Last weekend, we took a little trip to the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel. For as much of a train lover as Alex has been, pretty much his whole life, I can't believe that we only recently learned about this historic train station - turned hotel. It's hard to believe that Alex is actually beginning to outgrow trains a bit. But just a bit. We caught the trip in time. Had we waited another year, the magic may have been lost on him. As it was, the boys LOVED the trip. We met friends from Atlanta, and stayed in adjacent train cars.
Granted, it was HOT HOT HaaaaawwwwT outside. Staying in a 100-year-old victorian train car was such a fabulous idea. One I would recommend in maybe October... or March? July was too much for that train car to keep up with... all those windows of glorious sunshine beaming into that car. A retro-fitted, probably-aged air conditioning unit struggled to make it bearable in our sleeping car. Funny how well it worked at night. We nearly turned into popsicles! It's funny already thinking back on the temperature extremes we experienced in our night in a train car. It was slightly less funny last week I would say!
But, not to complain - I am only trying to document (often I write to trigger my own memories for re-reading later)
This was our car by night. Lit by torches. I snuck out to take this picture after everyone was asleep. After I convinced two, ... no three, little boys that the fire shining brightly through the blinds was not, in fact, the car burning down. It took quite a bit of convincing.
and another view from the windows...
A view from inside our train car (yes, sadly they can find the TV wherever we go!)
Jakey, upon waking Saturday morning...
and a pillow fight shortly later... (guess who won?)
sweet baby Luke and daddy talking with our precious friend, Megan. We so enjoyed spending time with her and her family. Six kids and four adults for a musical-review extended evening dinner was enough to test the patience of even the calmest of parents. But, we stuck it out and had a great time, despite losing a child it seemed every ten minutes or so!
Alex sitting in the lobby of the hotel (the former train station)... beautiful!
also inside the station...
The grand lobby...
and looking up...
the umbrella lady offered to take our picture. I warned her that my camera weighed about 10 pounds. Sadly, I didn't realize that those 10 pounds were in front of the lens. Geez... not a very flattering picture of me... but the only one taken any time during the weekend.
This is a sweet picture of my boy. Who, at six, now thinks he is super cool... like the pose? He actually tried to be disinterested at times. I think it is just an act. He really had a great time. For whatever reason, he is becoming more MAN and less CHILD everyday. Six is far from MAN, but it is unbelievably closer than five was. Stay little, my sweet child...
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