Day Out With Thomas

Today was a huge day. Once we finished with the SHOW, we grabbed snacks and headed to Strasburg PA to hang out with Thomas. Thomas is a very busy train and travels all over the country, stopping in PA three times - June, September, and December. It is a magical day for Thomas fans. Whenever Thomas passes (and he does every half hour), you hear elated shouts of "It's Thomas!!" "Yay Thomas!!!" Watching the kids faces is great - sheer joy. Of course it was blazing hot and humid today. We lathered on the sunscreen (a challenge for S since he seems to be sensitive to SPF), and headed off to our adventure. Pretty much everything is included with the Thomas train ticket. We rode a trolley car, an open small train, a model train and a pump train that you had to pump yourself. I left that one to the grandparents to do. The kids and Mom Mom got tattoos of Thomas and Henry. Trinks ink stamped tracks and trains, colored pictures and kept herself occupied while S played with train sets. It was hard to pull him away when it was our turn to ride Thomas.

If you are planning to go see Thomas, and I recommend everyone do, bring your own food and beverage. Usually you can park right near the action, so running back to the car isn't a hassle. I recommend bringing water bottles because there is ONE water fountain where you can refill. It's in the shade and is not boiling hot. It was actually refreshing. Water at the various vendors is $3 for 25 ounces. While not horrible, a little planning will let you save money for the important things, like kettle corn and toys. Using strollers is difficult, so you may want to try a wagon instead. You really want to leave plenty of time to explore all the activities and not just focus on the Thomas ride.

This year, we chose to have dinner on the way home. My mother picked out the Red Caboose Motel and Restaurant. It is about a mile from the Thomas parking lot and a really fun place. We ate in a caboose. We didn't expect much from the menu, but we were were pleasantly surprised when the food was really good. I had a hot turkey sandwich, the kids had turkey platters and my dad had a shrimp basket. Trinks stole 3 of those, though. I couldn't see what mom ordered and I forgot to ask her. We had to sit at 2 tables and the kids both sat with me. I don't know why! I am no fun! I make them sit up, eat their food and behave. Mom and dad overlook little things and are nicer when they correct the kids.

The true fun began on the way home. We were on the road for about 5 miles when the skies opened up and a major storm surrounded us. Dodging buggies and flooded sections of road was a grueling task for my mother. I sat there and took pictures. Of course it was raining so hard, all the pictures are blurry, but at least I entertained myself.

I felt like an evil mom when I was putting the kids to bed tonight. Trinks picked out an engine and 2 train cars (Rosie, Annie and Clarabel for you Thomas fans) as her souvenir. I opened them for her and she said she was so happy to have her own trains at last. I never knew she wanted her own. We certainly have a bunch of trains around here! It was a great day. I think hubby will be a bit sad he missed it this year, but the thrill of seeing Rush again will overshadow any sadness he has.