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Ever been on a train? Me neither. If you&Apos;re from Northeast Ohio you&Apos;ve more than likely heard of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

Here we have form of entertainment wherein someone else drives, you sit in the comfort of an air-conditioned rail car and get a guided tour of 33,000 acres of national park.

Of course the railroad was built to transport coal and freight, but it&Apos;s always been a means of carrying passengers to their destination, too. So, if my goal here is to find alternative transportation and still enjoy my summer - what better way than this.

So, it was off to the website I went. Our route started from the Akron Northside Station (near Luigi&Apos;s) to Peninsula. I must admit I felt pretty luke-warm about it at first. Yet I still told my 2 year old how exciting the choo-choo would be for her. But when that train came puffing into the station, Mom and Dad were just as awed. The powerful roar and the sheer size of the locomotive was immediately offset by the smiling faces of the crew and the Park Rangers waving out at us.

We had a whole car to ourselves at first, but we were pressed against the windows almost immediately. I bet they have to clean to window glass a couple times a day from all the nose smudges. I know it&Apos;s the same Cuyahoga Valley that I drive through almost daily, but from a different perspective.

Figuratively speaking I was stopping to smell the roses as we made our way over busy streets and into the mute, green passageway of the trees.

One spot we were told was once a junk yard and almost became a parking lot, before beaver staked their claim and turned it into a rich wetland now home to herons and turtles.

A tiny town called Everett sat tucked in the woods along the way and Indigo Lake stood out blue and sparkling. Men and women who&Apos;d escaped their busy lives savored quiet spots on its shores to fish or catch some rays. This same lake serves as a practice zone for rescue workers learning to save lives. Hale Farm and Village takes visitors from this same stop.

One whole car on the train was filled with cyclist who paid only two bucks for their ride up the Towpath Trail. The Bike Aboard service hangs the bikes in one car while the nature-loving cyclists conserve their energy before a long trek home.

The Cuyahoga river went from tame and stream-like in some spots to a swell of water of giant rocks and boulders in others. Peninsula was our destination. There, farmers markets, patio umbrellas, antique shops, artists and bike shops awaited us.

Only an hour and half and it was back on the train. My little one&Apos;s eyes began to close as she watched the trees and farmland pass by. It was a peaceful break from the same old. A getaway without going away. Could this day get any better? Only if you&Apos;ve got root beer and ice cream chilling at home with your name on it.

I know my family will be back on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad soon.

$15 bucks a person and only 3.82 miles from the Akron Radio Center on West Market Street. Yes, I think that officially qualifies this as a No Tank Trip.