A Day Out with Thomas!

A full-size Thomas!

I subscribe to this Family eGuide email newsletter and a few months ago, it advertised an event in April where you could ride a full-size Thomas train. I immediately wrote it down on the April calendar so that we would remember it when it came around. I knew that Austin would be over the moon.

When our April Planning Meeting rolled around, we bought tickets online (and used a coupon code!) and the tickets simply came in the mail. The ride was about 45 minutes long and though Thomas is at the front of the train, you don't get to see him much because you're riding in the coach. You park in a parking lot and a shuttle takes you to the carnival grounds and tracks were Thomas is. There was a gift shop, Sir Topham Hat you could pose with (but stopped taking pictures just before we got there!), and vendors to eat food from--corndogs, cotton candy, etc. It was a tad too warm that day, but nonetheless, we had a good time. (I'm not sure we'd do it again, though.)

Loaded on the shuttle and waiting to leave. He just seemed so grown up sitting there like that.

Thomas is pulling into the station!

"Hi Thomas!"

We had to wait in line quite awhile and he did pretty good for a 2.5 year old!

And then we got to get on and sit in a little booth-like space (the seats flip back and forth, so we had two facing each other).

I loved how old they looked. The big round brown thing is a speaker, we think. Thomas songs were playing and we saw no other speakers.

I love both the look on his face and the windblown hair.

A real engineer!

Please excuse the man's butt in the background, but the train horn was going and Austin was shouting along with it "choo! choo!" "choo! choo!" So cute.

Graham had a good time, too.

Such. A. Great. Smile!

Such. A. Hunk!

We were being hustled along, so we didn't have time for him to pose with Austin, but he smiled great!

And then we got in this line to take a picture with Thomas.

They have professionals taking your picture, but you're allowed to come on the tracks and take your own as well.

They're looking at the professional, but it's still a good picture.

Showing the life-sizeness of it...

And then he wanted to pose with these posters, but instead of giving me a nice smile, gave me these faces.