This Christmas break I've been blessed to have my hubby home a bit more. He works two jobs and his teaching job is on break right now also:-) So, my sweetie suggested that we take the kids up to the Railroad Museum on Monday and a grand idea it was!
We left early(well, sort of) Monday morning and headed out on a 2 or so hour trip. The kids were all surprisingly well behaved, non complaining on our trip and Dan and I had an opportunity to chat on the drive up.
We left early(well, sort of) Monday morning and headed out on a 2 or so hour trip. The kids were all surprisingly well behaved, non complaining on our trip and Dan and I had an opportunity to chat on the drive up.
Once we got there, we finished any lunch and drinks we had and wandered about the grounds. The kids promptly found the above train car and had to be up on it. Of course, Liam wanted to be up there with the girls...so I climbed up too:-) There were some tracks too to run along and Liam enjoyed staring at some huge engines locked away in some shed..I'm sure he was planning ways to get in that shed.
After a little time out there, we headed to the actual museum and began our adventure. The old steam engines are just awesome! The size of them amazes me and surely made us feel a touch dwarfed in comparison...
After a little time out there, we headed to the actual museum and began our adventure. The old steam engines are just awesome! The size of them amazes me and surely made us feel a touch dwarfed in comparison...
Dan and the kids graciously posed next to the enormous wheels of this grand engine. Dan just barely stands taller than them!
The pic in the very beginning is of the oldest engine of the Central Pacific line. Beautiful and awesome. I also got some pics of very lovely engines, painted and decorated/shined up beautifully as well as the interior of one of the coaches. If I remember I will post a picture or two of those later. Really worth looking at. I know that trains today are much more efficient in comparison to the old steam engines...but the beauty with which they were designed just floors me sometimes. It is kind of like the old sewing machines..today they look so boring(and often don't work half so well), where the old Singers and Whites look so gorgeous(and usually can still function if well cared for). Unfortunately I don't think the steam engines function as well as the old sewing machines.
The pic in the very beginning is of the oldest engine of the Central Pacific line. Beautiful and awesome. I also got some pics of very lovely engines, painted and decorated/shined up beautifully as well as the interior of one of the coaches. If I remember I will post a picture or two of those later. Really worth looking at. I know that trains today are much more efficient in comparison to the old steam engines...but the beauty with which they were designed just floors me sometimes. It is kind of like the old sewing machines..today they look so boring(and often don't work half so well), where the old Singers and Whites look so gorgeous(and usually can still function if well cared for). Unfortunately I don't think the steam engines function as well as the old sewing machines.
After we had a tour Dan took the girls up into an old engine that you could sit in. They waved at me, but I had to move to make Liam happy and missed the picture opportunity:-( After that we headed up to the toy train display and that was fun. Seeing all the old Lionel trains and tracks was great. I know Dan really liked that and Liam was pretty enamored with it himself! Of course, the icing on the cake was the Thomas Train play area...little boy heaven!
Doesn't he look pleased?! A few minutes later we had to move on and we had a bit of drama. For shame on mama and daddy for removing him so soon! Of course, it would have been too soon no matter what! LOL!
Doesn't he look pleased?! A few minutes later we had to move on and we had a bit of drama. For shame on mama and daddy for removing him so soon! Of course, it would have been too soon no matter what! LOL!
The large workings of an engine..beautiful in its iron splendor!All in all, it was a splendid day! A lovely way to round our out Christmas holidays. I'm so glad my hubby thought of it and I know that the kids(even the girlie who just the day before insisted-dramatically-that she didn't want to go and didn't like trains) had a good time:-) I just wish we could have stayed a touch longer to enjoy the Old Town around the museum area...but it was great!
And just a side note to say that I have not forgotten that I said I would share what I'd made for the kids this Christmas. Soon...
Blessings,
Sommer
And just a side note to say that I have not forgotten that I said I would share what I'd made for the kids this Christmas. Soon...
Blessings,
Sommer
5 comments:
Thanks for sharing the visit to the train museum. It sounds as if everyone had a great time ! When I was a little girl, the trains still had the old steam engines. We lived in NJ and once a year, before Christmas, my mother would take me to New York City for the day. This meant riding there on the train and I remember how incredibly scarey those big engines were as huffing and puffing and blowing out steam, they pulled into the station. I would hold my Mom's hand very tight as we stood there waiting for the train to stop so we could climb aboard. When we got to NY we would go to visit Macy's which had moving Christmas scenes in the windows and then after lunch (at the automat)we would go to Radio City music hall and see the Christmas show. It was a special day for a little girl who lived on a farm.
Blessings,
Mary
Hi Mary:-)
Glad you enjoyed the post! I've always been fascinated by the steam engines and I can just imagine how awesome it would have been to see one pulling up. The Amtrak is still intimidating in its own way...but some how I doubt it is as much;-)
Your story of how you felt waiting there on the platform reminded me of the portion that Laura Ingalls relates in one of her books as her, Ma and sisters wait for the train to go meet Pa.
Lots of love,
Sommer
What lovely pictures! The children look so happy. I don't think I know a child (or child at heart) who doesn't love trains!
Happy New Year's!
Gina
Oh, Sommer! I know this was a special family outing, but next time you do this, let me know, and maybe we can meet up! Sacramento is only an hour from us!
I went to the Railroad Museum with my dad and his fifth grade class when I was in third grade (homeschooled that year), and I remember walking in Old Sac and going to the candy store. Buckets of candy, ahhh...
That looks like a wonderful trip. I love old trains and we have so few around here since no one seems to value the history behind them. :( If ever in the future David and I take a trip out west I most definitely would love to stop there to spend a day!
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