One of most cherished family rituals of the Christmas season in Connecticut is taking the kids on an old fashioned steam train ride to see Santa at the North Pole. The Essex Steam Train has taken thousands of families on the North Pole Express over the years and it continues to be one of the most popular Christmas season family venues in the state today. I had the pleasure of enjoying that experience this past weekend as a photographer assigned by CTNow.com to create a photo gallery for online display. You can see all the photos with the link below. If you know of an event that would be a good candidate for CTNow.com Photo Gallery coverage please contact me!