Choo-Choo Like It's 1996: Irvine Park Railroad Anniversary

The cutest train in all the land marks its 19th birthday.

HELLO AGAIN, DEAR '96: To say that the years sandwiched between 1989 and 2000 are having an online renaissance of sorts is to admit you're not online all that much. The internet is enamored with the scrunchie-stylish, grunge-tastic, denim-overalls-y decade, maybe even more so than the 1980s (which offers a lot of fodder in the head-scratching, totally tubular fashion department). It's hard to click by a list of lists without seeing "Top Haircuts of the '90s" (and then, of course, you have to click through to find yours). What does this all mean? Well, we're longing a bit for that lively time, when velvet chokers were the rage and every lady tried out the Rachel. We can get a piece of it though, over the Feb. 21 and 22 weekend, at least price-wise, when that adorable choo-choo that chugs through a good chunk of Irvine Regional Park marks its 19th anniversary. The Irvine Park Railroad of Orange did indeed kick off -- or choo-choo off? -- starting in 1996, and families have been riding its wee rails ever since. (Well, the rails aren't wee, as in a model railroad, but the train experience is just right for a little train rider to get a taste.) And the kid-nice railroad is celebrating by offering...

1996 PRICES... over the third weekend in February. That means train rides for two bucks (feel free to store your dollars in your overall's top chest pocket, but don't forget to drop one strap, in the way we all wore overalls back in the day). Other activities around the cuteso park will be discounted as well, in honor of the attraction's 1996 start. But was 1996 really 19 years ago? Hoo boy: We might have to mousse up our hair for this one. If the internet can love on everything 1990s, so can we, even if it means digging out the ol' duds we rocked when bucket hats and babydoll dresses were the Thing, capital T.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us