It’s been two years in the planning. My father-in-law and I wanted to take the boys on A Day Out with Thomas trip. We were going to do it last Spring, in Arizona, but Tom left the state the month before-hand and I was very busy prepping a house to sell. So. We rescheduled. This past weekend, we drove and my FIL flew into Salt Lake City. Then, we stayed at a rented Townhouse in Park City (which was half-way between the train and SLC).
The boys knew we were going to meet their Grandad and spend a few days together, but they didn’t know about the trains until the morning of the trip. Here are a few pictures as well as their own descriptions of the day:
Jack's Description:
I was riding on the Hollow Express. I was riding on the big Thomas. I was standing on the big train. I took a nap on the Soldier Hollow Express.
Frank's Description:
We're back from our vacation. We went to Salt Lake to see my Grandad. They surprised me and Jack with riding on Thomas and the Soldier Hollow Express. They are trains that we got to ride on. I had fun riding on Thomas the Tank Engine. Daddy bought us (actually, Mommy bought them and had Daddy fetch them from the van and give them to the boys) some wooden Thomas the Tank Engine toys, Gordon and his tender, and brother got a Breakdown Train. We have lots more of wooden Thomas the Tank Engine trains that are wooden.
The boys had their first Cotton Candy experience... they each ate less than half and were all-sugared-out! I thoroughly enjoyed having my very own “Sugar Floss” (although I could have eaten off of theirs).
We waited and waited in a good sized line to have a picture with Thomas the train. As we approached the front of the line, Thomas departed for a 25 minute trip.
We waited for his return. When we finally got to the front of the line, here are the great pictures I was able to get! :P Oh well… as Pioneer Woman says, just “keepin’ it real!”
The weekend started out with drizzly rains. They continued off and on while we were at The Thomas Event. It actually made for a temperate day and interesting, refreshing weather. Blue skies and sunny one minute, drizzly and gray the next. It was the perfect temperature throughout, though, which was a blessing. Here's a view from our Thomas train ride:
We climbed around on some old engines and train cars. This old caboose just begged for the "Vintage" action from Pioneer Woman's Action Set!
Actually... truth-be-told... I took that picture, of the guys on the caboose, with the Vinatge Action in mind... hee-hee!
This was one of my last shots of the day... right as we were returning on the Soldier Hollow Express (a 90 minute, okay, it was advertised as 90 but really was only 70 minute train ride). I was trying to catch the fact that the cars were waiting for us, while we were on the train, and I did! I got the flashing lights, the train seats, the crossing bars, the waiting cars. I only had a few seconds and luck was with me for the shot!
Anyway. We had a great day! They opened at 9. We arrived at 11. Our Thomas ride was at 1:30 and the second longer ride was at 3. We left at 4:30. Our crew would have been happy with the 11-2 schedule, but, I still think it was a nice way to wind down by just sitting on the second train and watching things go by. Frank sat and talked with his Grandad at one end. Jack fell asleep leaning against Daddy. I took pictures of it all. :D
