Ty loves anything that moves...maybe because he's such a mover himself! We have toy trucks, tractors, trains, planes and automobiles among his toys here, and he has just as many of those at his house along with his birthday present-a Brio type train set.
When a friend sent out an e-mail talking about an old-fashioned train ride to enjoy Fall colors, I thought it would be a fun thing to do with Ty. I realized that he was a little on the "young" side for enjoying it; but knowing his fascination for all those things I've listed above, we decided to give it a shot.
Because it was a 2 1/2 hour drive to Ione where the Lions club there coordinates the train rides as a fundraiser, we asked Carynn and Jamie if Ty could spend the night. They agreed and we began our preparations. My friend, Ellen, was a great resource for preparing for the train ride. It's something she and her husband have done with their children off and on over the years. Well, now their children are grown and she and Gary still like to ride the train. So....Ellen recommended quilts, hot chocolate, snacks and warm coats, gloves and hats. Though we hoped for good weather, it's always good to be prepared.
Besides the things that Ellen told me about, I planned for a brief road trip with Ty-so diapers, snacks and drinks for the car ride, DVD's (just in case) were also on my list. The day dawned and we quickly got up, breakfasted and headed out.
The drive there was uneventful...We didn't even need the DVD's for the trip up there. Ty enjoyed looking around, talking to us and snacking occasionally. We stopped every now and then when Michael saw a great photo opportunity, but made good time and were at the train station early enough to pick up our tickets and then wait to board.
ALL ABOARD
Ty was so patient! He REALLY wanted to board the train and the steps were so close, but he waited patiently and when the car was ready for us to get on, he did and we did.
I asked one of the volunteers if someone could say "All aboard" since I had told Ty that someone would say that so everyone would know that they had better get on the train. The volunteer (I bet she's a grandma) was nice enough to ask someone to do that; and in a little while we heard someone call out those magic words.
I asked one of the volunteers if someone could say "All aboard" since I had told Ty that someone would say that so everyone would know that they had better get on the train. The volunteer (I bet she's a grandma) was nice enough to ask someone to do that; and in a little while we heard someone call out those magic words. 
On advice from our friend, we had opted to ride in one of the open air cars so we were very glad that we had all of our "supplies." Though the day wasn't cold, there was a bit of Fall briskness to the air, so having quilts, gloves, hats, coats (and hot chocolate) were very good ideas indeed.
Other than the time that he bumped his head (before the train started), Ty was as good as gold. He was very fascinated with the train tracks. So, being safety conscious, I let him observe them sitting near me as he could look through the slats and see the tracks and the train moving along them and I could keep my arm around him. Sips of hot chocolate and our other snacks helped an already happy camper to be an ecstatic one.
The noises that the train made were sometimes loud. We explained to Ty that when the train crossed a road it had to sound it's horn so that people driving cars would know not to try to cross the tracks. We even crossed a bridge that was high up off the ground enough that you didn't like to think about how well they maintained it. The trees were just getting their fall colors and the ride was very enjoyable.
The rhythm of the train lulled Ty to sleep and he slept for over half of the ride. When he woke up we were already on our way back to the station (it's an out and back ride). 
After we disembarked he would have gotten right back on to do the ride again. When he realized that wasn't going to happen, he decided that he wanted a closer look at the engine again.
He also allowed himself to be persuaded to watch the next group of passengers board the train for their ride from the comfort of a nearby picnic bench and a few more snacks. When the train with it's new load of passengers pulled out, we got ready to pull out too.
After we disembarked he would have gotten right back on to do the ride again. When he realized that wasn't going to happen, he decided that he wanted a closer look at the engine again.
He also allowed himself to be persuaded to watch the next group of passengers board the train for their ride from the comfort of a nearby picnic bench and a few more snacks. When the train with it's new load of passengers pulled out, we got ready to pull out too.I'd like to say that the ride back home was perfect, but realistically, it'd already been a long day not just for Ty but for us too, so suffice it to say DVD's saved the day (along with more snacks). We all had a marvelous time and I know this is something we'll want to do with Ty again.
There was definitely joy in this journey (and love too)!
NS
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