And we're back - A quick update

So, we are back from vacation (okay, okay, it's been a month - I'm a bit behind....) and I have lots to write about so I'm going to try to space it out some.  Hopefully, you'll have lots to read about in the coming days.  I had originally planned to take the family up to Upstate New York to visit with some extended family, enjoy the local county fair and get some peace and quiet.  Somehow, my nice relaxing vacation got hi-jaked into our first Great Train Adventure (oh yes, I've been told that there are many more to come!!).

We started off in Strasburg, PA, home of the Strasburg Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad Museum, and much more.  We stayed the night in the Red Caboose Motel, which as the name implies is a motel made from refurbished caboose cars.  I will go into more detail in another post, but I will say that it was quite an experience ;)

Next we headed north to Upstate New York for my few days of R&R.  Not train related, but we stayed at the most charmingly wonderful B&B called Handsome Brook Farm.  It's a small working farm raising berries, sheep, chickens, and pigs.  They specialize in farm vacations where you go and experience farm life, but are open to being just a B&B as well.  If you're ever near Cooperstown, I would HIGHLY recommend a couple day stay.  I only wish we could have stayed longer!!!  Here's a quick pic of Charles with the chickens.  Have you ever met friendly chickens?  We did!

And one more of the sheep grazing.  They act like dogs, love being pet and come when called by name. 

So back to trains...
There was an attempt made at some train viewing one night in NY.  We went to an Italian restaurant in Sidney, NY that was on the train tracks.  According to our waitress the trains do still run and come by once an hour - but alas, after waiting 2.5 with a toddler who was promised trains, we had to tell him they must have derailed and weren't coming :(  On the way back to the B&B, he made up the cutest story about the train derailing because it was going to fast and how it was now in the shop and just needed honey (it cures all according to my son) to feel better and get back on the track.

So next, we drove to Scranton, PA where the proud Steamtown National Memorial is.  We stayed in the Lackawanna Station Radisson, which used to be a the headquarters of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.  There is a lot for a train enthusiast to do while in Scranton - although if you're planning on a vacation, keep in mind that EVERYTHING shuts down on Sunday.  I think I'm used to being spoiled in our 24/7/365 NoVA world that I forget about this sometimes.

After Scranton it was on to Bryn Mawr to visit with a favorite relative from my husbands family.  We also managed to get in some train viewing here as he took us to a lovely restaurant on the train tracks.  Here my son was not disappointed as there was a train going by every 5 minutes.  He was elated and now whenever we go out to dinner he looks out the window expecting trains.

That was the trip.   As always, vacations are great but it's so hard getting back into the routine of life.  I hope to go into a lot more detail on all the train stops in the next few days so stay tuned.....