Authentic railcar bed and breakfast

By Melissa Ganje, FOX 21 News

TWO HARBORS - It's a place where you can step back in time.  Just outside of Two Harbors, you can hop aboard authentic railway box cars and stay the night.  The train cars are nestled in 160 acres of Minnesota's Northwood's and while they are not going anywhere these days, you can step aboard and spend the night!

At Northern Rail Traincar Bed and Breakfast, 2 rows of train cars on railroad tracks have been renovated into 17 rooms.  Assistant Manager Cyndi Ryder says, "This is our queen conductor car; it starts at this window and goes all the way down to that window."  Ryder says each room has its own theme and they range in size from half a box car to a full train car suite.  General Manager Mary Tourville-Phillips says, "These cars came from different parts of the country, it brings a little piece of nostalgia along with it so we have a lot of unique graffiti and some artwork on the outside of the cars as well as on the inside."  Tourville-Phillips says the original graffiti is one of the things Linda Ehlenz wanted to maintain, she came up with the concept for this train car bed and breakfast.  It opened in 2002, since then more than 15,000 visitors have stepped aboard.  Tourville-Phillips says, "We've been getting a lot of interest from people all over the world.  I just love seeing and hearing the reactions of people when they drive in, they kind of look around and you can see the look of amazement on their faces."

The authentic train car bed and breakfast was recently named one of the world's 10 most unusual hotels.  Tourville-Phillips says, "We were very humbled and very proud, very proud of that."  Northern Rail is on travel expert peter Greenburg's list with 9 other unusual hotels around the world.  Ryder says, "We didn't know that we were on it and you heard a big woo who when we saw that so it's pretty cool."

Ryder also serves as head tour guide at the bed and breakfast.  "I love it; this place has become pretty much a part of me."  She says all the ceilings were left unfinished to remind guests they are in a genuine box car.  "This is where bad Bob the wild albino hobo; somebody who used to ride the rails has signed the box car and dated the times that he was here in this particular car."

It's a place where you can step back in time, a quiet getaway unlike any other.  Tourville-Phillips says, "They are in a world all of its own, nestled in the woods, surrounded by all the wildlife in their own little box car."

For more information about Northern Rail Traincar Bed and Breakfast call (218) 834-0955 or log onto their website at www.northernrail.net