Thanks for visiting, Flat Daysha.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Beckett and Felix Show Flat Daysha the Sites
This fall we a had a visit from a family member. Kind of. She arrived in mail. Welcome, Flat Daysha.
Beckett, Felix, and Nate took her to see the sites. First, they went to Fort McHenry. Where they saw the fort, the flag, and the harbor.
They played at the playground and then went to the Ellicott City Railroad Station.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
A Labor Day Road Trip: Scranton
We decided to take a detour to Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania on our way home from Palmyra. We had heard that Steamtown was an amazing train museum, and, as much as we wanted to see it, it was hard to imagine taking a special trip to Scranton. (And yes, Cornell and Scranton in one road trip. You can bet we were thinking about The Office.)
The biggest draw Steamtown held for us was the prospect of seeing a Big Boy in person. The Big Boys were the longest and among the largest and most powerful of all the steam locomotives. Big Boys could travel at over eighty miles per hour. Even better, Beckett has a model of this very engine, Locomotive #4012.
This is the Reading #2124. It was originally built in the 1920s and then rebuilt in 1947. This locomotive and other like it were heavy-duty engines. They often hauled coal. The engine was retire in 1956 and rescued from the scrap heap and served on a tourist line for steam enthusiasts for a time.
We admired the breakdown train and the view of the yard.
There was a lot to see inside this museum. It really is topnotch. We've been to a few train museums in our day, and we definitely would recommend this one.
From there we headed home. We listened to a lot of Nate the Great books on tape during this road trip. When we got home Felix was inconsolable. He kept telling us that we wanted to go to his home with his sisters. What?! Turns out he really liked Mindy's house and her kids. He wanted to go back to their house. We told him he could call them on the phone.
Now Mindy and Matthew live in Florida. We are glad that we got up to New York to visit them before they left. I hope we'll be able to go see them in Florida too.
The biggest draw Steamtown held for us was the prospect of seeing a Big Boy in person. The Big Boys were the longest and among the largest and most powerful of all the steam locomotives. Big Boys could travel at over eighty miles per hour. Even better, Beckett has a model of this very engine, Locomotive #4012.
This is the Reading #2124. It was originally built in the 1920s and then rebuilt in 1947. This locomotive and other like it were heavy-duty engines. They often hauled coal. The engine was retire in 1956 and rescued from the scrap heap and served on a tourist line for steam enthusiasts for a time.
We admired the breakdown train and the view of the yard.
There was a lot to see inside this museum. It really is topnotch. We've been to a few train museums in our day, and we definitely would recommend this one.
This display shows the inner workings of a steam engine.
The machine works.
Every railroad museum needs a mail car.
Posing in front of the turn table.
From there we headed home. We listened to a lot of Nate the Great books on tape during this road trip. When we got home Felix was inconsolable. He kept telling us that we wanted to go to his home with his sisters. What?! Turns out he really liked Mindy's house and her kids. He wanted to go back to their house. We told him he could call them on the phone.
Now Mindy and Matthew live in Florida. We are glad that we got up to New York to visit them before they left. I hope we'll be able to go see them in Florida too.
Monday, September 07, 2015
A Labor Day Road Trip: Palmyra
We said goodbye to Mindy and Matthew and there family on Sunday morning and drive into Palmyra.
On the way we stopped at the Peter Whitmer home. This is where the church was organized in 1830. The log cabin wasn't open for tours until noon, which actually suited us just fine since Felix was asleep in the car, and we wanted to optimize our time in Palmyra. We met another family at the home, and they were also from Maryland. After chatting with them awhile and peering through the windows we continued our trek.
We started our tour of Palmyra at the site of the Martin Harris Farm.
Martin Harris's house no longer stands, but the home that is now on the site is famous in its own right. It's a Lake-Stone House constructed in 1850 with stone hauled from Lake Ontario (a two-day trip). They were then sorted by size and color. The result is unlike anything I have ever seen.
We then crossed over the Erie Canal, parked our car, and went to throw rocks into the water. It was so satisfying to see one of the most significant waterways in American history.
After a quick stop at Alvin Smith's grave we went to the print shop where the Book of Mormon was printed. It was actually one of the best church history tours I've ever had.
Next stop was The Sacred Grove. Nate asked me if the grove looked the way I thought it would, and, for the most part it did. We've seen so many films that feature this site that it felt familiar.
After our walk through the grove it was time to tour the Joseph Smith homes. First up was the log cabin home. It is a replica of the cabin the Smith family lived in from 1818-1825. The log cabin is small and the tour was kind of your typical church history-site tour (meaning difficult for those of us with small children), but we did get to go upstairs into the loft where Joseph would have been sleeping when the Angel Moroni visited.
Next, I very quickly peaked into the Frame house (kids were done). The family moved into the house in 1825.
Finally we walked to the top of the Hill Cumorah. We were pretty impressed that we were able to accomplish all that touring in one day with the kids. They got to end the day with a swim in the hotel pool. A nice reward for their efforts.
On the way we stopped at the Peter Whitmer home. This is where the church was organized in 1830. The log cabin wasn't open for tours until noon, which actually suited us just fine since Felix was asleep in the car, and we wanted to optimize our time in Palmyra. We met another family at the home, and they were also from Maryland. After chatting with them awhile and peering through the windows we continued our trek.
We started our tour of Palmyra at the site of the Martin Harris Farm.
We then crossed over the Erie Canal, parked our car, and went to throw rocks into the water. It was so satisfying to see one of the most significant waterways in American history.
 |
| via |
Next stop was The Sacred Grove. Nate asked me if the grove looked the way I thought it would, and, for the most part it did. We've seen so many films that feature this site that it felt familiar.
After our walk through the grove it was time to tour the Joseph Smith homes. First up was the log cabin home. It is a replica of the cabin the Smith family lived in from 1818-1825. The log cabin is small and the tour was kind of your typical church history-site tour (meaning difficult for those of us with small children), but we did get to go upstairs into the loft where Joseph would have been sleeping when the Angel Moroni visited.
Next, I very quickly peaked into the Frame house (kids were done). The family moved into the house in 1825.
Finally we walked to the top of the Hill Cumorah. We were pretty impressed that we were able to accomplish all that touring in one day with the kids. They got to end the day with a swim in the hotel pool. A nice reward for their efforts.
Saturday, September 05, 2015
A Labor Day Road Trip: Allentown and Ithaca
A couple of year ago Nate's cousin Mindy and her family moved to Ithaca so that her husband could attend grad school. I have been eager to visit them, but it kept not happening. Well, they have only a semester left, and we figured it was now or never. So for Labor Day this year we went on a road trip.
Our first stop was Clyde Peeling's Reptiland in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This was a completely spontaneous stop. Nate saw the sign and pulled over. Turned out to be a great stop. Reptiland is an accredited zoo, and it was so many cool reptiles. It boasts two Aldabra tortoises, the largest tortoises in the world, a couple of komodo dragons, an albino alligator, and lots more. We saw a whole ton of poisonous snakes and frogs on what I dubbed "poison row." We also enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit.
The drive through norther Pennsylvania and New York was so pretty. I was not expecting such a pleasant view for such a long way. We arrived in Ithaca and met Matt and Mindy for dinner. Then they took us to Cornell.
Cornell has a really impressive campus. It's situated on top of a hill, so we went to look down on the town.
Mindy posts all sorts of beautiful Ithaca pictures, and I was so happy to see it in person. Minday's daughter calls this library the Harry Potter library. It was actually a little terrifying to have the kids up on the little pathways.
We joked a little about Andy on The Office and asked Matt if they really do have a lot of a capella groups. Then we saw this advertisement for a capella auditions.
We also stopped in the chapel. It strikes me as a cross between a stave church and Westminster Hall.
After the Cornell tour we went back to Matt and Mindy's, and the kids had a great time playing with all the toys. Once we got them to bed we all stayed up late talking in the kitchen. The next morning was Opal's birthday, and we got to celebrate with a birthday breakfast. The kids played all morning until it was time to go. It was so much fun that, of course, we did not take any pictures.
I'm so glad that we made it up to Ithaca, but I'm sad that we won't be able to go again before Matt and Mindy leave.
Up next: Palmyra
Our first stop was Clyde Peeling's Reptiland in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This was a completely spontaneous stop. Nate saw the sign and pulled over. Turned out to be a great stop. Reptiland is an accredited zoo, and it was so many cool reptiles. It boasts two Aldabra tortoises, the largest tortoises in the world, a couple of komodo dragons, an albino alligator, and lots more. We saw a whole ton of poisonous snakes and frogs on what I dubbed "poison row." We also enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit.
The drive through norther Pennsylvania and New York was so pretty. I was not expecting such a pleasant view for such a long way. We arrived in Ithaca and met Matt and Mindy for dinner. Then they took us to Cornell.
Mindy posts all sorts of beautiful Ithaca pictures, and I was so happy to see it in person. Minday's daughter calls this library the Harry Potter library. It was actually a little terrifying to have the kids up on the little pathways.
We joked a little about Andy on The Office and asked Matt if they really do have a lot of a capella groups. Then we saw this advertisement for a capella auditions.
We also stopped in the chapel. It strikes me as a cross between a stave church and Westminster Hall.
After the Cornell tour we went back to Matt and Mindy's, and the kids had a great time playing with all the toys. Once we got them to bed we all stayed up late talking in the kitchen. The next morning was Opal's birthday, and we got to celebrate with a birthday breakfast. The kids played all morning until it was time to go. It was so much fun that, of course, we did not take any pictures.
I'm so glad that we made it up to Ithaca, but I'm sad that we won't be able to go again before Matt and Mindy leave.
Up next: Palmyra
Tuesday, September 01, 2015
Beckett Hikes
We live really close to a state park and occasionally head over there for a short hike. The problem is that Beckett is an excellent hiker and Felix is a lousy hiker, so the hike always ends much sooner than Beckett wants it to. We decided it was time that Beckett went hiking without Felix.
Beckett has always been an excellent hiker. I was taking him on hikes before he even turned two. Now hiking for Beckett is more like going on a run. I always prepare by putting on my running shoes and shorts.
Our goal for the hike was to see the waterfalls that we knew were farther down the trail. This is the first waterfall we encountered. Beckett insisted we go a little farther, and I'm glad we did because next we saw ....
this waterfall. Beckett enjoyed exploring all around the waterfalls.
A couple weeks later Beckett came home from running errands with Nate and asked me if I wanted to go on a hike. I quickly changed into my running clothes (absolutely necessary), and we headed out. We ran most of the way to the waterfalls. Once we made it to the second waterfall we crossed over the stream and continued hiking until we got to the bridge that goes over the Patapsco River.
On our way back we passed some of the same people that we had seen before, and they were really impressed that Beckett was still moving so quickly.
Beckett has always been an excellent hiker. I was taking him on hikes before he even turned two. Now hiking for Beckett is more like going on a run. I always prepare by putting on my running shoes and shorts.
Our goal for the hike was to see the waterfalls that we knew were farther down the trail. This is the first waterfall we encountered. Beckett insisted we go a little farther, and I'm glad we did because next we saw ....
this waterfall. Beckett enjoyed exploring all around the waterfalls.
A couple weeks later Beckett came home from running errands with Nate and asked me if I wanted to go on a hike. I quickly changed into my running clothes (absolutely necessary), and we headed out. We ran most of the way to the waterfalls. Once we made it to the second waterfall we crossed over the stream and continued hiking until we got to the bridge that goes over the Patapsco River.
Friday, August 28, 2015
School Boys
2015 is a big year for both Beckett and Felix. Beckett started kindergarten, and Felix started preschool. They are both really enjoying school so far.
Kindergartner
Preschooler
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)