178 visits to Travel Town

(All photos taken by Joanna S.)

Travel Town is one of the best places to take little boys who love trains. A free open-air museum it features retired full-size engines, as well as passenger and freight cars. Some are more than 100 years old. For a couple of bucks, a little train even loops passengers around the park for a 10 minute ride.

Alex's end-of-kindergarten school trip was held at Travel Town. As we pulled into the parking lot he announced it was his 178th visit. He may not have been that far off. When Alex was younger, we did visit Travel Town quite a lot. These days, Alex no longer lays out miles of track inside our house and guests no longer trip over Thomas, Percy, Henry and Gordon strewn across the floor. (We could even resist the gift shop at Travel Town that use to cost us a pretty penny.) But, when he saw the old trains he couldn't resist climbing on the engines -- with full steam -- and running along the tracks just like he did when he was little. 

Little Ninjas boarding Little Steamers

The Los Angeles Little Steamers Railroad Museum in Griffith Park in the center of Los Angeles is open for the public on Sundays only to ride narrow gauge model engines.There are steam, diesel and electric engines that pull three or four freight cars that guests climb aboard. The track is 1.5 miles taking visitors around a steam plant and several parked cabooses. Alex thought it would be more fun if he used his ninja skills while riding the train.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

Talking his way through the Jurassic period, Alex shared his paleontologist know-how at the National History Museum of Los Angeles. As his sister "roared" with at each dino, Alex explained the distinctions between triceratops, stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex.

National Train Day

National Train Day celebrates the anniversary of the nation's transcontinental railway -- 143 years!

"On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the 'golden spike' was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, forever transforming the face and character of America. National Train Day is an annual celebration of train travel and the ways trains touch the lives of people across America. Train stations and other venues across the country host activities and exhibits that highlight the past, present and future of trains and travel."

In cities across America, children drag their parents to long lines at train stations to celebrate trains. At Union Station in Los Angeles, Alex and Serene toured trains, played on interactive exhibits, gawked at model train displays.

Wings of Freedom

The Wings of Freedom Tour brings B-17 and B-24 World War II bomber aircraft to small airports around the country. Spectators can climb aboard and tour the aircraft from cockpit to tail. The devoted can even pay for a flight in a jumpseat. Alex and Serene crawled repeatedly through the bombers and tried the gunners.

Santa Barbara Beach

 

The beach in Santa Barbara is just beautiful. The waves are calm, the sand is perfect for building castles and the pier that jets out from the main street offers a walk with restaurants, stores and even a small museum.

Dinosaur takes over Santa Barbara Zoo

Dinosaurs roam the Santa Barbara Zoo. At least, one that is. His name is Duncan. He actually does shows twice daily. Alex was selected to brush his teeth on stage. Serene sat in the first row and watched her brother take care of a T-Rex. Our dentist would be proud.

Dubbed the "World's Most Beautiful Zoo," the Santa Barbara Zoo boasts a view of the Pacific and the mountains that is stunning. Steps from the beach, affordable and easily visited in just a few hours, the zoo is the perfect day trip for Los Angelenos.