the dining car for dinner. While I could eat dinner in the dining car, it would cost about $37. I decided to get dinner from the lounge car.

 

After dinner I went back to my seat and worked on this report some more. The train stopped at Utica. I saw steam locomotive #6721 which had been damaged by a runaway hopper car appears to have been repaired after the accident. The train departed Utica.

 

The Amtrak crew dimmed the lights as it would be quiet time in the coaches to allow coach passengers traveling overnight to try to sleep. The crew said that Syracuse would be the last stop they would announce until morning. About an hour later we were approaching Syracuse. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off. We were told to walk one car back to exit.

 

The Lakeshore Limited arrived into Syracuse almost 90 minutes late. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

 

I saw there were no taxis at the station as there had been in years past. I guess with ride shares like Uber and Lyft there is less demand for taxis. I eventually found the number for a taxi company and called them.

 

January 31, 2026;

 

The taxi finally showed up. There was another passenger in the cab. We dropped him off which was on the way to my hotel making a slight detour. I soon arrived at my hotel and checked in. I went to my room and briefly went online. I set the alarm on my phone and called it a night.

 

I got up at 8:30 and got dressed. I went downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast I went back up and finished packing. I then checked out of my hotel.

 

I had difficulty finding the bus stop but eventually saw a bus pull into the parking lot of the hotel! That ended up making it easy.

 

I boarded the bus and we departed. The bus took a long and windy route through Syracuse. At one point I recognized a part of the city I had visited back on my 2023 Syracuse trip.

 

The bus got to the downtown transit terminal and I got off. I then transferred to the route #50 which took me to the Amtrak station. I got off and photographed the bus.

 

 

I then went inside the station. If all trains were running on time I would have missed the first two eastbound trains of the day. Both trains originated in Niagara Falls New York headed to Penn Station. I was aiming to try to see the eastbound Lakeshore Limited.

 

I saw that both trains 280 and 284 were running late with train #280 being over four hours late. I went onto the station platform and waited. When train #280 arrived, I filmed it pulling in and photographed it.

 

 

            I filmed train #280 departing. I then took one more photo of the train.

 

 

            Not long after, Amtrak train #284 arrived right on train 280’s heels. I filmed #284 arriving and photographed it.

 

 

            I then filmed train #284 departing and took one more photo of it.

 

 

            I then went inside the station to warm up. A few minutes later I walked up thinking that the Lakeshore would soon be pulling in. It was just an eastbound CSX freight train. I missed the head end power. It did have a mid train unit which I attempted to photograph.

 

 

            10 minutes later an eastbound CSX Intermodel train passed. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            I went down into the station to warm up because I knew the Lakeshore would not come until after the train passed. The Intermodel train actually stopped for several minutes. The train eventually started moving again.

 

            Awhile later I went onto the platform. The station even announced the impending arrival of train 48/448. However, it turned out to be another CSX Intermodel. I photographed it before I went back into the station.

 

 

 

            Like the previous train this Intermodel stopped for several minutes before resuming. I then went back up to the platform. The station crew even announced, “Let’s try this again”!

 

            This time the next train was the Lakeshore Limited. I filmed it pulling in and photographed the train.       

 

 

            I saw the train had three locomotives. The train also appeared to be the New York section and there was no Viewliner 2 diner.

           

When the train departed, I filmed the train leaving and took one more photo.

 

 

            I went back inside the station to warm up. I bought lunch at the Subway restaurant in the station.

 

            Train #63 is scheduled to leave just before 1:00 pm from Syracuse. However, the train became later and later. First it became 2:30 which soon became 2:40, which soon became 3:00. 3:00 became 3:30. I was getting annoyed. Finally, three hours late, train #63 pulled into the station. I had moved up to the platform. I filmed the train pulling in.

 

 

            I was seated in Amfleet 1 coach #82605. The coach was in Amtrak’s new Phase 7 livery. The train was also set up like the Adirondack with the café car in the middle and no Business Class section. The train departed three hours and two minutes late.

 

            After my ticket was lifted, I filmed the rail equipment at the New York State Fairground. I then went to the café car and waited until train #64 which was also hours late passed. I bought a Snickers bar at the café because I knew I would have to tide myself over until the train leaves Niagara Falls Ontario hours later.

 

            I returned to my seat and worked on this report some more. The train stopped at Rochester. West of Rochester the café car closed. The sun went down. The train stopped at Buffalo Depew. West of Depew we stopped because something was wrong with a switch ahead. We were stopped for several minutes before we started moving again. The train stopped at Buffalo Exchange Street station. The train departed Exchange Street. Strangely I was not given a form to fill out for Canadian customs. A passenger came by saying he missed his stop at Buffalo Exchange Street. I told him to see a conductor and not me.

 

            A few minutes later we passed the old Niagara Falls New York station. We stopped at the current station a few minutes later. After several minutes we crossed into Canada.

 

            The train stopped at Niagara Falls Ontario, but it took several minutes to get off. The crew was having problems opening the door due to the cold weather and snow but eventually the crew managed with the aid of a hammer in the emergency kit!

 

            I got off and was the first passenger to clear Canadian customs. The customs agent asked about my form and I told her I didn’t get one. She said it was okay. The inspection was fast and I was soon done. I went outside and took one more photo of the Maple Leaf.

 

 

            I then went inside the Niagara Falls train station. I saw since my last trip the station had been renovated and looked much brighter. Several minutes later it was time to reboard the train. Business Class passengers were called first even though there wasn’t an official Business Class coach. Next were passengers getting off between St. Catherines and Oakville. Finally, everyone going to downtown Toronto was allowed to board.

 

            I was seated in the same coach as earlier. The train departed two hours and 43 minutes late. The crew announced that there would be free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in the café car.

 

            My ticket was soon lifted. I looked out the window hoping to catch a glimpse of the Niagara Falls Great Wolf Lodge location but couldn’t see it. I phoned my dad and let him know I was back in Canada and would be due into Toronto no sooner than 10:30 pm.

 

            I worked on this report some more as we crossed over the Welland Canal. The train stopped at St. Catherines. After we left St. Catherines, I went to the café car for dinner. I ate my dinner in the café car. The train stopped for several minutes to let a GO train pass. After the GO train passed, we were underway again. The train passed through Hamilton. We actually passed through Aldershot non-stop as no one wanted to get off there.

 

            On the West side of Burlington, a westbound GO train passed. The train stopped at Oakville a few minutes later. We soon departed Oakville. The train passed the Port Credit GO station and a railway crossing with a MiWay bus waiting. We passed by the Long Branch GO station. It was good to be back in TTC territory again.

 

            As we passed VIA’s Toronto Maintenance Center, I attempted to film the equipment in the yard. I saw some of VIA’s Siemens Venture trainsets as well as some corridor trains with LRC coaches and the Canadian having arrived from Vancouver earlier today.

 

            I have heard a rumor that the LRC coaches may be retired in the near future. I will have to see. We were soon approaching Toronto Union Station. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off.

 

            Outside of Union Station, the train slowed to snails’ pace. We eventually picked up speed again.

 

            The Maple Leaf arrived into Toronto three hours late. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then went downstairs and headed to the subway. I just missed a train and waited for a few minutes for the next subway. I learned en route to Sheppard-Yonge that the Sheppard Line was closed for signal work. The TTC was running shuttle buses.

 

            At Sheppard-Yonge I got off and got on TTC Nova LFS Hybrid #7113 which was on the shuttle bus for the Sheppard Subway. I rode to Don Mills where I noticed a bus on route #85 was at the station. I quickly got on that bus and rode one stop as it saved me having to go up and down some escalators and elevators. I got off the bus and walked to my apartment. I got there around midnight.

 

Conclusions:

 

            This is the first trip in almost 20 years that was hampered by snow. I’m not pleased with having to take an overnight bus to New York, but it was my only option. It did allow me to have breakfast at the Tick Tock diner again and cover the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Boston Back Bay. I’m pleased to have gotten to ride the Mattapan line again.

 

            Great Wolf Lodge’s Fitchburg location was great once I finally got there! It had a few more things compared to the Niagara Falls location. However Great Wolf Lodge is expensive.

 

            I wasn’t too pleased with the three-hour lateness of the Maple Leaf. The snow plus the cold have made me decide that unless something is urgent, I’m not traveling until March, even if I win the lottery! I will give Air Canada another chance in the future.  Until next time…

 

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